Final Cape Gr1 Of The Summer

All the key horses stood their ground and that sees 11 runners go to post for the R1-million Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby to be run over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday.

There were only two withdrawals – Mike de Kock-trained Motown Magic and Dean Kannemeyer’s Gimme A Star – at Monday’s declaration stage for the Cape’s final Gr1 event of the 2021/22 Summer Season.

As expected, Justin Snaith comes into this race with a potent hand which comprises Gr1 Cape Guineas winner and Cape Town Met fourth-placed Double Superlative, along with Pomp And Power, who was runner-up in the Guineas and fifth in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, beaten just 3.05 lengths by Jet Dark.

The main threat to the Snaith runners is likely to come from Universal, a half-brother to Vardy.

The Adam Marcus-trained runner suffered some severe interference when unplaced in the Guineas but proved his mettle with victory in the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m on Cape Met day.

The son of Gimmethegreenlight is a winner of three of his six races and is likely to benefit from the additional 200m of the Derby.

Those three are the best-weighted runners by quite a long way but there some improving runners in the line-up who could give some cheek.

The Derby is one of seven features run on a day punctuated with some exceptional runners.

There is also a Pick 6 carryover of R500 000 on the meeting with a likely pool of R3 million.