Star quality. Depardieu sets out to become the first three year old since Imbongi to win the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes
A fast improving and very smart three year old squares up to his streetwise seniors as the 2012 Champions Season gets under way at Greyville this Saturday. Depardieu sidesteps the KRA Guineas and attempts to become the first three year old since Imbongi in 2008 to win the R300 000 Gr2 WFA Drill Hall Stakes.
The Summerhill Stud-bred Imbongi was a rags-to-riches story after leaving the sales ring unwanted and unsold. Hardly surprising as he wasn’t exactly an oil painting and the catalogue showed that he was sired by the moderately popular Nureyev stallion Russian Revival. But he turned into a smashing racehorse and he also won the KZN Guineas when it was still run three weeks prior to the Drill Hall Stakes. He had only raced twice in the UK, when the respected Timeform agency gave him a lofty rating of 121 and he was to go on and win at Meydan and Ascot on his overseas travels.
Act Now
That is history and while in sentimental reflective mode, we can also observe that this is the last race ever won by the promising Jet Master gelding Past Master, who came out fresh from his 2011 J&B Met victory over Mother Russia. He beat another runner last year who takes his chances this year again in Captain’s Secret.
Where will the future take Depardieu? A different character to Imbongi, but we believe endowed with similar ability, the Normandy Stud-bred son of Dupont is a classic good looking colt who has a turn of foot that seperates the men from the boys.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer introduced Depardieu to KwaZulu-Natal in the Gr3 Byerley Turk run over 1400m at Scottsville three weeks ago. Dawdling along at the rear for much of the journey, he turned on the charm 300m from home and stormed through to beat the previously unbeaten Unnanounced. That was Depardieu’s third Gr3 win after the Cape Nursery and the Cape Classic. He also has a cracking third just 2,75 lengths off the Cape’s champion miler Variety Club in the Gr3 Matchem Stakes to his credit.
He looks a top sprinter-miler in the making and his trainer obviously believes that he will acquit himself better over this 1400m trip rather than bump his brilliant stablemate Divine Jet in the KRA Guineas over 200m further. As a younger fast improving well drawn horse receiving just two kilos from some seasoned campaigners, we feel that he will be up to the challenge. Karl Neisius also knows him very well.
Three’s Company
The Shark
Kannemeyer sends out a trio of runners and the consistent The Shark looks to be the best of his other two. The Zimbabwean-bred four year old appears to love racing in KZN and won two races at Greyville last season. He lost his form in Cape Town before returning to winning ways over 1400m at Scottsville three weeks ago. His win in that MR98 Handicap was impressive as he went to fetch the powerful front-running Bielorruso and won going away. He had some fair sorts of the ilk of Occhi Di Lupo and Northern Emperor well beaten that afternoon. He then came out over 1200m at Clairwood and was pipped by Maliyakhe. He did have the highly rated Delago Deluxe a length behind him that day – although the three year old did have excuses as he had his head on the ground as the start was effected.
Kannemeyer’s third string, Splash Gold, won the Merchants at this track over 200m shorter last season. He was punished by the handicapper and appears to have lost his form and his zest for racing. He may come out fighting fresh, but will likely also need it as he has not raced for over four months.
Legal Eagle
Kavanagh is dangerous when caught in the right mood and he could be involved in the outcome.
Mike De Kock’s smart four year old Kavanagh looks most likely to give Depardieu something to seriously think about.The son of Tiger Ridge has finally returned to the form he showed as a juvenile and he won an impressive race in the Gr2 Hawai Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein at the end of February. He then came out a month later and ran a rather below-par fourth and some six lengths off Dancewiththedevil in the Gr1 Horse ChestnutStakes. That was over a mile and run on very soft going. He ran fourth in the Drill Hall Stakes last year and 2,6 lengths off the winner Past Master. He started 15-10 favourite that day, but it would not be the last time he betrayed the faith of the punting public.
Kavanagh, like most legal types, is a talented but difficult and unpredictable moody character. If he pitches up in a galloping mood and can overcome his 8 draw, he could have a say in the finish. Let us not overlook the fact that he runs in the Wilgerbosdrift silks either!
Quintet
Tales Of Bravery
The quintet of Tales Of Bravery, Chesalon, Kiss Again, Lion In Winter and Bulsara may find this on the sharp side and are likely using the outing as a sharpener.
It will be a poignant moment for the family of former Gold Circle Chairman Roy Eckstein who passed away in tragic circumstances just over a week ago. Tales Of Bravery carries the familiar Eckstein yellow silks with the cerise diamond and returns after having run a fair eighth and 2,15 lengths behind Igugu in the J&B Met.
At first glance the very capable son of Kahal looks pushed from an 11 draw over a distance short of his best. But the record books will show that he has won over 1400m at Grade 3 level. That was some time ago in the 2010 Matchem Stakes run at Durbanville. He also has a 1500m Pinnacle Stakes victory over Pocket Power just three weeks after the Matchem to his credit. He has probably lost some of that toe as he has matured though and this will be a stepping stone.
Chesalon has not run since a fair fifth behind Gimmethegreenlight in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and was scratched from the J&B Met as a result of lameness. Despite the services of top jockey Piere Strydom, he should be run off his feet early on.
Kiss Again jumps from the best draw but has not won for close on a year when beating A Daughter’s Legacy over 1500m at Durbanville in very soft going. He is a few lengths off the best at this level and probably would have been better off in Cape Town for the winter months.
Lion In Winter has not been seen since his J&B Met run. He is drawn in West Street on top of suspect fitness, and that does not augur well for his prospects.
Bulsara won the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m as a three year old but has sadly not fulfilled his earlier promise. He has no chance on current form.
Difficult
Captain’s Secret, Rebel Knight and Lake Arthur are difficult to assess.
Captain’s Secret was toppled by stablemate Castlethorpe in the East Cape Sprint last month and did not set the world alight at his first 2012 start in KZN. He was narrowly beaten by Past Master in this race last year and would need to find that level of form to be competitive.
Rebel Knight has not won in over a year and is one of those capable horses who can never quite seem to get their head in front when it counts. He has an awful 13 draw which won’t count in his favour, but he does get the infinitely valuable services of Anton Marcus. He could run a place at best.
Lake Arthur comes up from the Plattner Racing headquarters at Rondeberg on the Cape West Coast and has pulled the worst draw at 14. This four year old Jet Master gelding has long been touted as something special but lacks a heart to go along with his engine. He was beaten at 7-20 last time out at Durbanville by Laurie’s Gold, who won again subsequently. Bernard Fayd’herbe has opted to partner Captain’s Secret, and while we mean no disrespect to Sean Veale, it would have given us a little more confidence had Fayd’herbe gone for Lake Arthur.
A fascinating contest in the offing. We’d suggest that Bernard Kantor and Markus Jooste’s Depardieu is classy and progressive enough to dispose of the older horses. His classic turn of foot will come in very handy in the final 200m. Kavanagh is dangerous when caught in the right mood and he could be involved in the outcome. The rest are a mixed bag. Include The Shark and Rebel Knight to lift the quartet dividend.
