Change of pace will suit Table Bay

Table Bay is favourite for this Saturday’s R1-million Grand Parade Cape Guineas (Grade 1) over 1 600m at Kenilworth, in spite of having some limitations exposed in the Selangor Cup over the same course and distance last month.

The Australian-bred colt found both Gold Standard and Edict Of Nantes too good in that 1 600m race but raced handily and his trainer Joey Ramsden is unwilling to write the Mayfair Speculators-owned colt off on just that one run.

“My other runner in the race, A New Dawn, set a ridiculously fast pace in the Selangor and I’m hoping that form is all wrong. After all Vaughan Marshall’s horse, William Longsword, was run off his feet in the Selangor but came out and won last week! Anton (Marcus) will be riding Table Bay a lot more patiently this time.”

He added A New Dawn, who faded to fourth in the Selangor and is a 33-1 shot, is a doubtful starter in the Cape Guineas because “he hasn’t recovered quite enough from his last run”, which will bring first reserve I Travel Light into the race.

He is also trained by Ramsden, who is mightily concerned about No 16 draw but who thinks he is a nice horse.

“We gelded him after his last run in October and he took longer than we expected to get over it. I’m just hoping this race is not coming a week too early for him.”

Jockey Donovan Dillon is declared for A New Dawn and will switch to I Travel Light if the former is scratched.

Ramsden says he probably has most to fear from Gold Standard, who is on offer at 8-1 in early betting.

The Glen Kotzen-trained runner was recording his third win in a row in the Selangor Cup and came from last to win impressively.

His trainer told reporters this week: “He is doing great and absolutely flying. He has cracked a decent draw (No 7) and we are very excited. Look at the time of the Selangor (less than 1 sec outside Legislate’s course record). It was a proper-run race.”

The early betting: 7-2 Table Bay; 6-1 Heavenly Blue; 7-1 Zodiac Ruler, Singapore Sling; 8-1 Gold Standard; 10-1 Africa Rising; 11-1 William Longsword; 12-1 Edict Of Nantes, Bishop’s Bounty; 14-1 Gunner; 16-1 Hack Green, Craven, A New Dawn; 40-1 Elusive Path; 50-1 Pacific Spirit.