Cape Guineas wide open
THE Cape Guineas looks the most open for years after the Selangor threw up more hard luck stories than a soup kitchen. This mile test is traditionally the key to the Grand Parade-sponsored classic -it has produced five winners and four seconds in the last ten years - but last Saturday the first seven were covered by little more than a length.
Hard Day's Night, a 6-1 chance here, would be entitled to start favourite. Markus Jooste's Monarchbred son of Warm White Night won on merit, doing it the hard way out in front after overcoming a bad draw, to give Joey Ramsden his third Selangor in four years.
Anton Marcus said: "He had every opportunity to spit the dummy - and the second horse went past him - but instead he dug down deep. He's got heart and he is not short of ability either.’’
Ramsden, who will also train Friday's R1.5 million Ready To Run sale-topper for Jooste, was just as impressed and added: "I eased him up before his last run and he wasn't ready for it but today I fancied him to kill."
Victorious Jay went under by less than a neck to boost his classic credentials (Vaughan Marshall: “He ran very well. I think we’ll go for the Guineas") while the less experienced Nassa and Illuminator both finished like trains.
Andrew Fortune, confirming that the latter would have been even closer had he had more experience, said: “I would love to ride him in the Guineas and I have already asked for the mount.’’ Eighth Wonder faded to finish where his name suggested. However Greg Ennion said: "He got the trip but he was taken out by the winner and the jock said he was never travelling after that."
Anthony Delpech's initial reaction was to blame the winter course for the eclipse of Muwaary (tenth) but the 1210 favourite was found to be coughing, in respiratory distress and suffering from a nasal discharge.
Budapest looks like joining the party on December 19 after making every metre under Delpech in the Lanzerac Ready To Run. The 33-1 shock really stretched in the final furlong to score by more than four lengths.
Gavin van Zyl insisted that no decision will be made until after discussions with son Gareth, who apparently does most of the work, and owner Brian Burnard. But the Ballito businessman, who collected a whopping R1.25 million for his R160 000 outlay, is already booking his pre-Christmas flights.
Malan du Toit is also on standby. The famed horse whisperer went to Durban to try to get the gelding over his pens' anxieties and was again on hand on Saturday when the horse was so troublesome that his stalls cert was cancelled.
Seventh Plain, who made light of his 16 draw, weakened into fourth in the closing stages in a manner that cast doubts about his stamina.
Marcus said: “He overcame the draw economically, he had every chance and I have no excuses. It was just a disappointing run.’’
Anglet bounced back into the Fillies Guineas picture by running on into second after turning for home plum last.
“They take her off the bridle in a fast run race. She wants at least a mile,’’ summed up Paddy Kruyer. NEXT year's Lanzerac Green Point will be run on the new course if the trainers get their way. Justin Snaith has even volunteered to provide staff to help move the rails!
He said: "This is now a very big meeting and, as such, it should be run on our premier track."
The longer straight is the most significant difference between the so-called new course and the winter one and over it Futura would almost certainly have collared Captain America instead of being beaten a rapidly-dwindling half length.
But Corne Orffer made it a never-to-be-forgotten 35th birthday by stealing the race. He swept Captain America straight to the front and, as he turned into the straight, he kicked into what proved an unassailable lead.
Brett Crawford said: "This horse likes to use his action so we decided to go on if nobody else did. It's the Queen's Plate next."
It will be for Futura too with Snaith saying: "There is nothing else for him in the meantime but I am over the moon at the way he ran here."
Paterfamilas, at 50-1 the rank outsider of the field, was only another half length back third but there were some complaints from the riders in the stands that the leader was given too much rope. Joey Ramsden called for the stipes to adopt the Australian approach of questioning jockeys about their tactics.
His Act Of War was deliberately ridden with patience (Derek Brugman: "From that bad draw we didn't want to let him go and teach him bad habits"). He made up six lengths in the straight and he remains very much in the spotlight for the L'Ormarins January 9 showpiece.
Vaughan Marshall will run both Kenilworth Cup winner Gothic and fourth-placed Desert Swirl in the J & B Jet Stayers but Greg Cheyne would fancy his chances of beating them on the front-running Parachute Man if that race was run on Kenilworth Cup terms.
He said: "Aldo Domeyer only got it because Gothic's nose was down as we crossed the line. My horse would not lie down and even in another furlong and a half Gothic would never have passed me."
Marshall's Exelero was reported striding short when a heavily backed joint favourite for the Cape Merchants but the Milnerton trainer said: "He hit his head on the pens but I had him checked out by my own vet and he was OK. He did have a slight discharge afterwards and he is not yet back in full work."
The Lanzerac City Of Oaks Handicap was a landmark for Money Surger. It was her 75th race - more than twice as many as the rest of the field combined - and the eight-year-old got up on the line to thrill Piet Steyn.