Captain Of All – Going out in a blaze of glory?
Everything points to Dennis Drier’s flyer Captain Of All making it a fairytale swansong appearance when he steps out at Greyville on Saturday in the R750 000 Gr1 Mercury Sprint. The multiple Gr1 winning son of Captain Al will take up stud duties at Klawervlei in a few weeks, and his connections will be hoping for a sizzling send off.
The racing gods don’t always play ball when it comes to happy endings. We cast our minds back to the brilliant What A Winter’s farewell in this very race two years ago. Expected to make a winning wave, the son of Western Winter had his colours lowered by a member of the fairer sex in the Marshall speedster All Is Secret.
More recently, the high-class Australian-bred Wylie Hall performed his final racetrack act in the Vodacom Durban July. And was well beaten.
Master trainer Dennis Drier
But there is plenty to suggest that Captain Of All will buck the trend.
The lightly raced 4yo is currently SA’s jointly highest rated galloper and at the weight-for-age terms of this race, he should just be too good for his, admittedly classy, opposition.
He hasn’t seen the Greyville circuit since his 2yo term when he ran third in the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe. But his last outing stamped his status in no uncertain terms.
That was an impressive victory in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville, where he raced handily and asserted his authority in the final 100m.
At vastly unfavourable weight terms in comparison to this coming Saturday, he had all of Willow Magic, Daring Dave and Moofeed well put to bed.
The Post Merchants – Daring Dave beats Moofeed and Willow Magic
Those three topped the finish of the Gr2 Post Merchants over Saturday’s course and distance and will come out fit and firing.
Justin Snaith’s duo of Post Merchants winner Daring Dave and 2014 July winner Legislate certainly add interest.
After the false start debacle, Daring Dave dramatically sliced through between Moofeed and Willow Magic in the dying stride to win the Merchants. On paper, he shouldn’t beat Captain Of All.
Legislate won the Gr1 Gold Challenge over a mile recently but has earned his stripes and rating over further than what he tries on Saturday.
He has run only once over 1200m – that was on debut as a 2yo when going down narrowly to Properzio. The latter never won another race.
Legislate’s dam was pretty quick – and they have not declared blinkers either. Richard Fourie also rides him instead of proven speedball Daring Dave.
The experiment is a brave move!
Willow Magic – Strydom is back aboard
Sean Tarry has a powerful trio and Willow Magic stands out from a good draw after his Post Merchants third.
That was a particularly decent effort after the upsetting adrenaline draining effects of a false start and he never lay down to be narrowly beaten by Daring Dave and Moofeed.
He is held by Captain Of All, but Strydom will be keen to put the record straight on a horse he has always thought a lot of.
SA Fillies Sprint winner Carry On Alice again didn’t relish the mile when unplaced in the Garden Province Stakes on July day.
She actually beat Captain Of All by 3,30 lengths in the Computaform Sprint – and is 1,5 kgs worse off here. So she could be the joker in the pack.
Trip To Heaven is the third of the Tarry runners. Well drawn at 2, the 3yo will have fitness question marks after a 28 week break.
Moofeed has a powerful finish
Mike De Kock’s Moofeed ran a blinder from a 13 draw in the Post Merchants when flying up to get within a short head of Daring Dave. He also went past Willow Magic in the final strides.
Moofeed’s best was his Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap win and while he has yet to win in KZN and on paper (take his Tsogo Sun Sprint defeat by 5,75 lengths by Captain Of All conceding 6kgs) he cannot beat the Drier flyer, he will be running on at them late and is a must for quartets.
Last year’s winner Fly By Night is back in a bid for the double and she will have her supporters after a quiet prep – and particularly with Anton Marcus engaged.
Fly By Night went wrong in the Computaform Sprint in Joburg at end April but then bounced back nicely in her only subsequent run, when a decent third behind Carry On Alice in the SA Fillies Sprint.
She is a kilo better off here for a 1,80 length beaten by the 3yo Tarry star and comes firmly into the picture at her very best.
Mike Azzie – not too confident with Isphan
The Mike Azzie trained Isphan appears to be battling to find his feet.
He finished a 2,60 lengths fifth behind Daring Dave in the Post Merchants thriller and is a half kilo better off with both the winner and Willow Magic.
The fact of the matter though is that Isphan has not won in eleven months – and then it was on the Vaal sand.
He won’t be far off – but looks held on current form.
Yvette Bremner travels from PE with the Captain Al gelding Al Don Cumarco, who started his career with Deon Visser in KZN – winning 2 of his first 3 starts.
This will be his first run at Greyville but after two smart wins at Fairview (last time he had a former runner-up in stablemate Copper Parade beaten over 8 lengths) , he has earned a crack at the big time.
His 1 draw will certainly help his cause.
Captain Of All is a confident choice – if he is fit and runs to his ability he goes out with a well deserved win.
