Fly By Night is bang in form – seem beating Alboran Sea last time
Kenilworth plays host to the premier speed feature of the Summer Of Champions on Saturday when thirteen flyers clash in the R1 million Gr1 Cape Flying Championship. The nationally representative field sets a serious poser for punters with a muddling interprovincial form mix guaranteed to add spice to the cocktail.
Tactics in the prevailing wind conditions may also play a role in the outcome of what should be a thriller.
Top fillies have an excellent record in this race and with three really high-class members of the fairer sex set to do battle, the fast boys could have a serious fight on their hands.
Three of the six Gr 1 winners in the field are female – namely Mike Bass’ mare Fly By Night and the three-year-old Gauteng fillies Carry On Alice and Alboran Sea.
Both Fly By Night and Carry On Alice beat the boys when winning their respective Gr 1’s.
Confusion
Mike Bass – good record in this race
Run at weight-for-age, this race should be relatively straightforward on paper when setting about narrowing down the top three – but with class staring at us from all sides, it may be best to cast aside emotions, take a deep breath and let some logic and common sense prevail.
But even then, it is confusing.
Mike Bass has won the race four times this century already, including a terrific double with the present day Drakenstein stallion What A Winter.
Top Jockey
The Milnerton based veteran saddles a trio of runners headed by the top-class Fly By Night, who enjoys a strategic jockey strike in the form of Bernard Fayd’herbe. The latter was in fiery form last Saturday.
The smashing Fly By Night had little luck when finishing 1,15 lengths behind Captain Of All in the Diadem and looks to hold her stablemate, Tevez on that run.
The latter ran third in this race last year and was another to suffer traffic issues when cramped in the Diadem.
He beat Daring Dave at his penultimate start and meets the Snaith runner on 1,5kgs better terms here for a 0,75 length beating.
Form
Karl Neisius rides Castlethorpe again
The third of the Bass trio is the 7yo Castlethorpe, a supplementary entry, who appears to be finding his feet again after a dull spell.
He has run on very strongly at his last two starts and comes into the picture – but he would prefer handicap conditions.
He was part of the chain reaction that led to the horrifying, but spectacular somersault on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day, and looks to hold Happy Forever.
The latter was backed at his last start after a 5,35 length finish behind Captain Of All in the Diadem, but was stopping late, whereas Castlethorpe was gathering momentum in the run to the wire.
Top Duo
Captain of All – will strip much fitter
The joint highest rated Captain Of All and Copper Parade come off first and second respectively in the Gr 2 weight for age Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over the Kenilworth 1200m.
The Gr1 Tsogo Sun Medallion winner Captain Of All has his third outing since a break and won the Diadem with a stamp of class and authority . He should be tripping fitter here and must go very close.
Striker Strydom was aboard in Copper Parade’s outstanding win in last season’s Gr 1 Computaform Sprint and he stays loyal to the 7yo son of Lecture, who is bound to be finishing strongly.
Louis Goosen makes a rare but welcome trip to the Cape and brings the recent Gr3 Lebelo Sprint winner Trip Tease.
Genius
Strydom’s top-class ride to get Trip Tease home in the Lebelo
Pure Piere Strydom genius got him home in his new silks in the Lebelo Sprint and it would have been handy to be privy to the thinking behind the riding arrangements, with Striker maintaining his association with Copper Parade,
But Deon Sampson knows the 4yo Trip Tease very well and the son of Trippi rates a huge runner if bringing his Gauteng form to the Cape.
Alboran Sea faded very late when overtaken by Fly By Night in the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance and looks held again by the older mare.
It would, however, be folly to write off De Kock with a Gr1 winner and she needs to be included in all calculations.
Sean Tarry won this prestigious race with the champion sprinter Mythical Flight in 2007, and brings the exciting SA Nursery inner Carry On Alice to the Cape for her first run down here.
The daughter of Captain Al is lightning fast and will strip fit after a pipe opening second behind subsequent winner Not Sulking a month ago.
Going For Five
Normanz – fast but may need it
Charles Laird has won the race four times this century and will travel from KZN with Normanz.
The Gr1 winning son of Var has not run for 8 weeks since finishing unplaced and five lengths behind Trip To Heaven in the Joburg Merhants.
While Anton Marcus will be a major plus, fitness (of horse and jockey) remains a concern – although Normanz has the class to blow them away.
Snaith Spearhead
Justin Snaith – had big plans for Daring Dave
Daring Dave was nominated as Justin Snaith’s sprinting spearhead for the season and has been a genuine model of consistency, without a big strike. This is his target!
The weight told last time when he was bowled over by Dressed In Cotton in the last stride and is likely to come out fighting fresh after a 7 week break.
Glen Puller’s Asstar is speedy son of Ashaawes who will be ridden by Grant Behr for the first time.
He ran on strongly in the Need For Speed Sprint when pipped by Varlo but this is stronger and he looks held by Daring Dave, as one example.
Darryl Hodgson’s Dressed In Cotton is a decent sort but has a mountain to climb off his 92 merit rating and should be outgunned.
Which Way?
If the South-Easter guns, the likes of Copper Parade, Captain Of All and Fly By Night could perform best when covered early.
With inside draws, the likes of Daring Dave, Alboran Sea and Trip Tease will be tested in terms of the tactics applied by their riders.
Whatever the outcome, any one of half the field would not be winning out of turn.
It should be a very close thing.
