Cascapedia could give the boys a run
ANTHONY DELPECH could be one of the jockeys to follow on Sun Met day as he has chances in six big races he contests. In the big one Delpech has switched from the top class Dean Kannemeyer-trained colt Last Winter to the top class Mike de Kock-trained Irish-bred filly Cascapedia as the latter was a supplementary entry and he is retained by her owners, Mauritzfontein Stud.
The bookmakers believe it is a negative switch from Delpech’s point of view as Last Winter is the joint-second favourite at 9-2 with Betting World and Cascapedia is an 11-1 shot. However, history favours the switch as Delpech’s last Met win was aboard a De Kock-trained filly, the great Igugu, who won in 2012.
Delpech’s only other Met win was also aboard a filly, the David Payne-trained Imperious Sue, in 1998.
Igugu
Delpech said it would be very hard to compare Cascapedia to Igugu as she had not yet attempted what the latter had done. Igugu won four Grade 1s, including the Vodacom Durban July and the Met, and landed the Triple Tiara, whereas Cascapedia is yet to run in a Grade 1.
However, he added, “She is well and she beat the boys last time, so she is going the right way.”
Cascapedia is a solidly built Irish-bred by the six-time Group 1-winning champion High Chaparral and she is from a strong female line, being out of the unraced Dansili mare Janoubi, who is a half-sister to the Group 2 and Group 3-winner in France, Radevore. Janoubi’s dam is a halfsister to Al Bahathri, the champion threeyear-old filly in Ireland in 1985 and champion miler in Ireland the same year.
Cascapedia gets a Northern Hemispehere allowance of 1kg from her fellow four-year-olds in the Met, being six months younger than them.
Last time out she was handy in the Grade 3 London News Stakes over 1 800m at Turffontein and quickened well at the top of the straight before staying on strongly and beating the Triple Crown hero Abashiri by 1,4 lengths receiving 3kg from him.
She received a maximum ten point merit rated raise, but the handicappers confirmed that she ran exactly to that mark. Therefore, under the weight for age conditions of the Met she officially faces a very tough task, being merit rated 20 points lower than Legal Eagle.
Another downside is the failure of Johannesburg’s older horses in Cape Town this season, with Hat Puntano and Deo Juvente beaten six lengths and 19 lengths respectively in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate, while Nother Russia, Safe Harbour, Wind Chill and Orchid Island finished fourth, fifth, eighth and twelfth in the Cartier Paddock Stakes.
However, Cascapedia has only had six runs and won five of them, so has done nothing wrong and will still be improving.
Her only defeat was in the mud, so she will enjoy the fast going at Kenilworth and will be hoping for a good draw so she can run a similar handy race to the one she ran in the London News.
Pack Leader
Delpech has an interesting ride in the Investec Cape Derby on the Glen Kotzentrained Philanthopist colt Pack Leader.
He came from last in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas and didn’t get a completely clear run, but still managed to finish a 2,55 length sixth. He should relish the step up in trip. Delpech admitted he did not know much about Pack Leader, but reckoned he had a chance.
He rides the second favourite Naafer for Mike de Kock in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m.
This Australian-bred three-year-old Lonhro colt has plenty of pace, but is not one dimensional and Delpech said, “You ride him the way you find him.
He is not a bad horse, he is doing well and should run well.” It looks to be a competitive field this year with no stand out horse with the possible exception of the favourite Trip To Heaven, who put up one of the performances of the season in this race last year when a narrow and unlucky second.
De Kock won this race with a three-yearold in 2015, the filly Alboran Sea.
Fortissima
Delpech rides one of the best staying females in the country, the Joe Somatrained Fort Wood mare Fortissima, in the Grade 2 Heineken Cape Stayers over 2 800m, where she has been priced up favourite.
However, he warned, “They always go slow in Cape staying races and that will be against her.”
In the US$500,000 CTS Mile, he rides the talented Captain Al colt Captain And Master, who looked to being doing a lot in the early stages of the Cape Guineas as they rushed for the turn.
However, Delpech said he did not over race.
Captain And Master moved up well from a handy position that day, but found little extra and finished a 4,35 length eighth.
Delpech believes he has a “tough task.” However, the field is not as strong as the Cape Guineas and he could be in with a shout if things pan out well for him.
Lobo’s Legend
Delpech admitted not knowing a lot about his CTS US$500,000 mount, the Soma-trained Trippi colt Lobo’s Legend. This colt won his maiden by 8,5 lengths over 1 160m at Turffontein third time out.
In his only subsequent start he ran off an 86 merit rating over the same course and distance and failed narrowly.
Therefore, he will need to improve, although he did jump from arguably a tough draw of one that day in an eight horse field.