Big Day. Brett Crawford’s smart Captain America looks an exciting Guineas prospect and could confirm his outstanding promise
Saturday’s R1 million Gr1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas to be run over the mile on the Kenilworth summer course fits the bill as the race of the year. Bar Willow Magic and Kochka, the best 3yo’s in South Africa line up to fight for the right to a page in the history books of the sport of kings in this country.
The field of fifteen is out of the top drawer and is a massive endorsement to the generosity and initiative shown by longstanding owner and breeder Hassen Adams in signing the cheque on behalf of the new sponsor of one of South Africa’s great classics.
For punters the race analysis presents a serious challenge with the confluence of various form streams converging into a white water rapid, where jockey and trainer expertise could ultimately swing the day.
Major Players
And the big name yards are all here. Dean Kannemeyer won the race last year with Capetown Noir and the Milnerton resident boasts an extraordinary Guineas strike rate over the past decade of seventy percent winners! He is represented by three runners, and is a man to take very seriously. Brett Crawford is the emerging talent in the Cape and has proven himself to be a horseman possessed of all the skills necessary to plot a winning strike. This could be Crawford’s Gr1 coming of age moment and he has three chances to achieve the dream.
Joey Ramsden is a former Cape champion trainer and has trained many top horses, including the multiple SA horse of the year and 2011 Cape Guineas winner, Variety Club. A professional and serious competitor, he will be throwing the big punches at the right time. Mike Bass has never been a Guineas trainer, but he has dominated every other sphere of the game in the Cape for the past 40 years. His yard has also hit form at the right time.
Justin Snaith is the current Cape champion trainer and the dynamic marketer and power competitor reserves the big performances for the big days. He has two runners. Mike De Kock will treat a trip to the Cape like a spin to the café on a Sunday morning to buy the bread and milk. His is a name that requires no introduction.
Alec Laird is descended from a long line of one of South Africa’s most illustrious horseracing families. He doesn’t travel a lot, but takes the trouble when the mission looks worthy. Stan Elley and Glen Puller are two of the smaller operations to take their chances here. Both men have had their big horses and know the local conditions intimately. They boast 70 years of training experience between them, so will handle the deep waters.
Star Studded
Raider. Mike De Kock’s Graham Beck Stakes winner Whistle Stop is a danger on his best form
While the absence of Sean Tarry’s Gr1 SA Nursery and Gr2 The Dingaans winner Willow Magic and Alyson Wright’s Equus Award winning Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner Kochka would have been the cherry on the top, the contest has the national stamp of approval courtesy of the presence of Forest Indigo and Whistle Stop, who bring some KZN and Gauteng collateral into the mix. The starting point for unravelling the puzzle could well be determined by the toss of a golden coin.
Hot Form
Varsfontein Stud have had a terrific run of feature winners of late, and Brett Crawford’s Captain America is one of just three strong runners from the Paarl farm in this event. Captain America looks top class and has won his last four races on the trot as he has climbed the ladder of fame.
His last win, when accounting for boom horse Red Ray in the CTS Ready To Run Stakes was a performance out of the top drawer. While winning twice over a mile, he stepped down 200m and showed terrific acceleration there.
The obvious reservations about ‘closed race’ form are largely negated by the presence of the brilliant Red Ray in that race, and Captain America now gets his opportunity to prove his mettle against the best of his age.
Enjoyment
The Gr2 Selangor Cup winner De Kock has never run a bad race yet, and he showed his appreciation for the mile when powering on strongly to catch and beat Legislate in the twinning race. While he has drawn 13, his relaxed style of racing means that Sean Cormack will get an opportunity to switch him off and produce him late on in the race.
It is a reality that Glen Hatt has chosen to ride Captain America, and De Kock is the assumed second string. That remains a strong hand in any book! The third of the Crawford trio is the Sail From Seattle colt Elusive Gold, who gets tested after two low key wins in a row. He has only had four runs and no feature collateral to show where he will stand, and need to be taken on trust for now.
