William the conqueror in Cape
WILLIAM Longsword overcame a wide draw and a cross-country posse of top three-year-olds to win the R1-million (Grade 1) Grand Parade Cape Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday. Gold Standard chased hard in second with favourite, Table Bay finding only a weak finish after racing upfront to keep third. Long-shot Elevated clunked up ahead of a wall of horses to sneak fourth position.
This victory marked a notable double for breeders Klawervlei Stud and owner Mayfair Speculators. They recently won the Fillies Guineas with Just Sensual, and followed up with this most handsome son of Captain Al who had impressed with his turn of foot in the build up to the race. Punters were put off though by starting stall No 15, allowing the colt to jump at odds of 22-1.
Jockey MJ Byleveld rode an inspired race, but played it down afterwards, saying modestly” “Every now and then, you can get lucky in racing. There was no speed from the inside horses so I got over easily and he really picked it up in the straight.”
This was a fourth Guineas success for trainer Vaughan Marshall who also helped launch the stallion credentials of Captain Al in this very race years ago. Derek Brugman of Mayfair Speculators confirmed: “Yes, William Longsword will be a stallion and looked after at Klawervlei.”
Gold Standard tried valiantly from midfield but failed by 0,50 lengths to pass the winner. “What a great run,” enthused rider Richard Fourie. This stoutly bred son of Trippi previously won a tremendous race in the potent Selangor Cup (Grade 2), and now becomes an intriguing prospect for the R5-million Sun Met (Grade 1) at the end of January.
Table Bay appeared to be doing it comfortably enough at a moderate pace up front, yet failed to quicken in the straight.
Followers may be disheartened, but essentially this confirmed the form of the more true-run Selangor Cup in mid-November, where he also finished third, a couple of lengths adrift of Gold Standard.
Elevated’s small scale trainer Riaan van Reenen was happy to see his runner pass many rivals in the straight and secure fourth. “I’m over the moon.
He’s still immature as a very late December foal. In six months’ time he will stronger and can take them on during the Winter Series in Cape Town.”
Three other Graded events filled a quality supporting card. Icy Trail has been on a roll lately in handicaps and he completed the hat-trick when scoring in the Sun International Premier Trophy (Grade 2) over 1 800m. The Go Deputy gelding again fought bravely to prevail narrowly over Krambambuli, with three year old Bold Rex’s rally on the outer just falling short.
The CTS Victress Stakes (Grade 3) over 1 800m went to Goodtime Gal, an ultraconsistent filly who has placed in nine of 14 starts, often suffering narrow defeats.
She relaxed and quickened smartly to record a well-deserved fourth career win. The daughter of Royal Air Force is trained by Michael Robinson. Fourie, currently riding masterfully, was the winning jockey.
Royal Badge showed that stamina contests are his game with a commanding sweep of the Grand West Cape Summer Stayers over 2 500m.
He had run close to star contemporary Marinaresco in the Winter Classic, however, breathing issues have held back the lightly raced gelding, also sired by Go Deputy.
Corne Orffer partnered the rejuvenated winner. “Trainer Adam Marcus has been working Royal Badge harder lately to get him properly fit. He went down to the start like a bomb, and for a horse to quicken like that over 2 500m he must be a good stayer.”