Prince Of Thieves (Bernard Fayd’herbe) is an easy winner of the feature (Pics: Coastal Photos)
The weather induced switch of the Fairview Friday meeting from turf to the polytrack turned the R200 000 Gr3 Champion Juvenile Cup on its head. With the field reduced to seven, Milnerton-based Joey Ramsden wasn’t complaining as he grabbed the exacta to make it a hat-trick of wins for the Cape visitors.
PE trainer Alan Greeff is to be commended for maintaining the respectability of the race with the local boom 2yo Juan Two Three standing his ground – despite being untried on the surface.
Justin Snaith wasn’t taking any such chances and he pulled Captain Swarovski out.
This left Joey Ramsden with two of the seven starters – and once it was clear that Juan Two Three was not his usual explosive self, and not really enjoying things, it was hardly surprising to see JR come up trumps – after what must have been a testing week or two for the powerful Cape outfit on the feature front.
With Prince Of Thieves going off at 22-10 after his recent smart second to Ernie at home, it was Juan Two Three who started favourite at 14-10 and was expected by many to notch up a fourth win from five starts.
Bernard Fayd’herbe – rode Prince Of Thieves (credit: hamishNIVENPhotography)
The Cat led Strubens at a good gallop, while The Stone Thrower stalked the leaders in third with Bernard Fayd’herbe and Prince Of Thieves relaxed, just ahead of the fancied Juan Two Three.
Into the home run The Stone Thrower moved up menacingly, but his stablemate Prince Of Thieves was going very strongly and switched out at the 250m marker, he came home strongly.
In a matter of strides it was race over as Prince Of Thieves shot clear to win by 1,25 lengths in a time of 82,70 secs.
Joey Ramsden – saddled the top two
The comments made by Andrew Fortune, after he rode the Rebel King colt to a rather inauspicious maiden victory at Durbanville on 18 April, came to mind.
“Don’t be fooled by the way he won here. He is much better than he looked,” he said at the time.
The Stone Thrower had no chance with his winning stablemate, but stayed on nicely for second, with the Sham’s King Of Chaos performing best of the local hopes to run third.
The favourite Juan Two Three made up a few lengths in the straight from off the gallop, but failed to fire, as he finished a modest (by his usual standards) 2,75 length fourth.
The winner was recording a first stakes victory at his sixth start.
He has now won 2 from 6 with 4 places and R206 125 in stakes.
The R250 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate was bred by The Alchemy.
He is a son of Rebel King (and a second Gr3 winner in a short time after Royal Dreamer won the Winter Classic) out of the unraced Silver Charm mare, Sylvan Forest.
Rebel King has three lots on offer at next month’s Cape 2yo Sale –
Lot 21 –a colt out of a winning daughter of leading sire and Breeders Cup winner Barathea and this is the family of US Gr1 winner Mayo On The Side and former successful SA sire Comic Blush.
Lot 41 – is a half sister to a pair of winners. Out of a mare by champion US sire Elusive Quality, this speedily bred filly hails from the family of Australian G1 winning sprinter Lightning Bend.
Lot 69 – is a filly out of a half sister to the stakes performer Catchelli. Inbred to the mighty Danzig (like G1 winners I’ll Have Another, Brazen Beau and Seventh Plain to name but three), this well bred filly is from the same family as recent Gr2 Track And Ball Derby winner Disco Al.
_________
Gr3 Champion Juvenile Cup (SAf-Gr3)
Fairview, South Africa, July 10, R200k, 1400m, a/w, good, 1.22.07
1 – PRINCE OF THIEVES (SAF), 60.0, b c 2, Rebel King (SAF) – Sylvan Forest (USA) by Silver Charm (USA). Owner Mesdames A M Doyle, Adam Gurney & D Nagle & Mr K Doyle; Breeder The Alchemy; trainer J Ramsden; jockey B Fayd’herbe
2 – The Stone Thrower (SAF), 60.0, b c 2, Seventh Rock (AUS) – Si Senorita (SAF) by Cordoba (USA)
3 – King Of Chaos (SAF), 60.0, b c 2, A P Arrow (USA) – Icy Thunder by Fort Wood (USA)
Margins: 1.25, 0.25, 1.25
