Lanner Falcon looks to be very competitive
Trainer Mike Bass and jockey Grant Van Niekerk have enjoyed a summer of glorious success for Drakenstein Stud and saddle another smart Trippi filly in the famous blue and white silks in Saturday’s R250 000 Breco Seafoods Gr3 Prix Du Cap. Lanner Falcon looks to go one better this time after running second in the same race last year behind Priceless Jewel.
The 3yo Trippi filly Inara has kept the Bass flag flying high in the Summer Of Champions but she will be taking a break as the final fillies and mares feature of the season gives some of the lesser lights a chance to earn.
Bass Hand
The Prix Du Cap has attracted a field of eleven with Mike Bass holding a very powerful hand with three runners.
Hammie’s Hooker is top-class and looks overdue to bounce back
Another of Bass’s Trippi flyers tops the weights in the classy Hammie’s Hooker – a mare who only has to be at 80% of her best to launch a serious challenge. She has incurred the maximum cumulative penalty of 5kgs for stakes wins. The weights in this race allocate 3yo’s a base of 52,0 kgs, with 4yo’s and older allotted 55,5 kg.
Penalties for stakes wins up to a maximum of 5kgs are added.
Both Lanner Falcon and Hammie’s Hooker were not far behind their illustrious dual Gr1 winning stablemate Inara in the Majorca Stakes, and both look likely to enjoy the 1400m of Saturday’s test.
Level Weights
They carried level weights there and Lanner Falcon finished ahead of Hammie’s Hooker – albeit by only just over a half length.
She is 5kgs better off on Saturday and only her poor draw of 10 deters.
Lanner Falcon is a consistent placer and a filly acknowledged to be just a few lengths off the best.
At her penultimate start she stayed on steadily for a 3,50 lengths third behind Cold As Ice in the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes. When stepped up to a mile in the Majorca, she ran on steadily again when fifth and 2,15 lengths behind Inara.
Saturday’s trip will suit her down to the ground.
Player
Bernard Fayd’herbe – rides the Bass mare
Hammie’s Hooker is far and away the highest rated galloper in the race and is another top-class daughter of Trippi.
She has admittedly been a trifle flat at her last three outings but drops in class here and could bounce back to her best under Bernard Fayd’herbe from her nice 4 draw.
Maybe Yes made no show in the Paddock Stakes and the Majorca and is a kilo worse off with Lanner Falcon for a 0,75 length beating in December. To be fair, Maybe Yes may well be better than that run as she was returning from a five month rest.
She is well drawn at 2 and finished just behind Lanner Falcon in this race last year.
Her stablemate Zacharias appears to have gone off the boil after winning 5 of her first 9 starts. She never showed when over 19 lengths back in the Sceptre Stakes and has plenty of catching up to do.
Bright Spark
Neil Bruss’ Red Flame is a lightly raced daughter of Jet Master who has won 5 out of her 10 starts.
She ran a cracker in the Majorca Stakes when running on strongly into fourth and just 2,10 lengths behind Inara.
Yogas Govender is enjoying an excellent strike rate with his runners and he saddles the Fort Wood mare Antonia’s Fortress who jumps from the 1 draw.
Unproven at this level, she does meet the improving Red Flame on 4,5kgs better terms for being beaten 2,30 lengths last time.
Joey Ramsden-trained Miss Saigon is a game and consistent daughter of Captain Al – while she has plenty of her Mom’s guts about her, she probably lacks a few lengths at this level but does meet Lanner Falcon on 2kgs better terms than when beaten 2 lengths at her penultimate start.
She runs well for the veteran Karl Neisius.
Marcus Magic
Adam Marcus – looking for the double
Adam Marcus won the race last year with Priceless Jewel and he saddles a coupling of Souk and Crystal Cavern.
The 4yo Souk is a lightly raced daughter of Greys Inn who had her first run in eight months when staying on stoutly when under a length behind Balkan over a too short 1000m. She looks a place prospect if the second run after a rest hoodoo doesn’t catch her out.
Her stablemate Crystal Cavern comes in on joint bottomweight and is yet to win anything of substance.
The daughter of Horse Chestnut is a course and distance winner with a solid turn of foot who could run into the places.
Mike Robinson’s Lady Ming is the only one-time winner in the race and has her fifth start after running out of puff in decent mixed sex handicap company last time.
She is difficult to assess but did beat subsequent dual winner Beach Goddesss when winning her maiden at the second time of asking.
Very Open
All told , this is a tough and open fillies contest.
Hammie’s Hooker is a proven campaigner and has plenty of class.
At this stage, her stablemate Lanner Falcon may hold the edge over her – but not by a lot if the Trippi mare comes back to best.
Maybe Yes and Red Flame could be best of the rest. Not a race to go too narrow in the exotics!
