Hard Day’s Night targets CTS Million Dollar
HARD Day’s Night has the CTS Million Dollar as his target after putting up an impressive performance on his handicap debut at Durbanville on Saturday.
The 2-1 favourite had never been to Durbanville before, or indeed been round any sort of a turn, and he was having to give weight to older horses yet he won pulling up and had the second three and a half lengths back.
Joey Ramsden, who won the 2004 Gold Cup with the colt’s uncle Major Bluff, said: “Whether he is quite good enough to be a Guineas horse I don’t know but he is a smashing sort and I was impressed with the way he had the others off the bit so far out.’’
Donavan Mansour, who had no hesitation in sending him to the front fully two furlongs from home, reckons there is more to come and said: “There is a lot of scope there and a lot of improvement too.’’
Some observers wondered about the colt's tendency to drift right in the closing stages - he had done the same, only worse, when winning at Kenilworth on his previous start - but Mansour believes there is a logical and relatively harmless explanation.
He said: "It's a mental thing. He had sore shins and as a result he is looking after himself. But in fact he strides out perfectly."
Derek Brugman made it clear that he and owner Markus Jooste intend to run as many as possible in the hope of hitting the jackpot at Kenilworth on January 23 and said: “Everything that gets into the Million Dollar will run. There is nearly R14 million at stake and, if you have a horse that qualifies, you've got to have a go - and I'm really excited about this horse.’’
Varumba is also on the list after making much of the running in the Gold Circle Fillies Handicap to give MJ Byleveld, 34 yesterday, an early birthday present.
She will first be aimed at the Avontuur Cape Fillies Guineas on December 5 although Vaughan Marshall didn't seem too keen on using the Choice Carriers (November 7) as a stepping stone.
He said: "I'm not sure about that - I’ve done it before and it didn't work - but this is a special filly.’’
Settlers Trophy winner Arezzo is likely to follow the example of last year's winner Desert Swirl (only seventh this time after losing a lot of ground at the start) and go for the Woolavington when racing returns to Kenilworth on October 24.
Chris Snaith added: “He will obviously get a penalty - he was 1.5kg under sufferance - but he is still a young horse. We weren't sure whether he would get the extra 400m but obviously he stays all day.’’
Mansour, who is riding with ever-increasing confidence as the winners begin to flow, said: “He took the corners like a kid to candy and, when I squeezed him at the 1 000m mark, I knew I had them but I decided to wait until the straight."
Greg Cheyne, out of luck on 5-2 favourite Parachute Man, still went home with a double after springing a 10-1 surprise for Glen Kotzen on Chestnut's Champ and scoring on the Eric Sandstrained My Emblem.
Mike Bass’s son Mark went racing for the first time since the start of his father's illness seven weeks ago - the intervening racedays have been spent watching on TV at the patient's side - and he was rewarded with a double with the first time- blinkered Shout and Inara’s full sister Inanna.
He said: “My father is anxious to get back with his horses and onto the golf course, and he may be allowed out during the day in three to four weeks’ time.
“However his good leg has no feeling and, although the doctors say it will come right, he has to work on it and he is now doing three to four hours a day in the gym.’’
Crawford, Sands have some suggestions for Basel
Meanwhile, Brett Crawford and Eric Sands are to have a conference call with Phumelela racing executive Clyde Basel early this week about how to respond to the demand for more runners at Cape Town meetings.
Cape trainers' committee member Crawford said: "We are going to put to Clyde a few suggestions that the trainers have and then we will discuss the matter again among ourselves."
There now seems more of a determination than there was initially to take measures to increase the average runners per race from ten to 12 and so avoid the stakes cut threatened by Phumelela.
Andre Nel, who had his first runner five days ago and three more on Saturday, has a team of 60 to go to war with in his new role as private trainer to Sabine Plattner. Thirteen of them are two-year-olds who are not expected to race until next season.
Shadlee Fortune, nephew of Andrew, has moved from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. The 19-year-old has ridden 13 winners.