The time-honoured Marshalls World Of Sport Gold Cup meeting proved a fitting finale to the racing season and is guaranteed to have an impact on the Equus Awards.
In fact, this year it could be the deciding factor as to who will be named Horse of the Year, the current favourites being the Justin Snaith-trained duo of Captain’s Ransom and Jet Dark.
The Gold Cup Trophy (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Many will undoubtedly opt for Suzette Viljoen’s exceptional filly, who is virtually assured of the Champion Sprinter title following a scintillating win in Saturday’s Gr1 Mercury Sprint, which was her first clash against males.
That was also a fourth individual Gr1 victory of the season for the svelte daughter of Captain Al, whose claim is further strengthened by her versatility, considering her quartet of Gr1 wins came from distances of 1200 to 1800m.
What an athlete! Captain’s Ransom (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Granted, that should be sufficient to tilt the scales in her favour, yet let’s not forget that she won the Paddock Stakes, Majorca Stakes and SA Fillies Sprint against her own gender.
Furthermore, for the second year running, she failed in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes, a race she looked to have at her mercy. On form, she towered head and shoulders above her rivals, and whether the delayed start to the race played a part in her disappointing effort, the fact is that this could have affected her rivals as well.
Last season’s Champion three-year-old and Champion miler, stable companion Jet Dark ended his four-year-old campaign with a successful defence of his Gr1 Champions Cup crown. That came at the expense of old nemesis Kommetdieding, whom he had beaten in the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, before the Rix runner turned the tables in the Gr1 Cape Met.
Top notch Jet Dark (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The second Champions Cup win was just reward for Jet Dark, considering he was coming off two troubled, yet highly creditable efforts at the Durban track, a close up third in the Gr1 Gold Challenge and a flying second in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July under top weight, where he had Kommetdieding behind him.
On both occasions, he virtually had to sprout wings from the rear and not surprisingly ran out of real estate over the short Hollywoodbets Greyville straight. His accomplishments could see him walk away with the award for Champion Middle Distance Horse at least.
Veteran bloodstock man John Freeman is understandaby excited about the prospect of two horses so close to his heart in Captain’s Ransom and Jet Dark, going neck and neck for the prestigious title.
“What a terrific feat by the Snaith Racing Team to get two horses into this position! Looking ahead, I was reflecting on a breeders fairytale – a mating of these two fine athletes! I just had to put it through Tesio – it’s a dream mating in all respects!” laughed John.
Click on the image below to enlarge the Tesio chart:
It’s been 17 years since two horses were named Joint Horse of the Year. Both females and both grey, National Colour, the dam of Rafeef, shared the honours with Ilha da Vitoria. Who knows, we may yet see history repeat itself!
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Whilst Captain’s Ransom looks set to be named Champion Older Female as well, one could also make a case for Sparkling Water, who, in contrast to Captain’s Ransom, was campaigned almost exclusively in open company during her four-year-old season.
The daughter of Silvano’s biggest triumph came in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, where she trounced the boys in emphatic manner. In addition, she defeated male rivals in the Victory Moon Stakes and Western Cape Stayers, whilst losing the Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge by a head. Food for thought perhaps?
Triple Tiara winner Rain In Holland was sent to the sidelines following her SA Oaks victory, but such was her dominance of the division that she looks a shoe- in to be named the Champion Three-year-old Filly.
The colt’s division was a bit more muddled. Cape Guineas winner and Derby second Double Superlative was not seen out again after finishing fourth in the Met, courtesy of a tendon injury. Cape Derby winner Pomp And Power could only finish third in the Gr2 KZN Guineas before chasing home Safe Passage in the Gr1 Daily News 2000. Third in that race was SA Derby winner Aragosta, who subsequently failed to shine in both the July and Gold Cup.
Safe to say that Safe Passage probably clinched the title with his fine third behind Sparkling Water and Jet Dark in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July. Lest we forget, the son of Silvano started his sophomore season with five straight victories, amongst which the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas and Gr2 Dingaans, whilst going down by a neck in the Gr1 SA Classic.
Vercingetorix colt Cousin Casey proved his superiority in the juvenile ranks with a rampant score in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes. It was a fourth win on the trot for the Glen Kotzen-trained bay and came on the heels of his victories in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes and Gr2 Golden Horseshoe. A superstar in the making and fully deserving of the Champion Juvenile Colts title!
Canadian Summer probably clinched a championship when she fell over the line in the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes. There was drama aplenty after the race, as many thought that runner-up Rock The Fox got up on the line, even her jockey paraded in front of the grandstand and mistakenly accepted the winning sash!
Although this was Canadian Summer’s first Gr1 success, she already had the Listed Devon Air Stakes to her name.
Nebraas looked a virtual certainty to repeat as Champion Stayer, having annexed both the Gr3 Gold Bowl and Caradoc Gold Cup. Alas, he faltered in the Gold Cup, where he finished less than four lengths behind the winner Shangani, who also defeated him when they met for the first time on July day. What odds the new champion will be Shangani, one of 14 individual stakes winners bred by Wilgerbosdrift/Mauritzfontein, who will be crowned champion breeders for the second time.
Finally, it would be remiss not to make mention of Drakenstein’s phenomenal achievement as breeders of a record 18 individual stakes winners this past season, a tally which obliterated the previous benchmark of 12 jointly held by Wilgerbosdrift/Mauritzfontein and Summerhill Stud.
