Vaughan Marshall’s exciting Captain Al colt Always In Charge was an impressive winner of a high-quality Graduation Plate at Kenilworth on Tuesday and is now set to take his place in the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes to be run at Kenilworth on Saturday 19 November.
Always In Charge has maintained number 1 position on the big race log since day 1, and in a chat with the Sporting Post, the top trainer said that only a bad draw could change the plans for the lightly tried Gr1 Gold Medallion winner.
Always In Charge – top win after a break
“We will make a final decision on the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes once the draws are known but this was a pleasing effort and I rate him very highly,” said Marshall.
When questioned on whether his charge would get the 1400m, he was emphatic – ‘without a shadow of a doubt’, he said, adding that the Cape Guineas was also on his radar.
In a 1200m race billed as the match of the day by spoilt midweek racegoers, Always In Charge took on a field that included Listed Somerset 1200 winner Attenborough, the year older Brett Crawford two-time winner Orion Quest and the bang in-form Dennis Drier-trained Horse Guards.
Vaughan Marshall – waiting for the draw before making a decision
After the highly vaunted Attenborough had looked a winner at the 300m, the confidently ridden Always In Charge was still 3 lengths off as he looked a place bet at best at that stage of the game.
But the cool as a cucumber Anton Marcus switched his mount in and with a show of the whip, he responded to win going away by 0,75 lengths in a time of 73,08 secs.
Orion Quest came on late to deny the pacy Attenborough second place.
Marcus, who made a rare off-weekend appearance in the Mother City, rode a Mayfair Speculators double when booting Just Sensual home to win the last for Joey Ramsden.
The Klawervlei Stud-bred Always In Charge has now won 3 of his 4 starts – all over 1200m.
Purchased by Kerry Jack Bloodstock for R650 000 at the 2015 Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale, Always In Charge is out of the well-related twice winning Polar Falcon mare, Polar Charge – a runner up in the Gr1 Italian Oaks.
Supplementary entries for the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes close at 11h00 on Wednesday, 9 November, with declarations due by 11h00 the following day.
