The champion miler Capetown Noir is set to confirm his status on Saturday
South Africa’s top miler adds plenty of needle to the R1 million H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday. Capetown Noir stamped himself in the top league over the trip when beating new Highlands stallion Jackson in the 2014 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and he won’t be visiting for the scenery.
The connections of the Dean Kannemeyer trained son of Western Winter will also be watching the Dubai World Cup proceedings very closely as they were not yet aware of the true value of the collateral of the worldbeating Vercingetorix in the KZN Champions Season when their good lad raced as a 3yo.
Capetown Noir was narrowly beaten in the KRA Guineas and the Daily News 2000 by Vercingetorix last season down in Durban. Still unbeaten in six starts, Vercingetorix gets his big break in life at Meydan a few hours later on Saturday.
Time To Shine
Despite disappointing runs in the WFA Green Point Stakes behind stablemate Ice Machine and to a lesser extent the J&B Met, Capetown Noir still won two features in the Cape’s Summer Of Champions and will be looking to put his detractors to bed for once and for all on Saturday.
A lot will hinge on how he travels, but trainer Dean Kannemeyer has been there and done it with another champion called Free My Heart. Capetown Noir also handles a right handed tracks with a minimal fuss and he will be based at Turffontein so will have a look at the track beforehand. Mentioned a possible candidate for Dubai next season, the long straight will be right up his alley.
Fever Pitch
His major opposition could be provided by recent Hawaii Stakes winner Whiteline Fever, who is still amazingly searching for a first career Gr1 win. The son of Right Approach ran just 2,60 lengths behind the Cape star in the Queen’s Plate and it is doubtful that many horses anywhere would have beaten Capetown Noir on that afternoon. Sean Tarry recently suggested it was Whiteline Fever’s big year, so be warned.
Heart
Gavin Lerena, who rides stable companion Pomodoro, cheekily suggested after a post race interview earlier this week that his heart is with his mount but that he felt that he had Whiteline Fever and Yorker to beat. That shows scant respect for the Cape raider and it is the kind of sentiment that fires the needle!
The classy former Durban July winner Pomodoro has some excellent earlier mile form but ran way back in the Hawaii Stakes on his return and has only his second run since an unplaced effort in the July last year. This probably comes too early for him.
Clean Bowled
Geoff Woodruff’s Yorker comes into the reckoning on his excellent second to H ill Fifty Four in the J&B Met. He was well beaten by Capetown Noir in the Queen’s Plate at his opening Cape run, but there were doubts about his fitness and an apparent virus doing the rounds.
If not in need of the run after an eight week break, he will be a serious threat at best. Yorker’s stablemate Tellina won the Gauteng Guineas last season and ran on well for a third behind the improved Tarry runner Gagiva last time.
KZN Breeders Million Mile winner Gitiano is drawn on the wide outside but showed his wellbeing with a fluent win over Lockheed Jetstar at his last start. The third of the Woodruff runners, Lockheed Jetstar is well held by Gitiano but as been touted a fair sort and could realise his potential eventually.
Better Further
Weiho Marwing’s Australian bred Wylie Hall finished second to Gagiva last time but is a puzzling sort. He is a quality athlete but may not be fully Gr1 mile material and may be at his best over 2000m and beyond.
St John Gray’s Glorious Jet ran far downfield last time and appears well held by Whiteline Fever. The former Caoe based Uncle Tommy is a game and consistent performer these days for Weiho Marwing, but looks stretched to take quality milers on at these weight terms on turf.
He is a likely quartet kicker and should be included in larger perms. Mike De Kock’s Espumanti comes in off an eight week break since a rather flat fourth behind Beach Beauty in the Majorca Stakes after running handily. She may need it.
Great Clash
Capetown Noir and Witeline Fever look the two to be with here. The North versus South clash makes for a great racing spectacle. Yorker should not be discounted, while the likes of Tellina and Gitiano are worthy of consideration. What a race!
Exciting Raider for Horse Chestnut Stakes
South Africa’s champion miler Capetown Noir is the sole raider in the line up for the F Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes on Saturday. The star son of Western Winter left his Milnerton base shortly before 3 am on Wednesday and was expected to arrive at Turffontein just after 6am.
The timing of the trip out of Cape Town International on SAA Cargo was designed for comfort and to avoid any traffic at either destination. His trainer Dean Kannemeyer and workrider Johnny Lubisi, as well as one of the country’s leading Veterinary Surgeons, travelled with the valuable colt. Lubisi is Kannemeyer’s leading workrider and rides the colt in Karl Neisius’ absence.
Kannemeyer, who said that he and Lubisi would be standing either side of Capetown Noir ‘every inch of the way’, added that the race could be won or lost from the moment the float left the Milnerton training centre.
“Keeping them stress free and well hydrated is vital. We also take all our own feed and equipment. We have walked this road before and I’m confident of a big run,” he said. He added with a smile that the media interest had been unprecedented and that interprovincial needle made for entertaining racing.
He thanked Phumelela’s Patrick Davis for the hospitality and for subsidising the appearance. When pressed on whether it was an expensive exercise, he said ‘only if we get beat.’ He suggested that it made every sense for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner to go for the race, in view of the fact that mile contests at weight for age were not dime a dozen.
On his charge’s fitness, Kannemeyer said that the colt had a 1400m workout on Monday and that ‘if he wasn’t ready now, he would never be.’ He said that regular pilot Karl Neisius would arrive in Johannesburg on Thursday evening.
Capetown Noir will leave for Clairwood shortly after the Horse Chestnut Stakes to continue his campaign. He will join the balance of the Kannemeyer KZN raiding string which left for Durban on Tuesday this week.
