All Right! Bernard Fayd’Herbe drives Cap Alright out to win the Gr2 Betting World Merchants
Cap Alright has not done too badly for a fellow who took all of eleven runs to shed his maiden a few seasons back. The son of Captain Al came out firing on all cylinders at Kenilworth on Saturday when recording his eighth win and first Group race victory. He made the R300 000 Gr2 Betting World Merchants, run over 1200m, all his own with a power display of casual galloping.
Cap Alright was the fifth winner for the high-riding Justin Snaith yard on a memorable windswept afternoon at the Southern Suburbs track. And horses like him really make it look like an easy game.
That may be the case but Snaith will admit that this horse is the personification of the patience and commitment required from owners in the face of utter frustration. The gelding’s early career is a tale of failed maiden efforts from 1000m to 1800m.
After it all, he has come into his own as a 5yo and could win again on this display.
From a level break, Cap Alright was two lengths clear after 100m and he led Casey Cool and Magico, with the fancied Depardieu and Control Freak further back.
The order remained much the same as the field went into the final 300m with Karl Neisius switching Depardieu for his run as Cap Alright kept rolling out front.
Putting A Cap On It. The proud connections at the post-race ceremony . Etienne Braun, Veronica Foulkes and Justin Snaith savour the moment
It was patently obvious in the final 200m that Depardieu, while finishing with a flourish, was not going to get to the Snaith runner.
Cap Alright went off a generous 11-2 and won by 1,25 lengths in a time of 72,09 secs.
Depardieu ran on well enough for second and was reported to have coughed in the pull-up.
Eric Sands’ Magico was always prominent and earned a third cheque, just ahead of Castlethorpe who stayed on best of the rest for fourth.
The filly Control Freak ran stone last and was reported to have bled in running. She is a shadow of her former self.
Jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe quipped afterwards that Cap Alright has a ‘helluva cruising speed’ and the heavyweight jockey smiled when tongue-in-cheek thanking his ‘riding master’ Etienne Braun for the guidance.
In a further lighthearted reference to Braun’s obvious passionate involvement in the horse, Snaith said he would have to also thank my most ‘expensive assistant trainer.’
Snaith paid tribute to breeder and part-owner Veronica Foulkes who, he said, had managed to produce a 580kg horse who had never been lame for a day in his career.
The winner races in the Braun silks and is owned in partnership with his breeder and Margate-based Paul Loomes.
He was bred by Normandy Stud and is by Captain Al out of the thrice winning Centenary mare Second Chance. He cost just R100 000 as a yearling.
Cap Alright is a winner of 8 races and with 19 places from his 38 starts for stake earnings of R750 740.
His winning way is more workmanlike than flash.
So we are left wondering whether Cap Alright is up to taking on the better sprinters in the forthcoming feature sprints this season?
Let’s wait and see, but he could prove us wrong again.
Result:
Cape Merchants (SAf-G2) (11/17)
Kenilworth, South Africa, November 17, R300.000, 1200m, turf, good, 1.12.09
(CR 1.09.90).
CAP ALRIGHT (SAF), 58.0, b g 5, Captain Al (SAF) – Second Chance (SAF) by
Centenary (USA). Owner EA Braun, PS Loomes and VA Foulkes; breeder Normandy
Stud (SAF); trainer J Snaith; jockey B Fayd’herbe (R198.913)
Depardieu (SAF), 58.5, b c 4, Dupont (GB) – Diva (SAF) by Trigger Finger
(USA)
Magico (SAF), 59.5, b g 5, Dupont (GB) – Magical Miss (SAF) by Al Mufti
(USA)
Margins: 1¼, ¾, ¾
Also ran: Castlethorpe (AUS) 59.5, Casey Cool (SAF) 55.5, Shades Of Indigo
(SAF) 55.0, President Of Pop (SAF) 53.0, Beach Beauty (SAF) 60.0, Maliyakhe
(SAF) 56.5, Jinzo (SAF) 58.0, Lake Arthur (SAF) 58.0, Control Freak (SAF)
54.5
