Steady rise for Rocket Countdown
THE Selangor is traditionally the best trial for Saturday’s Forus Cape Guineas – five of the last 12 winners went on to take the classic – but Rocket Countdown’s victory came as a 36-1 shock.
Even his trainer was surprised but he has now won three off the bounce, rising steadily up the ratings.
“He needs to take his chance after that he won the race fair and square,” says Candice Bass-Robinson (pictured) of Aldo Domeyer’s mount, a 7-1 chance.
“We will see how he follows up but we are still not 100% sure about his best distance, whether it’s going to prove to be 2 000m or a mile.”
White River
White River, at 13-2 second only to Tap O’Noth in the betting, has half a length to make up on Selangor running but Greg Cheyne’s mount might well have found it had he not been so intent on taking a bite out of the winner.
“He is a playful horse and he does do a few strange things,” laughs Brett Crawford.
“But I am confident he will be fine this time. We have done a lot of work on him since and we’ve tried to teach him a few manners.
“He is a horse who keeps improving and, while I think he is looking for a bit further, the long run-in will suit him.”
Stable companions Bold Respect (Corne Orffer) and Undercover Agent (Donovan Dillon) are both 8-1 chances but the former has never been further than 1 400m. Will he get the trip?
“Obviously there is a question mark but he can settle and switch off, and he does quicken up well so I think he will be alright,” answers his trainer who reckons he knows why Undercover Agent managed only fifth in the Selangor after going so close in the Cape Classic.
“We found a few little niggles which we have sorted out.
“He works exceptionally well at home and he is classy horse. I wouldn’t write him off and indeed it wouldn’t surprise me to see him in the shake-up.”
Eyes Wide Open is coughing and was scratched yesterday.
Richard Fourie has switched to 16-1 stable companion Pack Leader who has just over a length to find with Bold Respect on Ready To Run form. “That race was too short for him but I still thought it a cracking run,” says Glen Kotzen.
“He hasn’t got the greatest of draws – 14 out of 15 – but the favourite is on the outside of him so it’s going to be interesting.”
There were no nominations at yesterday’s Sun Met first supplementary entry stage. Legal Eagle and Edict Of Nantes remain joint favourites at 3-1. JUSTIN SNAITH will gallop African Night Sky at 11.30am – an hour before racing -at Kenilworth on Saturday in order to put the Winter Series winner on track for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the Sun Met.
The stable’s carefully mapped-out plans were thwarted when the Jet Master Stakes was postponed until February.
Elusive Silva
Snaith said yesterday: “He will work over 1 400m with Elusive Silva (Grant van Niekerk) and the relative weights of the two jockeys works out well because I am looking for a bit of gut-buster for African Night Sky.”
In the meantime Snaith is hoping that his recent rich vein of form holds for Saturday’s Forus Cape Guineas in which he has 7-1 shot Do It Again as well as 12-1 chance Sir Frenchie and 25-1 outsider Cot Campbell. He said: “We are in a good place with the horses at the moment and Do It Again (Fayd’Herbe) did a good gallop last week.
“We have been waiting for the longer run-in with him because he always comes from too far back and he found trouble in the straight in the Selangor.
Murray
“Had it not been for that I think he would have won. “Having Callan Murray will help Sir Frenchie’s chances.
“The horse is well and enjoying his racing but I just wonder if he is good enough to win the Guineas. Only the race will tell.
“Cot Campbell (Van Niekerk) has twice found trouble on the inside fence.
“He had to switch out and he wasn’t beaten far in the Cape Classic or the Ready To Run. He galloped particularly well last week – actually it surprised me how well he did work – and it was certainly good enough for him to be a contender.”