Taking The Cake! Blake registers his first Group win.
A terrific spectacle on a gorgeous summer’s afternoon but sadly no sponsor in sight. The R200 000 Gr3 Summer Stayers Handicap run over 2500m produced a thrilling finish at Kenilworth on Christmas Eve with veteran jockey Karl Neisius recording his third winner of the day.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer put the obvious disappointment of the Guineas last Saturday well behind him when he turned out the improving Dynasty gelding Blake in fighting fettle And it was a smart break into the big time for the talented stayer, who somehow keeps lifting his game when the call comes in.
A textbook example of patience and bringing a horse on through the ranks. That is the story of this gelding’s development over the past ten months. Kannemeyer must have been very tempted to have a dip at the Gr1 Canon Gold Cup in August at Greyville. His KZN Champions Season stocking wasn’t really bulging at the seams and Blake would have added some sparkle and not have been out of his place in South Africa’s premier staying race.
But catching a monkey slowly has always been the Kannemeyer game and the partnership of Derek Brugman, Raymond Deacon, Robert Kay and Irene Rudden must be only too happy to pay the shrewd horseman’s commission. They have a classy stayer, with plenty of mileage left and lots to look forward to in 2012.
Stayers All! Lita Futeran, Andy Kay, Irene Rudden and Dean Kannemeyer enjoy the champers.
An improved again Two Strikes set a sedate pace in trying to emulate his victory of last year, but had no answer to the late charge of the Kannemeyer horse, with Komatipoort running a good race in second. Two Strikes stayed on for third. It was a particularly masterful ride by Karl Neisius, who may have hesitated momentarily as he made things tight for his familiar regular ride, In Writing, in the final stages.
Blake has won seven from 23 starts, and over half a bar in stakes. In ranks that are not particularly strong, he looks a lovely horse to own. His next target would in all likelihood be the J&B Reserve Stayers on Met day. And Neisius. Well he just never seems to age.
The opening leg of the jackpot looked a veritable minefield but the MR73 Handicap for fillies and mares went much according to plan. Recent maiden winner Secret Call made the pace until the 300m marker with Glen Kotzen’s smart looking Dynasty Masai Princess moving up menacingly down the outside rail. Karl Neisius had been sitting with plenty in the tank on the diminutive Western Winter filly Northern Heritage and he unleashed her to win a nice race and her second from seven starts.
In the preview of this race, Tellytrack presenter Grant Knowles tipped the Sands runner Wolf’s Girl. Knowles observed that she ‘is a daughter of Almushtarak, but she doesn’t know that’ For a guy who represents stallion and breeder interests, and is remunerated by the entire industry effectively, that kind of comment is probably unwarranted and bordering on marginal. Wolf’s Girl subsequently ran a shocker. Not Mr Kowles’ fault her run, but don’t knock stallions unless you are speaking from a position of unbiased independence, sir!
Justin Snaith received some compensation in the second race from stallion Lithuanian, after the dismal flop of his odds-on favourite by the same sire in the Maiden Plate over 1200m at Fairview on Friday . Vilnius travelled up to Port Elizabeth yesterday to contest what looked like a penalty kick, but he let PA punters down when fading out to nothing late. Flightofthephoenix on the other hand carried the Lithuanian flag with pride when demolishing his field in the second race, a maiden plate over 1000m. Richard Fourie had an armchair view of the beautiful Kenilworth track and Hassen Adams and Bernard Kantor’s gelding is speedy enough to win again over the minimum trip.
King Karl. Northern Heritage gives Karl Neisius his second of three winners.
The second eldest horse racing on the day – he is fifteen days younger than fellow ten year old Omaha Beach – was the Jallad gelding Grafton Street. While relatively lightly raced having ‘just’ his 39th run here, he made the pace in the MR102 Handicap and then stayed on admirably to snatch third place from the flying Moonlight Gambler. The winner, Thanks John, was last turning for home as the leaders switched to the outside rail, but was steered down the middle by Sean Cormack to win going away. The three year old Alula Borealis was very keen in his first run in blinkers and looked a winner about 200m from home, before the exertions of his head –fight took its toll. He is a smart three year old and plenty will still be heard from him. The winner, one of three Jallads in the race, is a solid handicapper who has now won seven from 24 starts.
The interest at Turffontein centred around the re-appearance of the Singspiel colt Potala Palace, who stepped out after his Dingaans disappointment in the MR94 Handicap over a mile. Given every chance and dropped out to race midfield by his regular jockey Gavin Lerena, the expensive three year old was one-paced late and was fairly and squarely beaten by Meadow Magic and the filly Without Malice. The latter, a four year old, carried 2,5kgs more than the Azzie horse, and beat him with ease. This wasn’t a happy Christmas message by any means for the Azzie yard and it must now be back to the drawing board for the master trainer. Either the beautifully bred specimen needs gelding or maybe he is just not as good as he has been made out to be?
