Captain America produced the heroics for a superbly clinical victory at Kenilworth on Saturday, when disposing of SA Horse Of The Year and his former stable Futura in an exciting finish to the R400 000 Gr2 Green Point Stakes.
Captain America (Corne Orffer) gets the better of Futura (Bernard Fayd’herbe) in the Green Point Stakes (Pic-Wayne Marks)
The third week of November has always been a peak time in the racing performance cycle of the burly son of Captain Al and it was two years ago that he clinched a sensational victory to bank the lion’s share of the cash in the inaugural Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes.
Last year he ran fourth on the same afternoon in the Green Point Stakes behind Legislate – after a four month break.
But on Saturday he was in a galloping mood after a pipe-opener three weeks earlier and he simply ran the big guns Futura and Act Of War into the Kenlworth turf.
The three big names unsurprisingly dominated the betting in the ten horse field and it was the recent facile Gr3 Matchem Stakes winner Act Of War who went off at 16 to 10, with Captain America available at 28 to 10 – and Futura at 3 to 1 after his 16 week break.
Birthday Boy Corne Orffer had no hesitation in taking Captain America up to lead with Futura settled in midfield, and Act Of War dropped out to last from his wide draw.
Into the straight Captain America continued to roll strongly and with Act Of War angled out and trying to run on down the outside, the race was in the bag at the 200m marker already for the Crawford yard.
Futura showed some of his spark and dazzling turn of foot, when switching and flying up late to be beaten a half length into second.
In a rare sporting gesture, Bernard Fayd’herbe (Futura) congratulated Orffer just strides after the post.
Brett Crawford
The winner registered a time of 97,65 secs.
Beating Futura on home turf must have been a particularly satisfying moment for his former trainer Brett Crawford, who had won the Met with the outstanding son of Dynasty.
The return match on the summer course will make for a fascinating spectacle!
The Bass’ Paterfamilias ran out of his skin, just as the yard’s Ashton Park had done last year behind Legislate. Paterfamilias secured third, 1,50 lengths in front of Act Of War.
The favourite Act Of War is much better than this and we know just how much his trainer enjoys the Kenilworth winter course and the fast galloping track – probably his downfall, given his draw.
His jockey Anton Marcus came in for some stick for what some saw as a silly ride. That is probably a little unfair, given the ice cold superiority of Captain America on the day.
All of the top three will be back – and the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate looks to be their return match platform.
This was Captain America’s seventh win with 8 places from 17 starts and he took his earnings to R2 689 675.
His biggest win to date was his runaway victory in the Gr1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes earlier this year.
Captain America was a R400 000 National Yearling Sale purchase, and was re-sold for R500 000 at the Ready To Run Sale 8 months later.
The Varsfontein Stud bred gelding is a son of the outstanding Captain Al out of the five-time winning Fort Wood mare Requista.
Interestingly, the Green Point Stakes is now a conditions race – not a weight for age event as it has been for so long.
Read more about that here.
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Gr2 Green Point Stakes (SAf-Gr2)
Kenilworth, South Africa, November 21, R400k, 1600m, turf, good, 1.37.65
1 – CAPTAIN AMERICA (SAF), 60.0, b g 5, Captain Al (SAF) – Requista (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA). Owner Mesdames Adam Gurney, D Nagle & D J Sherrell; Breeder Varsfontein Stud; trainer BJ Crawford; jockey C Orffer
2 – Futura (SAF), 60.0, b h 5, Dynasty (SAF) – Scribblin’ The Cat (SAF) by Badger’s Drift (SAF)
3 – Paterfamilias (SAF), 58.0, b g 6, Trippi (USA) – La Patoneur (SAF) by Badger Land (USA)
Margins: 0.50, 0.50, 1.50
