The Cape classic picture took on a new dimension at Kenilworth on Saturday when 50-1 longshot King Of Gems swooped from the clouds under a superb ride by Aldo Domeyer to nab the Snaith’s Sachdev in the final strides and win the R350 000 Gr2 Concorde Cup.
While only 4,40 lengths separating King Of Gems (98) and the ninth finishing 16-10 favourite and topweight African Warrior (115), and in the absence of any immediate excuses, the time honoured temptation of jumping the gun and getting over-excited by the winter form hit home hard when the Brett Crawford-trained son of Kingsbarns produced an electrifying late burst, to mow down some highly vaunted opponents and sign his Cape Guineas entry ticket.
King Of Gems swoops under Aldo Domeyer up the outside to catch Richard Fourie on Sanchev (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
King Of Gems won his Kenilworth 1200m debut but then mostly plodded through his next five outings – placing in the Langerman and the Sophomore Sprint, and then failing to show from the wides draw in the Cape Classic.
On Saturday, he was ridden from off them with Snow Report and Seventh Gear showing the way, and last turning for home, he unwound a top-class finishing effort.
At the 150m Richard Fourie produced Sachdev (94) with what looked a match winning burst, but he was caught on the wire by the Drakenstein owned and bred King Of Gems who got the verdict by a short head in a time of 98,1 secs.
Mrs Gaynor Rupert leads in her big winner (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Sachdev, who won his first two starts over 1200m, before going nowhere from a wide draw in the Cape Classic, threw his name into the classic hat.
The good-looking Macthief (103), the likely Brett Crawford stable elect, stayed on a further length back in third, with Oratorio son Viva Rio only finding his feet late to shade the free-running Seventh Gear out of fourth place.
History shows that placed horses in this race go on to fair things!
King Of Gems now boasts 2 wins and 3 places from his 7 starts for stakes of R299 900.
A son of Drakenstein Stud’s deceased Gr1 Racing Post winning Galileo sire Kingsbarns out of the one-time winning Trippi mare, Sapphire Gem, he is bred on the same cross as last season’s Gr1 Thekwini Stakes winner Gabor.
See the note regarding African Warrior in the report below.
Excerpts from Stipes report:
THE STARTER REPORTED:
- a) AFRICAN WARRIOR was slow into stride.
THE STIPENDIARY STEWARDS REPORTED:
- a) In view of the performance of HEXATONIC (M Byleveld), which pulled hard in the early stages, the veterinary surgeon was requested to examine this gelding.
- b) CANE LIME ‘N SODA (A Marcus) shifted both ways away from the crop in the straight.
- b) KING OF GEMS, the winner, was selected for the taking of specimens for analysis. Trainer B Crawford was advised. (SC)
- c) SACHDEV, the second placed horse, was selected for the taking of specimens for analysis. Trainer SJ Snaith was advised. (NS)
THE VETERINARY SURGEON REPORTED:
a) HEXATONIC – examined post race. Nothing obvious detected
b) AFRICAN WARRIOR – not striding out left fore
c) SEVENTH GEAR – blowing
_________
Gr2 Concorde Cup (SAf-Gr2)
Kenilworth, South Africa, November 23, R350k, 1600m, turf, good, 1.38.01
1 – KING OF GEMS (SAF), 59.0, ch c 3, Kingsbarns (IRE) – Sapphire Gem (SAF) by Trippi (USA). Owner Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert); Breeder Drakenstein Stud; trainer BJ Crawford; jockey A Domeyer
2 – Sachdev (SAF), 59.0, b g 3, Silvano (GER) – Quetta (SAF) by Kabool (GB)
3 – Macthief (SAF), 59.0, ch c 3, Time Thief (AUS) – Yellow Card (SAF) by Trippi (USA)
Margins: 0.30, 1.00, 0.40
