Cape Royal - Kannemeyer's flying machine looking to remain unbeaten
The clash of the two year old colts in the R500 000 Gr1 Tsogo Sun Medallion provides the most open contest of the afternoon at Scottsville on Saturday. A case can be made from various angles for almost half of the field and we are going more on anticipation than proven track records.
It is more a case of what we cannot see as opposed to the obvious, and while the likes of Reign As Kings, Ottimo, Ziparana and Twitter stand out, three of the sixteen runners are unbeaten from their only career start and it is two of these that have caught the eye as potential hot numbers.
Pigeon Catcher
The first is the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Cape Royal who made an auspicious debut over 1000m at Kenilworth on 9 April. He was rumoured to be catching those tame grey birds that pester the hell out of the racing community in Cape Town. He duly cruised in by 6,25 lengths, not even breaking into a sweat when beating Justin Snaith’s Greys Inn gelding
November Rain.
Jet Powered. Glen Kotzen's Fly Me Over could be anything here.
November Rain came out at his next start and won in open company, beating subsequent impressive winner Roaring Wind. That is quite impressive collateral form and while Cape Royal was scratched with the coughs from his next engagement, there is no reason to believe that he will not be bright and fit on Saturday.
What gives added impetus to our theory is that Kannemeyer errs on the side of conservatism and never pushes his youngsters. He prefers to focus on the classic potential of the good sorts and would not have undertaken the arduous cross-country trip if he did not believe Lady Laidlaw’s Royal Academy was up to it.
Airport Taxes
Then another Cape trainer in Glen Kotzen sends out the second of our potential winners. Fly Me Over is a strapping Jet Master colt who made his first appearance on Worker’s Day and cruised home over the Scottsville 1200m to beat the admittedly ordinary Highland Fling. What really grabbed our attention was the fact that he won his race in a faster time than the two Gr2 feature winners on the same afternoon. Many form pundits will tell us that times don’t lie. In that case, he is a huge runner and jockey Sean Cormack was very complimentary in the post-race interview.
The third of the unbeaten colts is the Weiho Marwing-trained Danesco who made a winning debut at the Vaal at the end of April. He won readily enough by 3,25 lengths but it is difficult to get too excited by the Gauteng form.
Marwing’s probable better bet is the Trippi colt Ziparana who won his debut over the Turffontein 1160m with ease and then bumped our champion Soft Falling Rain in the SA Nursery. He managed to beat the rest and run a 4,50 length second to the De Kock flyer and now makes the road trip to KZN with the services of Robbie Fradd. He is an interesting runner.
Royalist
Reign As Kings
Then to the obvious.
Mike De Kock and Anthony Delpech team up with Reign As Kings who has won three of his four starts impressively and was only beaten by the experience of My Jelly Bean on debut. He won the non black-type Sentinel Stakes last time out, comprehensively turning the tables on My Jelly Bean, who was receiving two kgs from him. Reign As Kings is endowed with plenty of natural speed and knows the venue. A big runner.
Punters have become well acquainted with Vaughan Marshall and MJ Byleveld this season and they team up with yet another Var in the cleverly named Twitter, who has won two of his three outings, the last at Gr3 level when winning the Godolphin Barb beating Indaba My Children. He now steps up to 1200m and there is no reason to believe he won’t be equally as effective. Twitter is one to follow. If you will excuse the pun.
The Ivan Moore Fred Crabbia twins Ottimo and My Jelly Bean have both paid their keep and are models of consistency. They filled the first two places in the Gr2 Umkhomazi Stakes over the course and distance last time out when the winner Contador was demoted in the boardroom after some fun and games in the latter stages. Both Moore horses could run into the money again.
Var Star
Contador is one of three Var progeny in this race and he won at his second start over 1000m at Clairwood. He beat subsequent winners Midnight Run and Blizzard Of Ozz, so is no slouch. He had the Umkhomazi win taken away from him after what we believe was a justified objection and he frankly looked at full stretch over the final 100m there. Anton Marcus rides him again.
Dennis Drier sends a coupling and this includes the two-time winning Potent Power who won his debut over 1000m at Kenilworth with ease when beating next time winner Pole Star by 1,50 lengths. He didn’t crack it in the Sentinel or the Godolphin Barb but won his last outing over Saturday’s course and distance beating the 4-10 favourite Indaba My Children. If the latter is not a brass or overrated, then that may be something of a pointer to better things. Include him for quartets.
Trainer Corne Spies trains the only filly in the event in the The Debutante winner, Straight Set. She gets 2,5kgs from the males and her trainer obviously believes that the colts as a group are a margin weaker than the fillies. We may just agree with him, but would rather comment on that aspect once the sun has set on Saturday.
Bird Cage
While the proven form rests with the likes of Reign As Kings. Ottimo and Ziparana, we are going for the alternative option of two lightly raced exciting colts to fight it out.
Kannemeyer’s Royal Academy or Kotzen’s Jet Master? The latter has seen the venue. That may give him the edge. Just lock your pigeons away.
Editor’s Note:
Please be advised that DONNIE BRASCO has been scratched from this year’s Tsogo Sun Medallion by trainer, Paul Peter.
(Reason: Shin Sore Time: 13:06 on 23 May).
