At last. A classic to sort the national needle out for once and for all. The R1 million Grand Parade Gr1 Cape Guineas at Kenilworth today has all the ingredients of a sellout. Local champion Act Of War squares up to KZN’s jet-setting Aussie, Harry’s Son and Trippi’s wealthy undefeated Zambezi River, from Gauteng. What a race!
An impeccable record, homeground advantage and a plum draw suggests that Joey Ramsden’s Act Of War will start a deserving favourite to beat Zambezi River and Harry’s Son.
Cape champion Act Of War – a deserving favourite
War Monger
Act Of War (113) is a magnificent son of Dynasty who has only jumped six times and has won his last five on the trot – his victories including an historic eighth Gr3 Langerman win for his trainer and cracking successes in the Gr3 Cape Classic, as well as providing Piere Strydom’s 5000 sizzler in the Gr2 Selangor Cup.
On a line through his Selangor win when giving Mljet 1,5kgs and a 4,50 length walloping, he holds Harry’s Son (114).
But the handicapper doesn’t agree.
Dirty Harry
KZN Champion Harry’s Son
And things have also changed in the five months since Paul Lafferty’s Harry’s Son beat Mljet by 0,25 lengths at levels in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes on Super Saturday.
Harry’s Son has had two runs this term, both in Gauteng – a smooth win in the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes over the De Kock maiden Jayyed and then a solid beating by shock winner Unparalleled in the Gr2 Dingaans at end November.
His trainer suggested that Harry’s Son became bogged down in the going on that Sansui Summer Cup Saturday and that he would have gone a lot closer, otherwise.
They certainly mean business and fly into Cape Town by air on Saturday.
Raging River
Ready To Run Stakes winner Zambezi River in undefeated
But Sean Tarry’s Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes winner Zambezi River (90) is a galloper who could give the top two plenty to worry about.
The son of Trippi is already in Cape Town and would have acclimatized and settled in nicely in the month since his arrival.
Unexposed at feature level, he is the only undefeated runner in the race, and his official rating gives no clue as to his genuine prospects.
He showed a blistering turn of foot at his first two sprints after losing ground and winning convincingly.
The goodlooking bay colt stepped up to the 1400m with aplomb at his third start and impressed with the manner in which he went to fetch Brutal Force in the final 150m.
King Of Swing
Kingvoldt provides solid back-up to Act Of War
Joey Ramsden saddles a powerful trio in the race and his Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery winner Kingvoldt (107) came back to form strongly at his second run as a 3yo when running on powerfully behind Act Of War in the Gr2 Selangor Cup.
Allocated potential star status as a 2yo before dropping the ball late in the Cape winter, the son of Western Winter enjoys the services of big-race rider Anthony Delpech and looks perfectly suited to the mile.
Bright Light
Glen Kotzen’s Listed Racing Association Stakes winner Light The Lights (105) was only 1,25 lengths behind Harry’s Son in the Premiers Champion Stakes and then ran Dynamic to 1,25 lengths in a Graduation Plate at Durbanville.
He was thrown into the deep end in the Gr2 Green Point Stakes when a well beaten 6,55 lengths behind Legislate.
Well drawn, he has place prospects at best.
Jet Power
Vaughan Marshall – saddles Mljet
Vaughan Marshall’s Mljet (105) has earned at all of his five starts, including a smart third just a quarter length behind Harry’s Son in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes.
He is well held by Act Of War on his Cape Classic and Selangor Cup efforts and looks to be a horse who will be a better 4yo, given maturity and more racing experience.
Balance The Books
Dean Kannemeyer’s highly regarded Silvano colt Balance Sheet (94) has won 2 of his 4 starts and took forever to kept going when a 5,50 length fourth in the Selangor Cup.
Karl Neisius takes the ride which suggests he is the stable elect but he looks more of a Derby horse at the moment.
Big Charles
Charles Lytton – son of a teaser with excellent form
Justin Snaith’s celebrated son of one-time Wilgerbosdrift teaser Thomas Crown, Charles Lytton (93), is the mount of stable jockey Richard Fourie, in the powerful yard’s four-way coupling.
A winner of 3 of his 5 starts, Charles Lytton was surprisingly narrowly beaten by the older Evening Storm when going for four in a row in an MR 77 Handicap over the course and distance last time.
He looks to hold his stablemate Parachute Man on that effort and there won’t be a dry eye in the house were this gelding to win the Guineas!
Seaside
The second of the Snaith attack is the consistent Dynasty gelding Arniston (92).
He was shipped off to PE after winning a modest maiden over the Kenilworth mile at his third start.
His subsequent three starts have produced three runner-up positions, including a 2,25 length second to Light The Lights in the Listed Racing Association Stakes.
His form does not look strong enough to challenge the top four at level weights.
Alpha Bet
Justin Snaith – won both features last Saturday and has a strong hand again
Another Fred Crabbia runner (he has three in the race) for Justin Snaith is the Captain Al colt Alpha Pegasi (91), who has his first run beyond the sprints.
A one-time winner, he ran on well enough behind the season campaigner Roaring Wind last time but this is a vastly different ball-game.
Brutal Fruit
Sean Cormack enjoyed an outstanding feature double for Snaith at Kenilworth last Saturday, but he switches allegiances to ride Brutal Force (90) for Joey Ramsden.
The Sales record-breaker ran a decent enough second behind the undefeated Zambezi River in the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes after looking a winner inside the distance and should enjoy the extra 200m here.
He is held by Zambezi River on that run, but is brute of a colt who is improving all the time and cannot be discounted.
Trouble Shooter
The Mike Bass-trained Sheer Trouble (89) has drawn widest of all.
The son of Silvano looks very well held by Act Of War on his Cape Classic fourth when finishing 3,90 lengths behind the Ramsden champion in receipt of 6,5kgs. Mljet was also well ahead of him.
Gold Bar
Trainer Sean Tarry rates Imperial Gold
Imperial Gold (88) is stable companion to Zambezi Gold and finished 3,75 lengths behind him in the recent Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes – a run he probably needed after a 3 months plus break.
He won well on debut and was then thrown into deep waters in the Premiers Champion Stakes, where he showed pace before fading.
We are aware that his astute trainer rates him – couple that with his 1 draw and he could prove a nice quartet kicker.
Captain Courageous
Dean Kannemeyer also saddles Fred Crabbia’s Captain Al colt Captain Alfredo (86), who had his colours lowered last time after winning his first two starts in smart style .
His dam Zooming Zellie won up to a mile and he has already scored at 1300m (when dead-heating at handicap level with Parachute Man).
Kannemeyer knows exactly what it takes to win the Guineas and he wouldn’t be wasting his time, if he felt the Highlands-bred was not up to earning.
Action Man
Parachute Man (85) is the fourth runner of the Snaith quartet.
Guineas sponsor Hassen Adams owns the Australian-bred son of High Chaparral who has won 2 of his 7 starts.
He has drawn wide out at 13 and has yet to be exposed to his own age group at this level. He has a place chance at best.
