Eyes Wide Open looks bright
THE Glen Kotzen-trained Eyes Wide Open can be considered the most overlooked horse in the Sun Met field as he is “cherry ripe” for the first time since winning last year’s Cape Derby in which he beat ruling Met favourite Do It Again.
Do It Again is admittedly a different horse now and is following in the footsteps of his sire Twice Over, who only came into his own in his four-year-old year.
However, Eyes Wide Open’s price of 33-1 looked too long and he is duly starting to be backed in.
The Dynasty colt was given a break after the Derby and only came back on Vodacom Durban July day, where he raced in the Thukela over 1 600m.
He needed that run and then ran a good third in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1 800m behind Captain America and Undercover Agent.
The latter only beat him by a short-head but opened at half the odds in the Met.
Eyes Wide Open has had three runs this season and needed the first two and then had no luck at all last time out in the Grade 2 Peninsula over 1 800m where he was caught wide throughout.
Kotzen said, “It was a disappointing run but Gavin Lerena got off and said it wasn’t his best ride, apologised and then said let’s make amends in the Met. The more I analyse that race the more I think it was not a bad run.
“He was not only caught wide but he was also giving the winner 6kg.
Gavin is a great jockey and I’m not too worried about the wide draw on Saturday as it will allow him to stay out of trouble.
“We were on the back foot after having to keep him in quarantine for a while on the way back from Durban. He is a burly horse who needs his races to get going and he is now cherry ripe. The only time he bumped the favourite he beat him.He is a big, big runner.”
Eyes Wide Open jumps from draw nine in the 13 horse field.
Kotzen has been preparing three horses for the Grade 1 GBets Cape Derby, Herodotus, Seattle Force and his brother Nathan’s charge Perpetual Flame.
In the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1 800m they were beaten 2,70, 8,30 and 8,90 lengths respectively, despite all receiving 5,5kg from the winner Twist Of Fate.
However, Kotzen said, “Twist Of Fate's jockey eased it up and held up three-quarters of the field and it turned into a sprint for home. Herodotus had to wait and wait and I am excited about him as he stayed on well under the circumstances.
Perpetual Flame
“Perpetual Flame’s gallop going into that race was top class but he needs a strong gallop and couldn’t turn it on in a race which turned into a sprint. Seattle Force needed that start and has come on a lot. It is competitive. It is wide open and all three of ours have excuses for their last runs.”
Kotzen admitted Herodotus was the stable elect. The grey was doing his best work late in the Politician and Keagan de Melo stays aboard. Perpetual Flame is on the small side but has a big action and Lerena rides from a good draw of seven.
Seattle Force
Craig Zackey stays aboard Seattle Force from a good draw of five.
Kotzen runs the Grade 3 Debutante winner Temple Grafin in the US$500,000 CTS 1200.
He said, “She is one of the best weighted horses. We tried to go the Guineas route but she drew wide and compounded.
She has always had natural speed and put up a phenomenal gallop under Anthony Andrews who said it was a winning gallop. We respect Cirillo but Temple Grafin will be a huge runner.”
Temple Grafin will be ridden by Piere Strydom from draw eight.
Kotzen mentioned his pair Cat Daddy and Saint West as smart sorts who will be in with a good chance in the eleventh race, a Maiden over 1 600m.
He said his other runners on the day would be competitive.