Will Gavin Van Zyl’s No Worries make the pace a respectable one on Saturday?
The R1 million Gr1 Beach Beauty Champions Cup has attracted the quality field one would expect for a race of this stature. With eight of the sixteen runners being Vodacom Durban July survivors, punters may be left pondering whether the big race form will actually make any sense. And if pace, or lack of it, will again be a determining factor in the outcome.
It is hard to imagine that jockeys and trainers would allow a repeat of the July pace debacle that led to more hard luck stories in the 2014 renewal than in all of the past twenty years combined.
But if it happened then, why not again on Saturday?
Maybe the inclusion of Brian Burnard’s No Worries, who did not run in the Gold Challenge, Cup Trial or the July, will throw a cat amongst the pigeons?
The Champions Cup is a conditions race with penalties for Group wins and interestingly also carries a penalty for non-graded races, (ie Listed and NBT) dependant on stakes.
July Gang
Let’s take a look at the July runners in order of finish, but naturally taking cognisance of the impact of the 400m shorter trip and a hopefully truer run race.
History shows that jockey MJ Byleveld took an early initiative in the July when taking Wylie Hall up to lead early and the world appears split down the middle as to whether he deserved to keep the race or not in the end. That matters little now.
He did beat the faster finishing Futura by 0,60 lengths and now meets the Crawford 3yo on 1kg better terms. What happens then when Wylie Hall runs straight?
Wylie Hall has won at 1400m and has some excellent form to the likes of Yorker around a mile.
Futura ran a cracker in the July
Future Prospect
The fast improving Futura is beautifully drawn at 1, as opposed to Wylie Hall’s 12, and shed his maiden over 1200m with two good wins at a mile. He should just love this trip but has to take a knock at the weights.
His connections would just love to win a race like this to settle the cynics.
Geoff Woodruff’s Tellina finished 1,85 lengths behind Wylie Hall but has a weight turnaround of 2,5kgs with him and as much as 3,5kgs with Futura, who was 1,25 lengths to the good.
Tellina ran on well for fourth in the July and was handy for a long way. He is well drawn here at 2 and could be the right horse if we take the July form as gospel. Gavin Lerena travels to ride him again.
Tellina meets Stan Elley’s Punta Arenas on the same weight terms and beat him two lengths in the July.
Punta Arenas finished 3,85 lengths behind Wylie Hall and meets both him and Futura on the same turnaround as Telllina enjoys. Unfortunately the Cape challenger has suffered the draw bogey again.
King Of Pain’s July effort can be ignored and the Gr1 Gold Challenge winner should prefer this trip
In The Neck
King Of Pain dictated matters in the Gold Challenge before scoring what was a courageous win. He carried topweight in the July but was never in the hunt and ran 5,80 lengths behind Wylie Hall. He is 2,5kgs better off with the Australian bred and all of 3,5kgs better off with Futura for a 5,20 length beating.
Sean Tarry’s Halve The Deficit appeared to have every chance in the July and finished 3,95 lengths behind Wylie Hall after turning for home in the firing line.
The son of Right Approach is worst off at the weights with his fellow July opposition but Strydom retains the ride and he may be worth a second chance, based on his honest past performances.
The consistent Whiteline Fever was 6,05 lengths behind in the July and carries the same weight.
He is thus better off with Wylie Hall, Futura and Halve The Deficit and frankly looks to be a more effective galloper over this trip. He has drawn very wide at 18.
Cup Trial winner One Cool Dude bids for a first Gr1 win
No Lies
Of the non -July brigade, One Cool Dude, No Worries and Anton Marcus’ mount Readytogorightnow may be best.
Duncan Howells’ One Cool Dude scored an eyecatching victory in the Cup Trial when taking advantage of a modest pace to get the better of Serissa and subsequent July third placer, Futura.
While Serissa did not frank that with a dull run on July day, Futura’s late charge to get within a length of Wylie Hall in the July highlights the genuine value.
