Rabada in the pound seats
THE Charles Laird-trained Oracy colt Main Submission would have climbed up to about second or third position on the CTS Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup log, which was last issued on October 1, after his win in a Graduation Plate on Sunday and there was plenty of activity over the weekend for horses attempting to both prepare and book their berths in the big race.
On paper the Mike Azzie-trained Rabada still has the R2,5 million race, which will be run over 1400m at Turffontein on October 31, to himself.
The unbeaten 111 merit-rated Brave Tin Soldier colt, who counts the Gr 1 Premiers Champions Stakes over 1600m among his three victories, put in a pleasing gallop on the Randjesfontein grass on Saturday and Azzie was left admiring the professionalism of jockey Anton Marcus who flew in and out from Durban especially for that one piece of work.
Meanwhile, Main Submission kept on finding down the straight in the 1400m event at Scottsville on Sunday to beat the ultra-consistent five-year-old gelding Nineteen Fourteen by 0,75 lengths.
Three-year-olds receive 7kg from fiveyearat this time of the year on the weight for age scale over a distance of 1400m, but Main Submission was only receiving 1,5kg from the 84 merit rated Nineteen Fourteen under the conditions of the race.
This means Main Submission have run to a merit rating of 97.
Winners of Plate races are only allowed to go up six points anyway, so Main
would Submission’s merit rating looks likely to increase from 91 to 97, which would put him one point behind the second placed horse on the Ready To Run log, the Joey Ramsden-trained Tar Heel. However, 98 merit-rated Tar Heel finished last in a MR 84 Handicap over 1400m at Durbanville on Saturday, although he did over race from a wide draw, so it remains to be seen how the handicapper and the Ready To Run Cup log panellists view the performance.
The Laird-trained Kahal colt Top Form ran a respectable third behind two fiveyearwho look well handicapped in a MR 74 Handicap over 1400m on the Greyville poly on Friday night and looks likely to qualify for the Cup as he was merit rated 86 and was in joint 12th place on the last log.
Laird’s Kahal gelding Dance On Air won well over 1400m on the poly on October 2 and has also been merit rated 86, so he also has a good chance of qualifying. Both Top Form and Dance On Air are lightly race and entitled to improve.
On Friday night the well regarded Sean Tarry-trained Kahal filly Witchcraft won a maiden over 1400m, but the 76 merit rating awarded to her will not be enough to qualify for the Ready To Run Cup.
The yard are likely going to have to find another race for her. She looks a big strong horse who will be able to take a lot of racing and Friday night’s race was in fact only five days after her debut, in which she was green down the straight at Scottsville.
Another Tarry yard contender is the 81 merit-rated Kahal filly Intergalactic, who is entered in a Novice Plate over 1600m on the Greyville poly on Friday night. The fillies 2,5kg allowance is built into the log assessment and Intergalactic was placed in joint 11th place on the last log.
The Tarry-trained St Petersburg filly Faberge Style was in joint-third position on the last log on a merit rating of 88 and only managed a 7,65 length seventh in a Progress Plate for three-year-old fillies over 1200m at Turffontein on Saturday.
It was a strong event and her merit rating is unlikely to change. Both of her wins have been on all weather surfaces (sand and poly), but she did run a good second in a turf maiden over 1000m to the subsequent Gr 1-placed Madame Dubois.
The Lucky Houdalakis-trained Captain Al filly Khaleesi finished third in the above-mentioned Progress Plate and this confirmed she was up to her merit rating of 88, which also had her in joint third on the last log. She is yet to go beyond 1200m but ran on in eye-catching style on Saturday and on pedigree will also relish the step up in trip.
Khaleesi’s stablemate Emperor’s Lass finished last in Saturday’s race, way below her debut win last March over 1200m, but was interfered with on the turn which might have offered an explanation.
She was merit rated 83 and in tenth place on the last Cup log, but this run might put a bit of pressure on her qualification.
The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Visionaire filly Sobonana just held on for second on Saturday ahead of Khaleesi, at level weights, proving she is worth her 86 merit rating, which had her in joint 8th position on the last Ready To Run log.
She showed fine gate speed and dictated, so it remains to be seen whether she will enjoy the step up in trip, although her dam by Toreador did win over 1400m.
There was also a strong Progress Plate for three-year-old males at Turffontein on Saturday and in this race the Gary Alexander-trained A.P. Arrow colt King Of Chaos could only manage a 9,25 length seventh in his first outing outside of Port Elizabeth.
However, he did have to give 2,5kg to the outstanding winner of the race Bull Valley, who is one of the most exciting three-year-olds around.
Twice-winning King Of Chaos was in joint fifth on the last log with a merit rating of 92 together with the Mike de Kocktrained Perfumed Lady and the Goosen-trained A Million Dreams.
King Of Chaos’s stablemate, the Bankable gelding Duke Nukem, put his hand up for a place in the final field by running a fine third to Bull Valley. He was previously rated 79, which put him in only 24th place on the last log, but he ran to a 90 on Saturday and the trainer will be allowed to request that he is officially accorded that merit rating (In the handicapping rules winners of Plate races will not be adjusted more than six points and placed horse will not be adjusted upwards unless requested by the connections).
The Alexander-trained Kahal colt Champagne Haze, who is a half-brother to
Louis Pierre Jourdan, booked his place in the Cup field the previous weekend when waltzing home in a MR 92 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1450m, which earned him a merit rating of 90.
The Joey Ramsden-trained Australianbred High Chaparal filly Chisanyama, in 13th place on the last log, will attempt to cement her place as she is entered in a Novice Plate over 1600m at Durbanville next Saturday.
Three-time winner Country Gent was also in joint 13th place on the last log, but finished unplaced in a MR 84 Handicap over 1800m at Flamingo Park yesterday in which he was only 0,5kg under sufferance off a merit rating of 85.