Classic Aims. Dean Kannemeyer is not panicking.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer says there is no cause for concern after the 4-10 favourite and much vaunted Kingslayer ran below par at Kenilworth on 23 November. The magnificent Australian bred colt pulled up sore behind afterwards. Kannemeyer added that he remained a horse with classic aspirations and would go on to win his races.
Kimgslayer was ridden by his regular pilot Karl Neisius and after jumping slightly slowly, he was never in the hunt and dashed the hopes of most exotic bet punters who had seen the race as a penalty kick. He eventually finished ninth and just under five lengths off the winner. The race, a modest MR74 Handicap run over 1200m, was won by Con Yiannakis’ Albert Hall gelding who followed up on his maiden win. Trained by Greg Ennion, and well ridden by Chris Puller, it was a smart win-particularly for a sire who has not yet made his mark as a producer of anything noteworthy in his short stud career to date.
An obviously disappointed Kannemeyer said that this was not Kingslayer’s true run. He confirmed that the Rock Of Gibraltar colt was sore behind after the race and was amazingly even slightly shin-sore :” I have always rated this colt and after his debut win, he coughed for ages. We backed off him and he was just in need of the outing when pipped at his second start by Snaith’s Great Fox. I am not a great believer in the second-run –after-a –rest theory but that run was only two weeks ago and I may have sent him to post too soon again. Karl was at him all the way and he was never in the race,” he added.
In his typical straight down the line style, Kannemeyer said that one never stopped learning in this game and while he is known as a trainer who neither overrates horses nor rushes them, he conceded that he may have overstepped things ever so slightly after the colt’s coughing setback, with an eye on the Guineas. “ We have got to get the baby-step races under the belt with these smart horses as they progress towards the Classics. He will show his true colours over a mile, and I will aim him at that trip in his next start,” he confirmed.
Five Star! Hospitality and Karis Teetan win the feature in great style.
The gallant stayer Hospitality recorded his eight win in spectacular fashion by grabbing the top honours in the Listed Durbanville Cup over 3200m. Mike Stewart’s Badger’s Drift gelding led all the way under a shrewd Karis Teetan ride that saw the pace a few notches off hot. Another Giant was hot on his heels all the way and actually sailed past him with about 300m to go. But Teetan had shrewdly reserved some energy for a final burst and he came again to head a luckless Byleveld on the Bass horse. Little else was running on, with both In Writing and Two Strikes running disappointing races. In Writing has a touch of class but appears not to stay the full 3200m, while the Stephen Page yard is flat, with just two winners this season so far. Their Two Strikes appeared to have every chance but was never going well and ran on timidly late.
Glen Kotzen made a welcome return to the winner’s enclosure and demonstrated again that he has more than one three year old filly in his yard. With all the media and public attention firmly focused on the stable star Princess Victoria, it is understandable that her contemporaries will fade into the background. But after Kotzen produced the Spectrum filly Beloved Betty to win in scintillating style last week, he sent out the lovely Caesour filly Imperial State to win the Maiden Plate over 1600m. Not to say that Beloved Betty or the latter could have troubled Victoria in the Avontuur Fillies Guineas next weekend – but they would not have been disgraced by having a shot at the title, by any means. Stranger things have happened in racing!
Imperial State is out of former Fillies Guineas winner State Treasure and Kotzen has trained the family previously. Owned and bred by Varsfontein Stud, a prolific source of champion fillies for the past few decades in SA racing, she showed good maturity and improvement at her third start to win well. Sean Cormack stole first run on his field and it looked for a moment as if he may have gone too early as she drifted outwards late as Stan Elley’s Jet Master filly Starlight Beauty put in a sustained run. Imperial State stuck to her task to win well though and she looks a really nice sort in the making. Kotzen’s other runner, the grey Spectrum Shaft Of Light showed smart improvement to dash through late for third – denying Justin Snaith’s Polar Jet, who was disappointing.
Very Fashionable. Super Elegant and Fareed Anthony win easily.
Trainer Piet Steyn had to be guided and directed to the winner’s enclosure and post-race interview cubicle after his smart Daylami filly Super Elegant won the fourth race, a Novice Plate (F&M) over a mile, in great style. Steyn, a hardworking trainer of middle of the road horses, has had a diabolical run- his previous winner to this being Master Barry on 28 September. With his hair a few lighter shades of grey, he was all smiles and relief as he spoke of his Fillies Guineas plans for the daughter of the prolific racemare Pacific Gem. He said that he had needed Super Elegant to win the Novice to justify her run in next week’s Guineas, and she could well run into the money in that feature.
Veteran jockey and a part of the furniture at Kenilworth, Fareed Anthony had Super Elegant just off the pacy Roczinta and he sent her on her way at the 250m marker to win under the hands. Bred by D Cohen and Sons, she has now won over R120 000, and she looks like a filly who will go on to make her mark. She ran a great race for second in the Sophomore Sprint against the males and on that run she should have been odds-on in yesterday’s race.
