Heads Up! The fast improving Silvano gelding Hot Ticket has upped his game with blinkers and looks to go very close in Sunday’s Gr2 Betting World Derby
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer has a little score to settle with Mike De Kock after playing second fiddle to the champion in the 3yo features recently. Kannemeyer’s Silvano gelding Hot Ticket has come into his own and will be looking to up his game further as he takes on De Kock’s Patriotic Rebel in Sunday’s R350 000 Gr2 Betting World Derby at Clairwood.
De Kock and Kannemeyer are good friends off the track, but there is no love lost when the gates are sprung. They certainly look to hold the trump cards in Sunday’s 3yo classic, where recent form is more scarce than a safari suit at Royal Ascot this week.
On Arrival
Dean Kannemeyer arrived in KwaZulu Natal with the likely 3yo champion of South Africa. Lady Laidlaw’s Capetown Noir was quickly put in his place by the brilliant undefeated Vercingetorix trained by De Kock, who held him narrowly in the KRA Guineas, and repeated the feat in the Gr1 Daily News 2000, where Kannemeyer’s colt ran a fast finishing third.
Enter Hot Ticket. Exactly the opposite of Capetown Noir, the son of Silvano arrived in the Kannemeyer raiding party as a low key one time winner. And a shock one at that too after winning his maiden over a mile at Durbanville at 40 to 1 in the spring.
He was rested five months after that and made an inauspicious return when finishing four odd lengths adrift of Victory Cruise in a lowly merit rated handicap in February.
He then left for Durban, where his five runs up here delivered a third and three seconds, and culminated in a runaway win in the KZN 2000 at Clairwood a fortnight ago.
Head Set
That was his first run in blinkers and his trainer said that it brought out the fight in the warrior: “I have always thought highly of Hot Ticket and knew that he would be above average over a bit of ground. He just wasn’t putting it in late in his races, so we decided to give the blinkers a try. They worked and his last win was a super effort as he came forward quickly and hit the front some way out,” he mused. He added that he felt that he would get the 2400m trip readily.
Hot Ticket beat the well performed Drier runner King Neptune by four lengths there in receipt of a half kilo. King Neptune had gone a short head second to the smart Rock Cocktail at his previous outing in receipt of 3kgs.
Rock Cocktail franked that with a second to Jet Explorer in the Gr2 Betting World 1900 and then a one length fifth to his stablemate Vercingetorix in the Gr1 Daily News 2000. That gives some weight to our unexposed Hot Ticket theory!
Local Boy
Mike De Kock sends out Patriotic Rebel, a two time winning Stronghold gelding that he took over from Brett Crawford after a great fourth in the Investec Cape Derby. Patriotic Rebel, who races in the interests of Gavin Almanza, Bernard Kantor and Larry Nestadt, has had two blank runs for De Kock.
He needed the first and was then outclassed in the Gr1 Daily News 2000, where he finished some five lengths behind his stablemate Rock Cocktail. That is some twice removed collateral in relation to his rival Hot Ticket!
Big Blow
Deep Water. Garth Puller’s Trippi gelding Wind Trip tries the 2400m for the first time and if he stays has the class to challenge for top honours in the Gr2 Betting World Derby
Garth Puller sends out the Trippi gelding, Wind Trip. This smart sort has his first run beyond 1800m, and was slow out in the Cup Trial before running just under six lengths behind Astro News. This will be a lot more comfortable for him, and he is likely to enjoy the trip as he is out of a Fort Wood mare who won up to 1800m.
He has won over 1000m and a mile so far, and has some good collateral to SA Classic winner Love Struck, whom he ran second behind in the Listed Guineas Trial.
Disappointing
Mike Bass is also represented by a Trippi product. His one time winner Abercrombie cost a hefty R1,8 million at sale and has not yet realised his promise of earlier on. He was interestingly a length ahead of Patriotic Rebel in the Daily News, and was not disgraced earlier behind Capetown Noir in the Cape Derby. Abercrombie has pleny to prove.
Dark Horse
Joey Ramsden’s Silvano’s Jet may warrant another look, although his recent form may not look highly inspiring at first glance. Rested after a respiratory problem affected run in the Cape Derby, he ran a cracking pipe opener behind his illustrious stablemate Variety Club and then ran a fair 4,50 length seventh in the Daily News. Sean Cormack partners the powerful son of Silvano from a good draw. Don’t write him off!
Grey
Gavin Van Zyl’s grey Fort Wood gelding Balse had a prep run over shorter and comes into this race fit. He is one of the few to have won over ground (scored in a 2600m handicap at Turffontein in March) and will relish every inch of the 2400m trip on Sunday.
Sean Tarry saddles the Tobe Or Nottobe gelding The King And I. The powerful front runner has won twice from 12 starts and ran a cracking one length third behind the outstanding Wylie Hall in the Derby Trial.
Tough Ask
It looks very tough for the rest. These include Paul Gadsby’s coupling of Kalmia and the lightly raced Victory Emblem. The Australian bred horses have had a great feature run this season, and Royal Lance carries their hopes. Kum Naidoo’s Tale Of The Cat colt is fairly unexposed, but will have to improve to challenge.
It is good to see Joey Soma in town. He travels with the Eyeofthetiger gelding Savage Wind, who is partnered by the bang in form Nooresh Juglall. Frank Robinson sends out the Black Minnaloushe gelding Great Rumpus. Who ran an awful prep a fortnight ago, and looks an optimistic entry.
Power Players
All told, the aces appear to lie with the power yards of Kannemeyer, De Kock and Ramsden. Hot Ticket has the recent form and the stamp of an improving scopy colt who can only get better with racing. He has improved lengths in the blinkers and won’t lack for fitness.
Patriotic Rebel now needs to step forward and prove that his early promise and his Cape Derby effort was no flash in the pan. Ramsden’s Silvano’s Jet could be the dark horse. A lovely chestnut, he is likely to be the surprise package if he stays. An exciting race is on the cards. Get your ticket and stand in the queue!
