Hard Day’s Night – progressive son of Warm White Night
The Cape 3yo classic picture should be a little clearer after the running of the R250 000 Gr3 Magnum Cape Classic, when racing thankfully returns to Kenilworth on Saturday. Thirteen 3yo’s line up on the 1400m winter course – and the Cape Summer Of Champions is now well under way.
Milnerton-based Joey Ramsden has a powerful attack of 3yo’s and he goes for his third successive win in the event, after Red Ray and Act Of War, the past two years.
Exciting
Joey Ramsden – master at bring them on slowly
His Warm White Night colt Hard Day’s Night has looked every inch an exciting prospect and has taken his maiden and a low-key mile handicap in his stride at his last two outings, after two sprint places.
Donavan Mansour was aboard at both his victories, and he partners him again from a midfield barrier gate. This fellow has Cape Guineas written all over him!
Ramsden has back-up in the form The Stone Thrower, who returns to action after gelding and a 15 week break.
He was well beaten in the Gr3 Langerman, and then ran second to stablemate Prince Of Thieves in the Champion Juvenile Cup in PE.
Sheehan Star
Captain Chaos wins the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery
Trainer Ronnie Sheehan sends out the highest rated runner in the field in the form of Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery winner Captain Chaos – the only stakes victor in the race.
The son of Captain Al failed to impress on his seasonal debut when going down 4,75 lengths to Sail For Gold at Durbanville.
Against him is the fact that he is drawn wide out. The engagement of a ‘foreign’ jockey in Gunter Wrogemann is interesting and the proliferation of speed on his dam’s side could well bring his distance suitability into question.
Snaith Duo
Justin Snaith – powerful hand
Justin Snaith never stays at home on feature days and he saddles a well-bred coupling, who have won 5 between them.
Topweight Baritone has not drawn too favourably at 10, but has won three on the trot since running fourth on an unfacied debut.
He is a course and distance winner and while he has not disposed of much, he appears to be going the right way.
He is 2kgs worse off with Eighth Wonder for a length beating last time , but looks really decent.
The Western Winter colt Aspara could be the stable elect and has won his last two mile starts by an aggregate ten lengths. Well drawn at 2, he hit some decent older hardknocking handicappers out of the park last time and his first appearance in feature company will be highly anticipated.
Bass Trio
Mike Bass has a form trio in the race, with the multiple stakes placed Ernie the most well tried – and a course and distance winner to boot.
Grant Van Niekerk – rides Ernie for Mike Bass
The son of Elusive Fort is ridden by stable jock Grant Van Niekerk and never runs a bad race.
The grey Tapit gelding Rodney has run three top races and could be the dark horse in the race over the extra ground from a reasonable draw.
This will be his first serious test, but the turn of foot shown by him over shorter, suggests there is plenty to come.
Brilliant Crimson is the third of the Bass attack. The son of Trippi won a weak maiden at his penultimate start, and was only run out of it late next time by Ice Style. He must have a place hope at least.
Purple Mountains was beaten 3,60 lengths over the course and distance by Baritone last time, but enjoys a 4,5kg swing in the weights with the Snaith runner. He won 2 of his first 5 starts over the Kenilworth 1200m and has plenty of stamina on his dam’s side.
Genuine
The first of Greg Ennion’s duo is the Captain Al gelding Eighth Wonder, who is drawn worst of all.
He ran on smartly for second behind Victorious Jay at Durbanville last time, and prior to that got within a length of Baritone – and now enjoys a 2kg pull.
Paul Reeves’ speedy grey Forward Drive was well beaten over 7 lengths by Victorious Jay last time, when trying 1400m for the first time. The son of King’s Apostle is poorly drawn, and unless he didn’t enjoy Durbanville, he looks set to battle against his big gun contemporaries.
Much the same applies to Dennis Drier’s (who won it in 2012 with Chave De Oura) visitor Seymour, who won his second start nicely on the Greyville polytrack, and Greg Ennion’s second runner Roman Discent, who would need to run a few leagues above his rating to trouble the big boys.
Unexposed
Ramsden knows how to win this race and we are going with Hard Day’s Night to register his personal hat-trick at the expense of Aspara and Rodney – with Captain Chaos the danger.
