Wild One after Gold Cup
LAST year’s runner-up Wild One is 4-1 favourite to give Mike de Kock his third Gold Cup in nine seasons on Saturday and Anthony Delpech’s mount has already been supported at 9-2 for the Elan Property Group marathon.
But there has also been money for stable companion Kingston Mines who has been cut from 8-1 to 6-1.
The J & B Urban Honey Stayers winner will be ridden by Johnny Geroudis, successful on De Kock’s Thundering Star in 2007.
Betting World also go 6-1 about last year’s fourth Hot Ticket and the Lonsdale runner-up Disco Al while Solid Speed, who pulled a front shoe when third in the Gold Vase, is a 7-1 chance.
The four-year-old will be ridden by Vodacom Durban July-winning jockey Stuart Randolph who won on Cereus in 2001. Dennis Drier is to take over Durban July runner-up Punta Arenas when Stan Elley retires from training at the end of the month.
Drier will also train Pecan Nut who won the Listed Off To Stud Stakes for Elley at Greyville on Saturday and both horses are expected to campaign in Cape Town during the summer.
But arrangements for other Elley-trained horses, including Saturday’s Kenilworth scorer Ledbury and Betting World 1900 winner Dynastic Power, have still to be finalised. CRAIG du Plooy is optimistic he can resurrect his career with the backing of Snaith Racing and the tuition of Felix Coetzee.
The Final Fling Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday proved his point as he delivered 6-1 shot Cat And The Moon with a perfectly timed challenge to head her much better fancied stable companion Jet Supreme 100m out. As he passed the post nearly two lengths to the good, Du Plooy punched the air in delight.
The 40-year-old said: “It’s been a long time since I last won a feature as I have been off with a lot of injuries, including breaking my shoulder, hand and wrist – each one in different falls. Almost as soon as I got going each time I broke something else.
“Recently Felix has been working on changing my style and making me look stronger in a finish – and he has been a big help.”
The master was on hand to witness his pupil’s success. The former champion explained that he had been asked to help by the Snaiths and added: “It is a lot of fun working with Craig. He is enthusiastic and works hard, and I’m thrilled that it has paid off.”
Du Plooy, who has himself taught many of the Cape Town work riders the rudiments of race-riding, has long been recognised as a good horseman but in recent months Justin Snaith has become convinced that he is a much under-rated jockey.
Forward Drive is a significant step nearer a place in the line-up for next January’s CTS Million Dollar after blitzing the older horses in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap under Brandon May.
aul Reeves said: “This was a phenomenal performance. It’s hard enough to win from the front, never mind in this ground (heavy after 170mm of rain).”
Reeves got off the 13-winner mark when Devin Ashby’s 12-1 chance Star Academy into the lead on the line in the Juvenile Fillies Maiden while May,19, initiated his second double on the Stan Elley-trained Ledbury in the Mandela Day Maiden.
Grant van Niekerk, who turned down an invitation to take part in the Rider Cup, is three short of his century after drawing a blank. He had to be content with two seconds and two thirds.