Brinks for knotty Prince Consort Stakes
EMPEROROFTHECATS HAS thrown Saturday’s Prince Consort Stakes on its head after galloping a bullet 1:13.2 at exercise, out the mile chute, last Sunday morning - bettering BRINKS and DEEZI, 1:13.4 and 1:14.4, respectively - akin to setting a cat among pigeons, no pun intended.
Debuting two Saturdays ago at four furlongs straight, EMPEROROFTHECATS emerged a market-springer as even-money favourite. Punters soon understood what the railbirds knew when the Emperor Hall-Laws of the Cat colt made every yard of the running to hold a late-charging BERLINO’S CHOICE, winning in what appeared an ordinary 48.1.
On Sunday, it was the railbirds’ time to be stunned. EMPEROROFTHECATS galloped 1:13.2, the fastest time recorded for six furlongs that morning, whether on the round or out the mile chute, including Horse of the Year FURTHER AND BEYOND’s 1:15.0.
One swallow doesn’t a summer make. However, EMPEROROFTHECATS could be the swallow to either spring an upset on his more experienced rivals or set up a collapsing pace for TEKAPUNT and SHADOWFAX, the first two past the post in the Sir Howard Stakes at six furlongs.
EMPEROROFTHECATS will be pulling both topweight BRINKS and DEEZI off their bridles down the backstretch. It would be foolhardy for the riders aboard either to wait around to see whether the unknown will stop on his own, especially after Sunday’s bullet work.
BRINKS and DEEZI were both taken out by speedy importee RUNAWAY ALGO at six and a half furlongs last time out, run off their legs by the foreigner in an underwhelming 1:20.4 on March 12.
BRINKS, running for the first time since finishing third behind the filly GOLDEN WATTLE and PERFECT BREW in December’s Jamaica Two-Year-Old Stakes, was particularly rusty, finishing three and threequarter lengths behind runner-up DEEZI after a feeble attempt to chase RUNAWAY ALGO.
Though returning better prepared for the Prince Consort Stakes, BRINKS, who won the sevenfurlong Pick 3 Super Challenge as a two-year-old, beating TEKAPUNT by two lengths, doesn’t appear to fancy matching speed, making EMPEROROFTHECATS his potential Achilles’ heel.
DEEZI also loves to run on the lead but had a close brush with stablemate TEKAPUNT when winning his first race, hanging on for dear life at four furlongs straight, suggesting he, too, could be caught up in a kamikaze up front.
SHADOWFAX failed by threequarter length to beat TEKAPUNT, at odds of 87-1, in the Sir Howard, displaying battling qualities which he had used to win at seven furlongs in 1:28.1 on his second start. Not to be taken lightly, SHADOWFAX’dam line goes right back to multiple classic winners – Classique, Rhythm of My Heart and Ca Va Ca Va.
SHADOWFAX’sire, Legal Process, produced the likes of Triple Crownwinner Alsafra, dam of Seeking My Dream, plus other classic winners such as Al Fouzia and Niphal, making him a big threat after showing his hand in the Sir Howard.