The Avontuur bred Caesour gelding Tevez steps out in a bid to register a glorious hat-trick in today’s R400 000 Gr2 Cape Merchants. After last weekend’s superb feature performance by Silver Mountain, trainer Mike Bass and jockey Aldo Domeyer are the men to be with at the moment.
Tevez is chased home by Daring Dave in the 2014 Gr2 Cape Merchants – they clash again
The speed handicap sets a genuine poser for punters with class and ability in abundance amongst the eighteen runners. But fitness is suspect in many cases and an upset result looks a serious possibility.
Silver Mountain’s win in the Gr2 Choice Carriers Championship has had everybody talking and the Bass-Domeyer combo could pull off another magic trick here.
Aldo Domeyer – riding with such confidence
And what a victory celebration it would be for the goodlooking Tevez after his outstanding performances in 2013 and 2014. Jockey Aldo Domeyer, who rode such a cracker from the draw out at Muizenberg last Saturday, is aboard again after guiding Tevez to his 2014.
The combination doesn’t get too much hotter.
Tevez has his second run since since a quiet KZN-Joburg campaign, but his home sprint form is much better and he is inevitably competitive in these handicaps.
His stablemate Tomba La Bomba makes his senior league debut.
The son of Trippi was backed to win on the Fairview polytrack last time – when donning the blinkers for the first time.
This will naturally be a lot tougher – but he is improving and enjoys a nice galloping weigh.
Line Break is the only one of the Bass trio drawn down the inside.
The son of Dynasty has fair earlier course and distance form and should be just about wherever Exelero finishes. He is 1,5kgs better off after a 2,25 length beating last time.
Brett Crawford is represented by Gulf Storm and Sail South.
Gulf Storm – enjoys the course and distance
Gulf Storm finished 3,60 lengths behind Exelero in the same race as Line Break.
The course and distance specialist is 2kgs worse off but may have needed that run after a 5 month rest. He ran a cracking second behind Captain Of All in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at his penultimate start.
Sail South was almost two lengths behind Gulf Storm in the Exelero race and looks to have a fairly tough task on his hands against this opposition.
Justin Snaith has two in the race.
Kingvoldt has moved from Ramsden to Snaith
Daring Dave will be looking for revenge after being narrowly beaten by Tevez last year.
The son of Dynasty scored a sensation Post Merchants victory at Greyville before finding it tough going in the Mercury Sprint when finishing downfield.
He is another who returns from a break and the 17 weeks rest could leave him coming up for air late on.
Snaith also saddles the former Ramsden galloper Kingvoldt.
The son of Western Winter lost form badly in the KZN Champions Season and cannot be fancied.
Sean Tarry’s Zambezi River is a horse that cannot be ignored.
Zambezi River could prove some genuine value at best
The son of Trippi never got a word in edgeways the Golden Loom Handicap when he was outpaced by the locals. He was beaten 4,50 lengths by Doing It For Dan and will prefer the 1200m here when he can be given a chance to relax and chase at the leaders.
The class in the race is the smashing 4yo filly Same Jurisdiction, who undergoes a baptism of fire in the Mother City.
The daughter of Mambo In Seattle should not have fitness issues after a facile win just 9 weeks back, but may find this on the sharp side – having to give some decent hardknocking males weight on a strange track.
She did shed her maiden over 1200m early on, but will not have this race as her prime target and Duncan Howells will be looking for her to be finishing her race off.
Another KZN champion trainer in Dennis Drier sends out a pair of runners.
Generalissimo wins eThekwini Sprint before his rest
But the yard has frankly not struck form yet in this province, with many of their runner appearing to need an outing. But now that we have just observed that fact, he will probably come out and run 1-2!
But seriously, both of Generalissimo and the lightly weighted and very scopy looking Triptique must have claims.
Generalissimo was last seen when winning the eThekwini Sprint on the Greyville poly on July day. He is a course and distance winner in these parts though and it is only his 19 week rest that is putting us off selecting him as a top three.
Triptique is a lightly raced 4yo who has earned at all of his 8 outings.
He carries just 52 kgs and has shown sufficient decent collateral to challenge, if fit enough after a 12 week break.
Glen Kotzen’s promising 3yo filly Double Whammy has her first run as a 4yo and has not seen action since going down second to Cold As Ice in the Majorca Stakes. That was 43 weeks ago and in the interim she has also changed ownership.
She is a Gr2 winner over the course and distance – but against her own sex.
The classy Double Whammy – under new ownership and comes off a long break
Coenie De Beer sends out his first ever Cape runner with the talented Overlord gelding, Talktothestars.
Probably one of the best sons of his sire, he has won 6 of his last 7 outings, which includes wins at Kimberley, Turffontein, Scottsville and the Vaal.
That is not bad going in anybody’s book and it is difficult to fault the move to bring him South for the Summer Of Champions.
Joey Ramsden’s grey warrior King Of Pain, who featured on some L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate marketing material recently, returns from a 23 week break and looks likely to need the run – and will not be at his peak at this stage. Interestingly, he won his debut at 16 to 1 over 1100m and is stakes placed over the course and distance!
His stablemate Happy Forever is now 7yo and appears to be battling along. If he comes racing in the mood, he could be a nice quartet kicker off his 52,5kgs on best ability.
Vaughan Marshall’s Exelero is improving as a 5yo and looks to be finally realising his early promise.
Exelero is enjoying his racing and getting stronger
He has won 2 of his last 3 starts and looks quite exciting off his galloping 52,5kgs.
Both Mister Matchett and the speedy Asstar are very capable sprinters on their day and both are capable of edging in to the quartets.
In typical handicap fashion, this race is wide open with chances to most of the field.
Tevez comes good at this time and he will be competitive as he goes for his hat-trick. Zambezi River has been this way before and may have needed his last run. Exelero has a nice weight and is in fine form. Gulf Storm also needs to go into calculations.
Go wide!
