Tall Tales! Raymond Danielson punches Canterbury Tale out to a great win in the Gold Bowl
Stallion Greys Inn proved his versatility again when his son Canterbury Tale outran his opposition to win the R500 000 Gr2 Gold Bowl run over 3200m at Turffontein on Saturday. Mike De Kock’s 4yo gelding showed superior fitness in this competitive marathon and looks a Gold Cup prospect at this stage.
Our local staying ranks are not amongst the strongest on earth, and there is always exciting earning potential for a fellow who has the capability to go the distance. Besides Seal, Canterbury Tale has definitely put his hand up as a potential star pupil.
The enthusiastic Avenue Of Gold came back from her Caradoc Gold Cup shocker and showed the way at a solid gallop to lead Masai Warrior, Seal and Canterbury Tale. Rhythmic Roxy and Knight To Remember were further back, just ahead of Luminous Love and Campo De Santana.
The order remained much the same for most of the way, until the final 400m where Canterbury Tale moved up on the inside of Seal.
In a three way fight to the line, Canterbury Tale got the upperhand of the gallant Seal, with Masai Warrior in third.
Canterbury Tale started at 7 to 2 and won by 1,25 lengths in a time of 209,92 secs.
Seal ran his usual titanic race in second, just ahead of Masai Warrior, who appears to have found his niche over ground. The rest were not up to this level and were well beaten.
Jockey Raymond Danielson, who so often pops up on the lesser fancied sorts in the big races, said that he had always thought of Canterbury Tale as a Gold Cup contender.
“He was going so well turning for home and I always knew we had it up the straight,” he said.
Trainer Mike De Kock, who produced the final bomb of big last double said that both Canterbury Tale and the Gerald Rosenberg winner Checcetti were working well: “ Sometimes we just need to have the balls to do it,” he laughed after the missed opportunity that had stared him in the face on the training tracks earlier in the week.
Canterbury Tale was bred by Avontuur Stud and is by Greys Inn out of the four time winning Elliodor mare, Classique Story.
A winner of 3 of 13 starts with 9 places and stakes of R500 300. He cost R525 000 on the National Yearling Sale of his year.
He looks ready for a tilt at the Gold Cup at the end of Champions Season.
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Gold Bowl (SAf-G2) (4/27) Turffontein, South Africa, April 27, R500.000, 3200m, turf, good, 3.29.92 . 1 – CANTERBURY TALE (SAF), 52.0, b g 4, Greys Inn (USA) – Classique Story (SAF) by Elliodor (FR). Owner I & MJ Jooste ; breeder Avontuur Farm; trainer MF de Kock; jockey R Danielson (R312.500) 2 – Seal (SAF), 61.5, b g 5, Silvano (GER) – Prestine Performer (SAF) by Rambo Dancer (USA) 3 – Masai Warrior (SAF), 56.0, ch g 5, Wolfhound (USA) – Serengetti (SAF) by Jallad (USA) Margins: 1¼, ¾, 3½
