Kannemeyer to have his turn
DEAN KANNEMEYER is to have a crack at the eLan Gold Cup at Greville on July 28 with It’s My Turn even though he expects last Saturday’s DStv Gold Cup winner to again be shouldered with top weight.
Kannemeyer said: “There is nothing else for him in Durban this season and he has earned his stripes for the weight.”
Crabbia
But there was no ‘we wuz robbed’ cry from the Milnerton trainer about Fred Crabbia’s five-year-old not getting a run in the Vodacom Durban July.
Instead he said: “I thought the horse had done enough to make the cut when he won the Track And Ball Derby and we were surprised and disappointed that he didn’t. But, that said, when the referee blows the whistle for a penalty in the World Cup one side is happy and the other is unhappy.”
The Durban Golden Horseshoe winner has not gone on to take the Premiers Champion since Argonaut 11 years ago and whether Barahin or short head stable companion Soqrat run in the July 28 Grade 1 will depend on the draw. Mike de Kock said: “I will nominate them both but I am not going to run either from a bad draw.
“They are two very good horses. I said beforehand that I couldn’t separate them and it almost came to that on the line.”
De Kock
De Kock’s threat to turn his back on South African racing following the way he and other Johannesburg trainers were treated by the grooms and their EFF backers last month sent shock waves round the world. De Kock is still stung by what happened and said: “I am keeping my options open but I am cutting my string down.”
Sean Tarry, who was also at the centre of those negotiations, combined with S’Manga Khumalo for their third Samsung Golden Slipper victory in six seasons and said: “Celtic Sea (who was hampered early overcoming a 13 draw) is a classy filly and I will nominate her for the Thekwini and see how she draws but I am not going to put her through that again.”