Act Of War leads the field home

Act Of War, who drifted from 1-8 to 1-4 by the start, had to get a few reminders from jockey Anton Marcus but proved far too good for his opposition in the Grade 3 Tekkie Town Winter Guineas at Kenilworth yesterday.

The favourite, who found Ertijaal too good for him in the Investec Derby, broke well but was caught wide from his outside draw. After it became apparent nobody was going to set the pace Marcus opted to take Act Of War to the front.

From that point on he never looked in danger of losing and although Marcus had to give him a couple of smacks over the final 200m, Act Of War kept going strongly to keep Sail For Gold at bay by 1.25 lengths with Royal Dreamer in third and Liquid Mercury fourth.

He wasn’t facing the strongest of opposition but a horse can only win.

Racing manager for owners Markus and Ingrid Jooste Derek Brugman said he and Marcus had gone through the tactics for the race 20 times. “It’s tricky when a horse is such short price because people expect him to win.

“I think he is a much better horse following other horses.

“We made the decision to prep our horses in Cape Town, and I’m not sure if he will go to Durban. I now feel it is unfair to run a good horse from a poor draw so if he does not draw well in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge he will stay in Cape Town,” said Brugman.