Durbanville stands up to the test
THE new Durbanville surface has stood up to use so well that the country course’s season has been extended by a week to give Kenilworth some much-needed extra time to recover.
Duty manager Teresa Esplin said: “Following an inspection of Kenilworth a decision has been made to continue racing at Durbanville for an additional two meetings (October 21 and 25). Racing will resume at Kenilworth on October 28.”
The October 21 meeting includes the 2 400m Woolavington Handicap in which last year’s runner-up Francia will bid to go one better.
The October 28 restart features two of the most important Guineas preliminaries.
The Choice Carriers, formerly Odessa and now renamed the Western Cape Fillies Championship, has been won by the subsequent Cape Fillies Guineas winner four times in the last seven seasons. The unbeaten Magical Wonderland looks like having a reasonable draw (nine) whereas the two set to give her weight have drawn wide.
The Dennis Drier-trained Thekwini winner Lady In Black is 25 out of 30 and Sean Tarry’s Golden Slipper scorer Desert Rhythm is drawn 20.
Joey Ramsden, who has won three of the last four runnings of the Cape Classic, accounts for six of the 34 entries for the 1 400m Gr3, including Ancestry (drawn ten), a close second in both the Golden Horseshoe and the Premiers Champion.
Sean Tarry has also nominated six horses but Glen Kotzen’s Premiers Champion winner Eyes Wide Open has drawn badly at 33.
Anthony Delpech makes a rare visit to Durbanville on Wednesday when the reigning champion has five rides for Dean Kannemeyer, including Last Winter, the stable’s main hope for big race glory this season.
The Cape Town stipes are to make more use of the seldom-employed Rule 62.2.7 in a bid to improve the pace at which races are run, particularly those at Kenilworth.
The Rule does not mention anything about pace but states: “The rider shall ensure that he does not cause interference, bunching, intimidation and/or constitute a source of interference or danger.”
However Brandon May received a caution under it after slowing early on, riding fourthplaced Libra in a mile handicap at Durbanville on the day of the Matchem.
Senior stipe Ernie Rodrigues said: “Brandon had gone to the front but he wanted cover so he slowed the pace and that caused those behind to bunch up and lose position.
“We don’t want the Cape crawl and so the Rule will be used more in future. We do talk to jockeys about it but the Rule is difficult to prove and the video evidence has to show it.”
The false pace at which many races at Kenilworth are run makes life difficult for punters because the form does not stand up as a result, most noticeably in maidens.
On the other hand coping with the prevailing South-Easter plays an important part in deciding riding tactics. No jockey wants to be riding into the teeth of a strong wind without getting cover from other horses.
As a result nobody wants to make the running - whatever the Rules say.