Funeral pace hangs ’em high
THE ‘Slow March’ is a feature of military funerals but a deathknell for horses that excel off a strong pace. The funeral procession that was the Gr 3 King’s Cup at Greyville yesterday certainly put a noose around the neck of much of the opposition. However, punters were not in mourning as the 16-10 favourite The Hangman continued his return to form with a workmanlike victory.
Sean Tarry has persisted with the son of Jallad after it all went wrong before the Cape Guineas two season's back but it has all paid off with a couple of wins on the bounce and Champions Season ahead. Arriving in Durban on Friday, The Hangman, showed no signs of travel fatigue as he gave the opposition the drop.
Confidently handled by Ant Mgudlwa, The Hangman set sail at the top of the straight and kept finding strongly to deny Royal Zulu Guard and Duncan Howells who was looking for his third winner of the afternoon.
Anton Marcus got his meeting off to a swift start with a double and rounded off with a treble with Enforce in the last - some relief after a host of fancied runners proved just not good enough over the weekend.
William Of Wembley was all the rage in the first but Dennis Drier's runner never settled before or in the race and was a spent form approaching the final furlong. If ever there was a copybook race, it was Marcus aboard the winner Millrace. Settled in just off the pace, Marcus made his run when it mattered and Millrace motored home to win as he liked.
In contrast, Marcus gave those that had plunged on Mamasita a few anxious moments. The 6-10 favourite was in all sorts of trouble from the start and trailed the field for much of the race. On the final bend Marcus looked to go out for a passage but was eventually forced to track up the inside rail. From there on it was not race as Weiho Marwing's runner quickened up smartly to win as he liked.
Marwing was looking for a quick double with Gullivers Travel but Rocky Bay, a gelding plagued with many problems in his career, was the talking horse on course and Frank Robinson had his charge in superb condition.
Once Gulliver Travel tossed in the towel - later found to have pulled up lame - Rocky Bay went to the front and kept on relentlessly to hold off the attention of outsiders Pearly King and Kings Approval.
Goldie Coast was a strong fancy for the first leg of the jackpot but Surefire finally had a change of fortune and showed her worth. Turning for home last, Donovan Dillon was forced to switch outside of the scrum in front of him and Surefire bolted home with the minimum of fuss. Goldie Coast was game in defeat but the 5kg to the winner proved too much.
Braam van Huyssteen, the principal behind popular retail outlet Tekkie Town, has over 100 horses in training, and had a tremendous run of winners this week, rounded off by Jay Power in the fifth. The son of Jay Peg rolled relentlessly from the jump at the 2 400m mark under Kegan de Melo and never looked like stopping.
Howells looks to have a decent filly in his yard in Anton Procter's homebred Patchit Up Baby owned in partnership with Larry Nestadt.
In the box seat for much of the sixth over 2 000m, the daughter of Ideal World accelerated through the middle of the field in the stretch for home and cruised in with a wet sail. TEVEZ and Normanz will join a three-pronged revenge assault in next month's Computaform Sprint after finishing first and third in the itsarush.co.za Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
But seemingly they will need the weather on their side if they are to lower the colours of Mike de Kock's new sprinting star.
Derek Brugman said: “I am a bit concerned because in Jo'burg they go like the clappers, but hopefully we will get a bit of rain there and the ground won’t be as hard as it normally is.
“We may also see Captain Of All coming from Durban for the race and hopefully one of the three will be able to tackle Alboran Sea and set the record straight after the way she grabbed us here in the Cape Flying Championship.’’
Tevez appeared to score every bit as easily as both the weights and the betting suggested he should, surging to the front inside the final 200m and easing up before the line, but seemingly things looked rather different from the back of the 2-1 favourite.
Grant van Niekerk reported: “I was off the bit for much of the way and then all of a sudden he took hold of it and I then had to find my way through gaps.’’
It was a rough race. Silver Salver, Happy Forever and Olympian all suffered interference and the last-named came back with cuts on his right hock. Runner-up Promicing Polly ran way above her rating but the real stars were Normanz and Malan du Toit.
Reincarnation of Pegasus
The Charles Laird four-year-old went into the pens like a lamb and came out them as if he was a reincarnation of Pegasus. Even Robert Redford could take a leaf out of the celebrated horse whisperer's book.
Indeed, as Brugman pointed out, there should be more to come from the gelding when he is trained for the race rather than the stalls but the Mike Bass-trained winner is also expected to show improvement at Turffontein.
Candice Robinson explained: “He’d had a break and he was blowing pretty hard afterwards so he will probably run again in the Pinnacle on April 6. He and Fly By Night will be flown to Jo'burg on the day of the Computaform Sprint.’’
Greg Ennion is eyeing the Perfect Promise Sprint (April 12) and the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery (May 9) with Just Felicity who became the first two-year-old this season to win twice in Cape Town. She won in good style too.
Ennion said: “Everybody was talking about the other runners and I can't think why. Mine won in a canter last time but at least my clients were able to get 4-1.’’
Runner-up My Emblem was one of four beaten favourites for Anton Marcus.
The last of them, Sir Henry (unplaced behind the Gerrit Schlechter-ridden Kurundu), returned choked up and making an abnormal respiratory noise.
The former champion’s one success came for nephew Adam in the 1 000m maiden when runner-up Breathless Bertie was hindered by a slipping saddle.
To be fair, Balletome finished with such authority that he would have won anyway but the runner-up has now been the bridesmaid in four races off the reel.