Class! Capetown Noir is eased down by Karl Neisius to win the Gr1 CPYS Guineas at Kenilworth
Dean Kannemeyer’s Western Winter colt Capetown Noir showed that he is the best 3yo in South Africa with a dazzling win in Saturday’s R1 million Gr1 Cape Premier Yearling Sales Guineas run at Kenilworth.
The memorable victory was an eighth Cape Guineas triumph for a stable that has no peer when it comes to winning the classics.
The right owners, an educated team eye for the right horses at the sales and the patience to plan the journey.
The Kannemeyer ‘classic connection’ concept sounds so simple on paper. But it is a formula that has stood the Cape-based racing family in good stead over two generations of training winners.
Guineas Guru. Trainer Dean Kannemeyer has been on the Cape Guineas scoreboard eight times!
Dean took over the reins from his Dad Peter at the turn of this century, and has built on the legacy left to him with a team that includes one of the longest serving assistant trainers in the country in David Lilley, and a shrewd bloodstock selector in Jehan Malherbe.
The Lammerskraal Stud-bred Capetown Noir has looked the part since winning on debut at Scottsville five months ago, and he proved on Saturday that his narrow Selangor Cup defeat three weeks ago was pure misfortune.
Touching a hoof into the red ink odds-on on the betting boards, he eased to even money before the off as Black Toga came from 10-1 to 13-2. Joey Ramsden’s champion grey King Of Pain was also seen to be on the drift.
Black Toga and Love Struck were quickest out and led Tevez and Epic Tale, while Capetown Noir was neatly tucked on the rail, a few lengths ahead of Chave De Oura, Paterfamilias and King Of Pain.
At the 1000m marker Marcus had taken command on Black Toga and they led Love Struck, with Tevez shading Capetown Noir in fourth.
At this stage King Of Pain was some twelve lengths adrift.
Into the home straight Black Toga lengthened his stride, but his lead was cut down in a heartbeat as Capetown Noir flashed through down the rail and strode clear with veteran jockey Karl Neisius glancing casually behind him.
Trophy Time. Winning owner Lady Laidlaw, Dean Kannemeyer, Karl Neisius and CTS’ Robin Bruss on the podium
The beautiful Western Winter colt won easing up by 3,25 lengths(a winning margin that one imagines could have been doubled) in a time of 97,15 secs.
Ridden with more restraint, Dennis Drier’s Chave De Oura kicked on smartly to collar the game but outgunned Black Toga who ran third ahead of King Of Pain, who made late ground.The son of Greys Inn will still win many races.
Piet Steyn’s Sanshaawes showed again that he must be the best one-time winner in the country when flying late for fifth, just ahead of the KZN visitor Love Struck, who never threatened.
Mike Bass’ trio was headed by Epic Tale, who just got the better of Paterfamilias.
The rest were really not good enough on the afternoon.
For a relieved Kannemeyer, it was the culmination of a short-term plan come together, and the start of an exciting journey to just about anything and even a possible international campaign in time to come.
Kannemeyer confirmed that he had told Malherbe at a luncheoun just days before the race, that assuming a true pace and a clean-run race, that his charge would not come off the bit and that they wouldn’t be able to touch him. How right he was!
Capetown Noir was a second Cape Guineas winner for Monaco-based owner Lady Christine Laidlaw, who caused something of a stir of admiration, and no doubt even possibly a touch of envy, when arriving on course in her helicopter.
The loyal Kannemeyer owner thanked her trainer, her bloodstock consultant and her jockey for a professional team effort.
The pleased as punch Lady Laidlaw was also all smiles as she wished her husband Irvin a happy 70th birthday and also said that they were celebrating their wedding anniversary. What a day!
Keen Eye. The Form Organisation’s Jehan Malherbe played a part in the purchase of Capetown Noir
Capetown Noir was selected by Dean Kannemeyer and the Form Organisation’s Jehan Malherbe who went to R1 million in search of a classic horse at the National Sale on behalf of Lady Laidlaw.
Capetown Noir has earned at every one of his 6 starts. He is a winner of 4 races for stakes of R871 910.
The full-brother to the well-performed Chris Van Niekerk-owned Across The Ice was bred by Lammerskraal Stud and is by Western Winter out of the Fort Wood mare, Akinfeet. As Kannemeyer observed afterwards, this is a nick that sure works, and added for good measure and Mike Rattray’s benefit that he had a few open boxes at his Milnerton base.
It is pointless speculating about what would have been and could have been if the ill-fated The Hangman had lined up.
Frankly, it is difficult imagining any 3yo on African soil dethroning Capetown Noir in full flight on the beautiful Kenilworth afternoon.
He was pure thrilling class, and made the Selangor Cup defeat look like a bad dream.
So where to next? What a pleasurable poser to face.
Result:
Cape Guineas (SAf-G1) (12/22)
Kenilworth, South Africa, December 22, R1 million, 1600m, turf, good,
1.37.15.
CAPETOWN NOIR (SAF), 58.0, b c 3, Western Winter (USA) – Akinfeet (SAF) by
Fort Wood (USA). Owner Lady MC Laidlaw; breeder Lammerskraal Stud; trainer D
Kannemeyer; jockey K Neisius (R625.000)
Chave De Oura (SAF), 58.0, b c 3, Jet Master (SAF) – Wonderful World (SAF)
by Complete Warrior (USA)
Black Toga (SAF), 58.0, b c 3, Black Minnaloushe (USA) – Bridget’s Academy
(AUS) by Royal Academy (USA)
Margins: 3¼, 1¼, ½
Also ran: King Of Pain (SAF) 58.0, Sanshaawes (SAF) 58.0, Love Struck (SAF)
58.0, Epic Tale (SAF) 58.0, Paterfamilias (SAF) 58.0, Unencumbered (SAF)
58.0, Tevez (SAF) 58.0, Act Fast (SAF) 58.0