Beware
Top Combo. Joey Ramsden and Anton Marcus will be keen to bounce back with the brilliant Red Ray (Photo: Hamish Niven Photography)
Joey Ramsden’s Red Ray has always been a talking horse and after spread-eagling his opposition to win the 1400m Cape Classic, he was comprehensively slammed in the CTS Ready To Run Cup by Captain America.
Red Ray did give 5kgs of weight and a beating to both Legislate and De Kock in the Cape Classic, and if he reproduces that over the 200m extra, he will be a major factor, although he has some leeway to make up on Captain America. Anton Marcus rides Red Ray again, and it may prove risky to write him off too early.
Fine Tuned
Alec Laird’s Gr1 Golden Horseshoe winner Forest Indigo has had no luck in the draw stakes with a wide gate position, but the son of Judpot could not have been more impressive than when hacking up in a prep run over the Kenilworth 1400m two weeks ago. He beat Top Jet and Cape Cutter with arrogant ease, and as a proven top level performer will have many supporters.
The globetrotter Mike De Kock brings the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes winner Whistle Stop down for a bash at the Guineas. The son of Silvano was caught flat footed by Willow Magic when beaten 2 lengths in The Dingaans, but he should relish the long run in of his first sight of a left handed track.
Classic Kannemeyer
Dean Kannemeyer has by far the best track record in this race, having trained the winners of seven of the last ten year’s Guineas. His trio of runners, headed by the Silvano colt Power King (based on jockey choice) is relatively unexposed. Both the Khaya Stables runners Power King and Speed Rocket have won two of their four outings and ran fair races in the Selangor Cup.
Grant Behr’s mount Speed Rocket (0,70 lengths) in fact stayed on better than Power King (2 lengths) in the Selangor Cup, so Neisius choice of Power King (also from a worse draw) is an interesting, but noteworthy one.
Fred Crabbia is enjoying a purple patch with the Kannemeyer yard and his Australian bred Roman Manner has won 3 of 7 starts, and takes his chances here. The son of Holy Roman Emperor has not drawn well, but veteran rider Gerrit Schlechter knows him well and this gelding could once again prove that he is better than many think he is.
Primed To Fire
Glen Kotzen saddles the very capable Antonius Pius colt Antonius Du Bois, who comes in here off two fair runs in the Cape Classic and the CTS Ready To Run Stakes.
He obviously looks held by Captain America, but the Gr3 Langerman winner had excuses with bad luck in running at both of those starts and there is no doubt that his astute Paarl based trainer will have him cherry ripe for his main mission on Saturday.
Snaith Bite
Justin Snaith’s Legislate and Cape Cutter will both have their fan bases. Legislate ran a cracking second in the Selangor Cup behind De Kock and prior to that was beaten by a rampant Red Ray in the Cape Classic. He received all of 5kgs from the Ramsden runner there, and while that looks difficult to reverse on paper, the extra 200m will be in Legislate’s favour.
Cape Cutter steps into the big league after being well beaten by Forest Indigo in his prep run last time. He does though have a victory over Top Jet when conceding 2kgs in a mile race at Fairview, and we have probably yet to see the best of this well bred colt.
Elley Track
Stan Elley’s Dynastic Power has won 2 of his 4 starts and earned his slot here courtesy of being a member of the now famed ‘Dynasty Quartet’ in the Selangor Cup. In a blanket finish, Dynastic Power was only three quarter length behind winner De Kock and has been blessed with a plum 1 draw.
Bass Bomb
The Mike Bass Jet Master grey Top Jet won the Listed Racing Association Stakes in Port Elizabeth and was then runner up to Forest Indigo at his prep run three weeks ago. He appeared outpaced and only got going late. He is obviously more of a Derby sort of horse and his wide draw will mean that he will have to be dropped out.
Glen Puller’s Strongman will probably rank as the outsider of the field after below par runs at his Cape Classic and Selangor Cup outings. He showed good promise when winning his first three starts on the trot, but will need to find more to win here.
Top Talent
This has all the makings of the race of the season. Top horses. Top yards. Top jockeys. Top stallions. Top breeders. Top owners. It is very difficult to top that. Captain America is a marginal first choice, to beat Whistle Stop and Speed Rocket.
