Double? The 2011 Merchants winner Shades Of Indigo returns from a break but loves the course and distance and could surprise
The pace steps up a good few degrees when the first of the Sizzling Summer Season sprints is run at Kenilworth on Saturday. The R300 000 Gr2 Betting World Merchants, run over 1200m, has attracted a smart field, and heralds the notable milestone of a first Cape runner for legendary champion jockey-turned-trainer, Garth Puller.
The Clairwood Park-based ‘head waiter’ is one of Cape horseracing’s favourite sons and he sends out the revitalised 7yo Qui Danzig gelding Jinzo, in what is bound to be a momentous family affair. Garth’s nephew Christopher Puller is in the saddle.
The celebrations are also fittingly at the very venue and sprint track where Puller had his last professional ride on 27 December 2005.
The field includes Joey Ramsden’s 66-1 shock winner of last year’s Cape Merchants, Shades Of Indigo. The handsome, and somewhat enigmatic, grey is the only survivor of the class of 2011, but is a course and distance specialist who blossoms at this time of the year.
Lovely Lady – Beach Beauty is a top class mare from a sizzling hot yard and could show the boys a thing or two on Saturday
Beach Bomb
Heading the weights is the Dennis Drier-trained Beach Beauty, who has won from 1000m to 2000m and is one of the best of her sex in the country.
The Greyville 1900 winner returned to action at the beginning of October, when cruising home in a Conditions Plate over 1600m at Clairwood. This is not her main mission and she will obviously prefer further, and probably has the Met as her main target.
But it will pay to include her in all bets, as she is capable and versatile and the Drier yard is in great form.
Dean Kannemeyer’s classy Dupont colt Depardieu won the eThekwini over 1200m on July Day, where he beat the very capable In A Rush, amongst a few other good sorts.
Depardieu’s two return runs have both been characterised by coughing, which gives hope of improvement if that minor ailment has been sorted out.
He was running on particularly well behind What A Winter over the 1100m last time. He was beaten 0.75 lengths there by Cap Alright, to whom he gave 3kgs. Depardieu now only gives Cap Alright a half kilo over 100m further. That should do the balancing trick for him.
Well Alright
Justin Snaith sends out a coupling that will warrant inclusion in many Pick 6 player’s calculations.
The gallant front-running Cap Alright is a perpetual motion machine who is at his peak somewhere between 1000m and 1200m.
The long-striding son of Captain Al has an MR 100 Handicap win to his credit over this course and distance and after two good recent runs, has certainly earned the opportunity of having a stab at getting his name amongst the honour role of Group winning sprinters.
A winner of the Listed Southeaster Sprint earlier this year, Cap Alright shook the world at Kenilworth at his penultimate start when downing the likes of Magico and What A Winter over 1000m. He also had Casey Cool and Maliyakhe, who he meets again on Saturday, behind him.
But Cap Alright will be under pressure to repeat that.
Magico is 2,5kgs better off with him for a 1,75 length shortfall that day.
Another is Casey Cool, who gave Cap Alright 4kgs there and was beaten only 3,50 lengths. Hodgson’s runner now receives 2,5kgs, so that means a turnaround of some 6,5kgs. Maliyakhe is yet another. He is formless on paper, but is 5,5kgs better off and with only 3,60 lengths to make up.
It could be counter argued that Bernard Fayd’Herbe is a good few lengths more experienced than Cap Alright’s apprentice rider at his last two starts and we were quite impressed when Cap Alright came right back at What A Winter to cut the winning margin to just a half length at his last start. That, despite the school of thought that will argue that What A Winter was gearing down.
Another Captain
Snaith’s second string is yet another Captain Al product.
President Of Pop won three on the trot, including twice over the course and distance earlier this year, but appears to have lost form recently after his rest, which followed a good second effort behind Lord Badger in the East Cape Guineas. He may be a little outclassed and will need to up his game.
Castlethorpe was withdrawn lame on the near-fore from this race last year and has had a mixed twelve months.
He was a surprise winner of the East Cape Sprint in March en route to Durban where he followed up by giving 2kgs and a three length beating to subsequent Gr2 Post Merchants winner Mike’s Choice, over the Clairwood 1200m.
After finishing a fair 2,30 length sixth in the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe to Delago Deluxe, Castlethorpe ran second to Variety Club in the Gold Challenge.
He subsequently coughed and ran stone last in the July, before finishing fifth behind Master Plan in the Champions Cup on Super Saturday, where he made up some late ground. He made no show in his return run recently.
Bernard Fayd’Herbe would probably have had the choice of rides, but has opted to ride Cap Alright, who is preferred on current form.
No Holiday
As noted, Garth Puller sends out his first Cape runner in Jinzo, who relocated recently in an ownership change from the Herman Brown yard.
This gelding has recorded 7 of his 8 career wins over 1000m, and is definitely at his best over the minimum trip. He has won over 1200m at Scottsville, so may handle the Kenilworth track better than we may initially be inclined to think.
Jinzo bounced right back to form at Clairwood five weeks ago, and is not in Cape Town for a holiday.
Formerly with Paul Peter in Gauteng, Magico has run some serious races over the minimum trip but has never won beyond 1000m. While better off with Cap Alright, we cannot see him having the puff for the final 100m in this type of race.
Yogas Govender’s coupling of Lake Arthur and Maliyakhe would probably both be a bit more comfortable over 200m further.
It may be worth noting though that Maliyakhe is 5,5kgs better off with Cap Alright as we mentioned earlier in this piece, and he can run on strongly when things go his way. The Govender yard is also churning out the winners, so a long-priced shocker cannot be ruled out.
Old School
The 9yo Casey Cool has not won a race in two and a half years and recently returned from a stint in Port Elizabeth where he banked three place cheques.
The eight-time winner is no slouch on his day though and was running on rather smartly when a 1,75 length fourth behind What A Winter at level weights in a 1100m Pinnacle Plate at his last start.
Last year’s winner Shades Of Indigo is something of a course and distance specialist, but may need the run as he has not seen action since running a not-disgraceful fifth in the Umgeni Handicap on Super Saturday.
It is interesting to note that Shades Of Indigo actually won last year’s event on very soft going and came off a run at Kimberley at the end of August that year! So a break and his love for the month of November could be the spark required for him to register a rather unlikely double.
Neil Bruss’ former Zimbabwe star Control Freak has only her second run in close on seven months and it is likely that she has other major targets this summer. Her run in the Diana Stakes, when running wide and finishing 3,25 lengths behind Super Elegant was not good enough to win this – but she did run the crack sprinter Welwitschia to 3,50 lengths, when receiving 3kgs from De Kock’s import in the Camelia Stakes. That would give her a place chance at best.
Class Act – The Dupont colt Depardieu is probably at his best over Saturday’s 1200m trip and looks to be a big runner
Gale Force
With the Cape Doctor very likely to be on summer duty, this race could well turn into an interesting tactical matching of some experienced minds, in a contest endowed with plenty of pace.
The wind counter tactics and preservation of energy could be the key to it.
Karl Neisius and Sean Cormack will in all likelihood be looking to shelter their mounts from the teeth of the gale, while keeping an eye on the Cap Alright show out front. To coin a cliché – If they snooze, they’ll lose
Fayd’Herbe doesn’t have too many choices, but is known to play a bit of poker when required.
Just don’t turn away and order a refreshment in that final crucial 100m, as the race will probably only be unfolding then.
We are siding with Depardieu to nab Cap Alright, with the likes of Beach Beauty and Maliyakhe having a say in what is bound to be a nailbiter.
