Capetown Noir staying on home soil and July bid remains in balance
Champion miler Capetown Noir will not be embarking on an overseas campaign and his participation in the Vodacom Durban July will be decided upon in the aftermath of today’s Gr1 Gold Challenge at Clairwood.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer told the Sporting Post late yesterday that the 4yo colt’s owners had made the decision to abandon an overseas campaign for the brilliant son of Western Winter.
“His Dubai berth had been provisionally booked, but his owners, Khaya Stables, in consultation with Jehan Malherbe of Form Bloodstock have looked at the options from all angles and decided to rather keep this outstanding colt in South Africa. He will race a few more times in Champions Season here in KZN and will then be rested for another assault on the Summer Of Champions in the Cape. His owners would rather enjoy racing him in the Cape summer and that is their prerogative. I am very privileged to be able to aim him at the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate again and to go for a double in South Africa’s premier mile.”
Capetown Noir, who was recently touched off a nostril by Yorker, when raiding Turffontein by air for the Gr1 Horse Chestnut, has won three Gr1 races in a glittering career.
Jehan Malherbe was party to the decision regarding Capetown Noir
He pulled off the prestigious and unique 2013 Cape Guineas and Investec Derby double, but has often been labelled as a brilliant miler and just a very good horse beyond that.
He is currently ranked 4th on the July log. But the race is run over 2200m at what is often seen as possibly his least favourite racecourse.
“I read everywhere that he doesn’t go well at Greyville. But his form last season to a champion called Vercingetorix wasn’t too bad in my book. Depending how he runs today, we will make a call on a July bid as I know it is important for the public to know what is happening. The Champions Cup over 1800m on Super Saturday is another viable option,” said Dean.
Kannemeyer has two runners in today’s Gold Challenge and suggested that the prospects of his Silvano gelding Ice Machine should not be underestimated.
“Ice Machine is top class on his day and he has beaten horses of this calibre at weight for age previously. He is very well and warrants inclusion,” he said.
Derek Brugman says Yorker is 99 percent certain to run in July
In another interesting development yesterday, Jooste Racing Manager Derek Brugman went on record from Epsom saying that Geoff Woodruff’s brilliant Jet Master gelding Yorker had a ‘99 percent’ chance of lining up in the July.
Ranked 1 on the big race log, the Carl and Amanda De Vos bred 4yo has blossomed since gelding and is a galloper who will enjoy the 2200m at Greyville, a distance he will go for the first time. He recently won the Gr1 President’s Champions Challenge in runaway style.
“We haven’t had the answers we were hoping for to launch an overseas campaign via the USA and while a very slim hope exists that we will hear of an alternative by Monday, we will be running him in the July. This is a race of tremendous prestige and I think it is great that owners of the calibre of Jim Lewis, Bernard Kantor and Markus (Jooste) will have a serious contender for top honours,” said an upbeat Brugman.
The R1 million Rising Sun Gr1 Gold Challenge will be broadcast live on Dstv 239 at 14h55 today.
