William Longsword can strike
WILLIAM Longsword can put some sense into the puzzling Selangor form by returning to his best in today’s Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap.
This is the first of three consecutive Kenilworth Tuesday meetings and the Vaughan Marshall three-year-old promises to be the star of the show.
He made such a big impression when he came right away in the final furlong of a mile handicap here a month ago that Joey Ramsden mentioned him as a possible danger to hot favourite Table Bay in the Selangor.
Both horses ran way below their best but there proved to be a physical reason for MJ Byleveld’s mount. “He had an over-reach and couldn’t walk for four days,” says Marshall who is fitting a tongue tie for the first time “because he is a bit thick-winded.”
The handicappers left him unchanged on 93 and didn’t move Table Bay (108) either. Although they upped the first two (Gold Standard and Edict Of Nantes), they put the pair on marks well below thirdplaced Table Bay indicating they thought the form was all wrong.
Marshall cautions that he believes William Longsword is going to need further but the colt has already been backed from 3-1 to 5-2 and could have most to fear from 7-2 chance Newlands who ran below his best in the Lanzerac Ready To Run.
“He had an impossible draw and he was slowly away,” says Ramsden. “But he is a very nice horse and the form has been franked.”
Second favourite with World Sports Betting is Union Jack at 3-1. Greg Cheyne’s mount is on a hat-trick but he has been raised 2.5kg for his last win which makes him less appealing. Mutzi (9-2) is slightly the shorter of Justin Snaith’s pair and has only gone up a kilo for last time’s success.
His rider Grant van Neikerk has been presented with a quandary after being given three separate one week suspensions for two Kenilworth interference offences and a third at Turffontein.
Fitting in these as he approaches the height of the Cape season is going to be as costly as it will be difficult.
Dennis Drier’s horses are always to be respected in Cape Town – he only brings those he believes he will win – but Lee’s Star is one of the lesser lights. Drier tried a tongue tie last time without success and now puts blinkers on the horse. World Sports Betting are unimpressed and have him on 14-1 but the handicappers have dropped him a kilo and he was considered good enough to run in the Cape Classic.
Incidentally stable companion Lloyd’s Legacy, who proved so expensive on Saturday (he started at 7-10 and only managed fourth) was found to have pulled a muscle.
Waiting For Rain (5-1) invariably runs a good race but he hasn’t the class of William Longsword while the latter’s stable companion Zeb, blinkered for the first time, may just be good enough in the opener even though the present 28-10 looks short enough.
Border Control is well-nigh unbackable at 1-3 in race two but it’s hard to see anything capable of beating him while 28-10 chance Curatrix is marginally preferred to 15-10 favourite Step Out in the Racing Association Maiden.
Michael Clower has won with four of his last five selections.