One Cool Dude is actually a kilo better off with Futura and is a year older. They are both well drawn.
Gavin Van Zyl’s No Worries came in well weighted on 54kgs in the KZN Million Mile and gave his field a serious lesson in power galloping to win by 3,25 lengths.
He steps back into the big league here and carries 3,5kgs more but may have found a surge of confidence with his latest win. There will be no question that he races from up there and he looks a likely pacesetter.
Dark Horse
Justin Snaith sends out a dark horse in the Aussie bred Readytogorightnow.
The son of More Than Ready has had only two KZN Champions Season starts and ran a 1,40 length fourth in the Cup Trial. He is 1,5kgs better off with Futura on that run for a margin over a length beating.
He was a first reserve in the July and never got a run
Geoff Woodruff’s Gr3 Jubilee Handicap winner Killua Castle meets Halve The Deficit on the same difference as when short heading him in the final July preferred consideration qualifier.
He failed at his only previous run at Greyville when unplaced behind Vercingetorix in the 2013 KRA Guineas but at best must be a runner for place money.
Pomodoro can confirm his trainer’s July inclusion disappointment
Missed The Cut
The 2012 Durban July winner Pomodoro is the third of the Tarry trio. The son of Jet Master missed the cut in the July this time round, possibly as a result of his poor effort in the Gold Challenge.
His trainer fancied him were he to have run in the big one and was disenchanted with the panel’s decision.
Considering Mr Tarry’s astute assessment and on the assumption that he runs fresh, he is definitely a consideration on best form and Delpech jumps aboard.
Tribal Dance has drawn terribly and has had two tough races in just six weeks.
He stayed on without threatening when second behind Hot Ticket in the Betting World Stakes and then ran on when fifth and 3,50 lengths behind Master Sabina in the tabGOLD 2200 on July day.
His regular rider MJ Byleveld has not surprisingly opted to ride Wylie Hall and Tribal Dance looks a trifle outgunned in this company.
Outside Hopes
Alec Laird’s Bezanova is one of only two 3yo’s with Futura and has pulled an awful draw out at 15.
The son of Bezrin was fancied to run a big race in the KZN Million Mile but went very one-paced late in proceedings and could do no better than a 5,50 length fifth behind No Worries.
He ran steady races at Greyville previously in the KRA Guineas and the Daily News behind Legislate, but has had quite a tough programme.
Charles Laird’s Astro News has drawn wide and ran two ordinary races in the Betting World 1900 and the Gold Challenge. He cannot be given much chance in this line up.
It is a tough one to unravel!
(Ed- Capetown Noir was withdrawn on Thursday 23 July)
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Stunning! Beach Beauty and Sean Cormack are poetry in motion (Equine Edge)
In Her Honour – About The Race Name
The privilege of a horse having a race branded in its honour is not something that occurs often in the same season that the particular horse has raced.
The brilliant Dynasty mare Beach Beauty bowed out with a scintillating victory in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes on July day, scoring her 17th win from 31 starts.
She ran 10 places and took her total stakes earnings to R5 301 213, which placed her at the top of the log of earners in training.
The record books suggest that Beach Beauty is the first racer in history to successfully defend her titles in the Gr 1 Paddock Stakes, the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes and the Gr1 Garden Province, and all in the same season
The story of how Beach Beauty’s ownership, the Shanks Syndicate, came to being has also made for a great feelgood story which was told at the recent Cathsseta Winter Workshop held at Summerhill Stud on the Monday and Tuesday after the July.
Beach Beauty was trained throughout her career by Dennis Drier and it is expected that she will turn out at the final Clairwood racemeeting on 2 August, when she will be paraded for the public.
Bred by the late Trevor Armitage Beach Beauty is by Dynasty out of the three-time winning Capture Him.
Beach Beauty, named by Kate Armitage, is the syndicate’s first horse. The syndicate’s silks aredesigned with the colouring of his favourite bird, the Narina Trogon.
She will stand at Drakenstein Stud in Franschoek.
