St Tropez (outside) goes head to head with Ultimate Dollar last time out
Last weekend’s recordbreaking dual Guineas winning team venture into the Eastern Cape today where they look set to challenge for top honours in the R350 000 Gr3 East Cape Derby. Anybody betting in feature races against Ramsden, Marcus and Jooste Unlimited are doing so at the risk of instant emotional and financial destruction.
Despite the Derby field being split evenly between the visiting contingent and the local attack, it is difficult seeing the overwhelming stranglehold of the Capetonians being broken in a race that they have successfully plundered year in and year out.
Ramsden Rampage
Anton Marcus – skips home base Greyville for Fairview
The man leading the charge is Milnerton-based Joey Ramsden, who had such a glorious last weekend, winning both the KZN and the Cape Winter Guineas. And he will be packing the very same silks sported in those two glorious triumphs into his overnight bag for the trip to Fairview.
A minor variation this time round, is that Ramsden’s challenger will embark from Summerveld near Durban on a Peter Choice float and travel a slightly longer route than normal on the coast down to PE.
And the Silvano gelding St Tropez is certainly an exciting prospect, whose presence should add plenty of interest.
Decisions
Joey Ramsden – just can’t do anything wrong at the moment
A winner of 3 of his 6 starts, it is unclear whether the decision to run him here was a last minute call after he had already travelled to Durban.
But whatever the situation, he scored an impressive first win at Greyville – albeit courtesy of that dreaded rubber stamp in the Stipes boardroom.
St Tropez clashed there with his traditional rival Ultimate Dollar, who actually finished marginally ahead of him after a titanic duel in the final 100m.
And there is little doubt that St Tropez is something of a quirky sort. He won his post-maiden hard up against the outside rail at Kenilworth, after the bit was pulled through his mouth and veteran rider Karl Neisius admitted that he could not really control him in the straight.
The biggest question mark (if there is one) against St Tropez, must be the fact that he goes beyond a mile for the first time. However his champion sire and his damline suggest he will get there. Add in his stamp of class, Anton Marcus and Joey Ramsden- and hey, he looks well nigh unstoppable!
Snaith Coupling
Justin Snaith – will have his coupling fit and ready
Justin Snaith will be thinking otherwise and he saddles a nice coupling.
Heading them is Richard Fourie’s mount Master’s Eye, a smashing son of Jet Master who has won 3 from 11 and is getting better all the time.
While he has yet to go beyond 1800m, everything about his racing style and his breeding suggests 2400m to be well within his range.
His prep run in an MR 88 Handicap at Kenilworth over 1800m was impressive, as he flew late to beat the older hardknocker Tiger Tops.
His stablemate Arezzo only recently won his maiden at his seventh start and was well beaten over 2400m at his penultimate start.
But the fact that Sean Cormack travels to PE on a Sunday and forsakes a Greyville home meeting, and also based on this fellow’s breeding, one is inclined to take a second look and see something less obvious.
Stan’s World
Stan Elley – My World travels to PE
Stan Elley makes a rare appearance in these parts with his promising stayer, My World.
The son of Ideal World absolutely stays the 2400m (he has won twice over the trip in his short career) and ran a smart prep over 1400m at his last start.
He jumps from a decent 2 draw with Aldo Domeyer aboard and will not be stopping at the business end.
Glen Kotzen’s New Fort is the last of the visitors. The son of Fort Wood won his maiden in a dazzling late dash display over a too short mile, but has not really sparked since. He looks like a horse who is still growing into his frame and could be a better prospect as a 4yo.
Cheyne’s Choice
Greg Cheyne teams up with Kalamain
The fact that jockey Greg Cheyne opts for local hope Kalamain also suggests he is unlikely to challenge the top two.
Kalamain is an exciting son of Admire Main. Alan Greeff’s charge reeled off three wins on the trot following his maiden success and ran a decent enough race over 2000m last time.
This long-striding sort is out of a Silvino mare who won up to 1800m and could relish the extra 400m, with the added advantage of racing on his home turf.
His stablemates Well Informed and Your Lordship look less likely, although the former does not have bad form and ran a decent race in a lowly rated handicap behind King Of The Castle last time out.
His best form is on the polytrack though.
Unimpressive
Gavin Smith-trained Motoman has failed to spark since relocating from Mike De Kock’s yard and, while his best Gauteng staying form is reasonable, he appears to be hopelessly out of sorts in PE.
Steven Janse Van Rensburg saddles the second of the Admire Main progeny, in recent shock winner Savethelastdance.
While a winner of two of his last three starts, he looks hard pressed to maintain his roll against the Cape monsters and looks a back-end of the quartet hope at best.
Cape Call
St Tropez and Master’s Eye look set to fight it out, having shown good form to stronger back home.
Local challenger Kalamain has looked special on occasions, and he will have track familiarity on his side – as well as Greg Cheyne who is the regular local champion in these parts.
