Sean Cormack drives Act Of War clear to win the Langerman (Equine Edge)
It was hardly surprising to see trainer Joey Ramsden follow up on his splendid Gr1 Gold Challenge celebration at Clairwood 24 hours earlier when he saddled his eighth R200 000 Gr3 Langerman winner as Act Of War scored at a wet and cold Kenilworth on Sunday. The win would have been tinged with some disappointment though as the yard’s smart colt, and punter’s favourite Kingvoldt, ran a dismal race.
Kingvoldt had won the Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery and the Listed Somerset 1200 and looked everything of a serious racehorse in the making, going for a fourth consecutive victory in what is a traditional pointer to better things.
Already hailed as a likely Cape Champion 2yo, he was backed into 5 to 10, but was simply never sighted and was frankly the first horse beaten in the run for home.
While it was his first try beyond 1200m, it was an epic fail for a horse who has looked so smart and the jockey repored that he felt something amiss. The Course Vet could find nothing out of order afterwards.
Kingvoldt ran 10,05 lengths back, with only the pacesetter behind him.
But Joey still secured a win to maintain his stranglehold on the race and Act Of War looks promising.
Sean Cormack rode a confident race
Holding the tactical advantage with four of the six runners, it was not surprising to see Ramsden sending Cotton Hill out to lead the charge, as Sean Cormack settled Act Of War a few lengths off the action. Ronnie Sheehan’s maiden Do Be Snappy was slow away.
Into the home run, Cotton Hill tired with Catkin charging down the inside as Sean Cormack switched Act Of War out.
In a matter of strides it was race over as Act Of War drew off to win going away by 2,75 lengths in a time of 94,86 secs. He started at 22 to 10 after an impressive maiden win over 1200m at his second outing.
Stablemate Catkin stayed on nicely for second, while the maiden Do Be Snappy ran on into third from far off.
As in the case of Ramsden’s Gold Challenge winner, Act Of War was bred by Arc En Ciel Stud and is by Dynasty out of the four time winning Cordoba mare, Si Senorita, who raced for Auctioneer Alf Duncan, in her track days in the Cape.
Act Of War was a R550 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale buy and has now won 2 of 3 starts with 1 place for stakes of R381 750.
He looks like yet another Ramsden success story in the writing for owners Markus and Ingrid Jooste and can only improve over further
