Mljet is unsighted down the inside as Marcus gets Act Of War home (Bay Media)
Trainer Joey Ramsden showed that he will again play an integral leading role in the Cape Summer Of Champions theatre when he produced the Langerman winner Act Of War after a 15 week break to register an outstanding performance when winning the R250 000 Gr3 Cape Classic at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Anton Marcus was in the Mother City to ride the Jooste horses and he gave Act Of War the nod at the 200m as the colt moved up smoothly and went on to give the highly vaunted Mljet 4,5kgs and a solid, albeit narrow, walloping.
And what great value for his supporters as he drifted to 4 to 1 on the off as the money came for Mljet!
Besides the fact that Act Of War has won 4 from 5 and enjoyed a profitable Cape winter, what must really be exciting his trainer is the Gr1 collateral shown by Mljet in the KZN Champions Season.
That makes the already impressive Act Of War look rather special, with the Cape Guineas his likely medium term target.
The race was run at a good gallop with the Kotzen’s Jooste runner Zingaro making the pace from Heartland and Moonlight Runner.
Marcus had Act Of War well back with only Sheer Trouble behind him.
Into the final 300m, Zingaro faded as the 11 to 20 favourite Mljet moved up hard against the steel with Byleveld and Marshall looking for a feature double.
But Marcus was getting to work two lengths back on Act Of War and going into the 200m marker the Ramsden runner drew alongside and went on powerfully to beat Mljet by a neck in a time of 87,18 secs.
The top two were 3,50 lengths in front of the balance, with Jackson’s brother Heartland burgling third position ahead of the Bass’ Sheer Trouble.
Act Of War was bred by Arc En Ciel Stud and is by Dynasty out of the four time winning Cordoba mare, Si Senorita, who raced for Auctioneer Alf Duncan.
Act Of War was a R550 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale buy and has now won 4 of 5 starts with 1 place for stakes of R413 000.
Earlier in the day, Marcus got the odds on Brutal Force home to win the first for Ramsden.
Jooste Racing Manager Derek Brugman admitted that the pressure was on to get a win under the belt of the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes prospect, who is apparently a very immature sort.
Brugman also took a return swipe at comments on the Under Starters Orders show about the fitment of blinkers.
“We do what is necessary,” he said.
Let the summer games begin!
