It’s My Turn primed
DEAN Kannemeyer arrived in KZN without a strong Vodacom Durban July contender in 2015 and walked away with the trophy and this year the odds are stacked even higher against him, but he does have a glimmer of hope through It’s My Turn, who runs in Saturday’s Grade 3 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville.
Kannemeyer has a strong hand in Saturday’s race as last year’s winner Mr Winsome as well as The Slade also line up and his classy filly Meryl will contend the Grade3 Track and Ball Oaks.
He said about the five-year-old Dynasty gelding It’s My Turn, “I think he is looking for this trip. He is well in under the conditions of the race. He is doing very well.”
He said about It’s My Turn’s July ambitions, “If he wins we will speak to Fred Crabbia about running him in the July. But he has got to win well to get in.” It’s My Turn won the Investec Cape Derby as a three-year-old for the Justin Snaith yard and in KZN finished second in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and a 2,35 length fourth in the July.
Last year he finished a 1,4 length eighth in the July.
This season he finished an eye-catching third in the Kings Cup in his second run after a layoff. It was also his second run for the Kannemeyer yard.
However, in his next start when fancied in the WSB 1900, he over-raced badly. That is cause for concern over this trip, especially from a tricky draw of nine, although Anton Marcus now rides him in his first meeting back from injury.
Mr Winsome
The five-year-old Silvano gelding Mr Winsome’s win in this race last year earned him a July berth. He has been disappointing since then but did run third in the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m last time out, albeit beaten 6,9 lengths.
Kannemeyer said, “That was a better run last time.
He loves Scottsville and I think he has turned the corner, he I doing very well.” Stable first choice jockey Keagan de Melo rides from a plum draw of two.
Kannemeyer said about the four-year-old Philanthropist gelding, The Slade, “He was disappointing last time in the 1900 but was a little below his best then and is doing exceptionally well now. He is fit and well and I have always been convinced he would stay this trip.” Bernard Fayd'Herbe rides from a draw of six. Meryl is a three-year-old Tiger Ridge filly and comes off an impressive win over 1750m at Scottsville. She gave some decent three-year-old males 5,5kg and more in that race and finished strongly to win by 1,5 lengths. Before that she had not been disgraced against some of the country’s best fillies during the Cape Summer Season and as a two-year-old she won the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m at Greyville.
Kannemeyer said, “She won a great race the other day and is doing well. The race will tell whether she stays. I trained her mother (Rose Lipped Maiden by Fort Wood) and he didn’t stay more than a mile but she tended to over race, so I think he will stay.” De Melo rides from a tough draw of fourteen.