Power King raring to go
DEAN Kannemeyer will definitely be targeting the R4 million Sansui Summer Cup with his Vodacom Durban July hero Power King and other Johannesburg targets for some of the stable stalwarts are also in the pipeline.
Kannemeyer hasn’t had a single runner since August 2 and said, “You can't race horses for 12 months a year and we always give them a break in August to give them their African Horse Sickness vaccinations. But that’s all finished and they are starting to race again this weekend.’’
The yard’s comeback will be particularly good news for KZN punters, because Kannemeyer has a phenomenal strike rate of 35,9% on the Greyville polytrack.
Power King won the July off a merit rating of 106 and has been raised three points to a 109. He is therefore likely to have to carry a big weight in the Summer Cup, considering the highest merit rated horse in the big handicap event last year was off a 111.
However, the now five-year-old gelding showed continuous improvement in the Champions Season and this was partly due to his feet problems having been solved. His severely underrun heels were rebuilt using an acrylic in what was an expert and highly successful procedure pulled off by the farriers. The best might not yet have been seen of this horse as he has a wonderful action and Silvano’s are like fine red wine - they get better with age.
Kannemeyer will be moving some horses from his Summerveld satellite yard back to Cape Town in the first week of October, but those with Johannesburg targets will stay on in KZN.
Among the latter could be his Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup runner-up Balance Sheet, although Kannemeyer still has to discuss his program with the owners. The yard might have a tilt at the Summer Cup with Balance Sheet, although races like the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m next April are the ones that are strongest in Kannemeyer’s mind for the 103 merit rated four-year-old Silvano gelding.
The former Equus Champion stayer from his yard, Hot Ticket, was not himself in the Gold Cup but will be reappearing in a 2400m Pinnacle Stakes event soon in KZN. He also might have Johannesburg targets.
One notable horse who will be returning to Cape Town to campaign in the Cape Summer Of Champions Season will be the exciting Ideal World colt Cape Speed. He has plenty of substance and was very impressive when winning a Juvenile Plate over 1900m on Super Saturday by 2,5 lengths. Kannemeyer is not jumping the gun with him and said, “He is an improving horse and all is well with him but the jury is still out as he hasn’t beaten much. We will weigh it up but he does look likely to be most effective from 1800-2400m.’’
Kannemeyer will be discussing with owner Fred Crabbia whether to target Johannesburg or Cape Town races with the like of Afrikaburn and Master James.
The horses that leave Kannemeyer’s Summerveld yard for Cape Town will be replaced by horses currently at Milnerton who are deemed suitable for KZN off-season campaigns.