Classical Kannemeyer

Karl Neisius guides Power King to a smooth win in the Winter Classic (Equine Edge)

Dean Kannemeyer’s Power King provided the Cape winter season with a serious injection of interest after he captured the R250 000 Gr3 Winter Classic run over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday. The Maine Chance bred son of  Silvano is now on track to win the local Winter Triple Crown and the bonus of R250 000.

Khaya Stables’ owned Power King has marched through the first two legs of the R1 million Winter Series in workmanlike fashion and his clinical victory on Saturday was much on the lines of his Guineas win four weeks earlier.

Frankly, Power King has not beaten too much, but neither did Pocket Power when he walked the same road eight years earlier, and we sometimes forget that good horses can’t  do much more than win a lot of the time.

He now goes into the third leg, the R250 000 Gr3 Winter Derby, which will be run over 2400m at Kenilworth on Saturday 28 June 2014.

The big question mark will naturally be whether Power King  gets the extra 600m. There appears to be an air of confidence over that unknown from the Kannemeyer yard, who hold  the relaxed galloper in high regard.

A mudbath could change the complexion and that is the one apprehension that was expressed on Saturday morning as rain clouds gathered over the Mother City.

Fortunately the weather held out and while a gale force North Westerly wind , something described by visiting rider Piere Strydom as something ‘we don’t see in Joburg’ blew, it was not unbearable.

Dean Kannemeyer has a smart colt on his hands

Jumping at odds on and with the field reduced to nine after the late withdrawal of Snaith’s Paolo, Power King was on the rail two from last as Glenton led from Reim and Global Destiny.

The pace picked up at halfway and into the shorter winter course straight, Glenton led Global Destiny as Power King went in while Stan Elley’s Dynastic Power started his engines down the outside.

The gaps came for Neisius and Power King  drew clear  at 11 to 20 to win by 1,50 lengths from the fast finishing Dynastic  Power and the rather disappointing  again Helderberg Blue.

Piet Steyn’s Friendly Tibbs maintained  his recent form surge with a 2,95 length fourth, off his rather modest rating.

Glen Puller’s Reim, who had run such a blinder for second in the Winter Guineas, ran a flat race and finished ten lengths back.  His connections now sit with a horse who was pushed from a 70 to a 90 post the Guineas.

The system works well on the way up, but it will be interesting to see how quickly he settles down to a reasonable handicap mark again, if ever.

Jockey Karl Neisius confirmed that a big run had been expected but that he was not happy about being at the back of the field:

“As the pens opened he threw his head up and was slow out. They then didn’t go that quickly either. But thankfully from about the 900m they speeded things up and that suited us. I have never ridden in wind like this. It was crazy at times,” he laughed.

Karl Neisius described the winds as ‘crazy’.

Trainer Dean Kannemeyer thanked his assistants David Lilley and Wendy Michel as he has spent a lot of time in KZN recently.

“He looked really well and I think he will stay.  He has the blood and relaxes in his races. I am just mindful about the rains as he is a very good mover. But well done to everybody as we are on track for the Triple Crown,” he said.

Bred by Maine Chance Farms, Power King is by Silvano out of the Northern Guest mare, Northern Gale.

He cost R380 000 on the National Yearling Sale and took his earnings to R438 075 with this win.

His more serious paydays still lie ahead of him.

Now let’s just hope that the Triple Crown climax is marketed for what it is worth and we get the hype that we witnessed in Joburg and Durban recently.

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