The Cape raiders swept the boards on the opening day of the 2021 SA Champions Season at Hollywoodbets Greyville, winning all three of the Sunday features
A Vodacom Durban July purple patch initiated by Legislate all the way back in 2014 looks well set to continue for the Capetonians in the flagship race on 3 July, after some of their chief protagonists came through the opening day of SA racing’s national championships with flying colours.
Following Eric Sands’ dual Met hero Rainbow Bridge (second in the 2019 Vodacom Durban July) storming home in the IOS Drill Hall Stakes over a trip short of his optimal stretch, Captain’s Ransom opened her own options with an emphatic strike in the WSB Gr2 Fillies Guineas.
And then it was Cape Guineas grand-master, and a ‘KZN old boy’ in Vaughan Marshall’s turn to open his local Guineas account, as the impressive Linebacker winning the WSB Gr2 Guineas with ears pricked under the rampant Grant van Niekerk.
It’s a Marshall 1-2 as Linebacker (Grant van Niekerk) charges clear of Seeking The Stars (Luke Ferraris) to win the Guineas (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby winner at his previous outing, Linebacker (2-1) had the run of the race with a few traffic issues. But he turned it on when it counted to beat stablemate Seeking The Stars (12-1) by 0,60 lengths in a time of 96, 96 secs.
The quartet was filled by the Cape raiders, with the previously unbeaten Kommetdieding (7-2) running a game third, after bumping heads with Kannemeyer’s Cape Guineas winner Russian Rock (30-1) early in the contest.
Making up ground from last into the home straight at a first start at Holywoodbets Greyville was never going to be on, but Kommetdieding gunned on well to be beaten just a fraction over 2 lengths. With a bit more luck over the 2000m, the son of Elusive Fort could prove an interesting proposition in the Daily News!
Watch the replay and interview here:
Russian Rock is his own worst enemy in running, and did well in the circumstance to earn a fourth cheque, a quarter length back.
The highly vaunted Cape Derby third-placer The Gatekeeper never showed and ran just over 8 lengths off the impressive winner.
Jane Truter, Cheryl and Dr Reiner Gabler lead their smart winner in (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Linebacker has been a dream horse to race for staunch Cape owners Cheryl and Reiner Gabler, and Ken and Jane Truter
Cheryl Gabler is the lady who famously quipped in the Gr1 Cape Derby post-race interview that she desperately wanted a Gr1 winner ‘before I die – and I’m ready now!’
A R425 000 Cape Yearling Sale graduate and bred by Klawervlei, Linebacker has the pedigree buffs puzzled as he is bred on sprinting lines.
He is a son of an Equus Champion Sprinter in Captain Of All out of the Australian-bred Redoute’s Choice mare Thin Red Line.
The latter’s two career wins were both over 1000m – but she was placed over 1800m and 2000m.
