Look Ma! Karis Teetan lets go as Jackson streaks home.
When we reflect back on the outstanding J&B Met raceday, we note the inevitable roll of the victors and the vanquished. The results also showed again that it is far easier and much safer to be dogmatic and an expert when watching the replays in the evening.
The tipsters had warned us about Jackson. He had after all only beaten two MR83 rated horses in the Listed Politician Stakes. A race they felt might be of ‘questionable strength.’ They threw us dead with Miss October but weren’t too crazy about Piet Steyn’s Money Surger. They said Divine Jet was up against it as a three year old. Mike De Kock’s Welwitschia was also rumoured ‘unbeatable’ in the Majorca. Igugu’s poor prep would count against her. We can go on.
Stallion Dynasty was the talking influence today. He produced the winner of the Gr1 Investec Cape Derby in Jackson. It is early days, but he is a horse that looks to have everything going for him to emulate his sire – and we know what Dynasty has done. Horse Of The Year 2003. Champion Classic 3yo. 2nd Leading Freshman Sire 2009. Leading 2nd Crop Sire 2010. A Gr1 Producing Sire From his 1st Crop. Dynasty also sired Gr2 J&B Reserve Stayers winner Blake and the lovely four year old filly Audrey Rose. .
Back to brilliance. Ebony Flyer shows her talent in the Majorca.
But we also saw the expected. Jet Master picked up two winners. Captain Al got one. And to prove that anybody can get lucky in this wonderful game, we saw a Surging River and an Alado win.
Without the benefit of the post-mortems, excuses and Stipes Reports, a few questions appear to have been answered in each of the races today.
Alec Foster’s President Of Pop’s PE performance is well behind him. He is improving all the time and appears better than rated. He stayed the 1400m to win well.
The previously unbeaten Var filly Miss October is probably not as good as we thought. She was well beaten in the second race.
Trippi’s first winner Agra was not a 900m mid- December flash in the pan. She came out flying and recorded a 1000m Listed win against a mixed field today.
She Couldn't...! Igugu shows Bravura how to win the Met.
The Peninsula Handicap form looks questionable. Polar Bound(winner), Caymen Island(third) and Brown Penny (fourth) were all put to the sword in the fourth race today.
Variety Club is a brilliant sprint-miler. But only his pure heart and class got him within two lengths of Jackson in the Derby.
Potala Palace finished a 6,15 lengths fourth to Jackson today. He did fight with the rider early but has a mountain to climb to live up to his enormous reputation.
Ebony Flyer is back to her best. Her Majorca win was top-class.
Gibraltar Blue finished eighth and 4,15 lengths back in the Gr1 Majorca. She may be ready for retirement and the paddocks.
Covenant was ridden from too far back and finished last. This run should best be ignored but she does appear happier sprinting.
Brett Crawford’s Frequent Flyer came off her Listed Jamaica win and stepped into the big league in the Majorca. She was dwarfed by Ebony Flyer but ran a gallant 1,75 length second. When a stable is hot, they’re very hot.
Dancewiththedevil’s conqueror Welwitschia was given a hiding in the Majorca. She added some impetus to the ladies- don’t- travel- well school and maybe also cast a cloud over some of those Gauteng ‘champions’ that we hear about but seldom see.
Off The Rails. The crowd enjoyed the weather and the racing.
Dean Kannemeyer’s Divine Jet looks a top sprinter in the making. His Guineas effort was not his run and he put himself back on the map in fine style today.
Draws don’t matter much when you have the right horse under you. Blake won the Gr2 J&B Reserve Stayers which jumps on the sharp first bend, from a 16 draw. While it was a terrific ride by veteran Karl Neisius, this son of Dynasty is developing into one of the country’s top stayers.
Got your own observations to add?
Photographs by kind courtesy of Hamish Niven Photography
