Last Winter, the gamble of this season’s Sun Met so far, still has a lot to find according to the handicappers who raised him only half a kilo to 107 for his narrow defeat in last Saturday’s Premier Trophy, writes Michael Clower on www.goldcircle.co.za
Legal Eagle is rated 123 and Edict Of Nantes 118.
But Dean Kannemeyer was unruffled by this news, saying: “He is improving and he has come out of the race fine. My feeling is that he will go straight there as I would rather have fresh legs for the Met. I don’t want to rip his guts out in the Queen’s Plate in the interim.”
This year’s Cape Guineas was a couple of kilos or so below last year’s race when William Longsword came out of it on a mark of 109 and second-placed Gold Standard was rated 108.
Tap O’Noth (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The handicappers have raised Tap O’Noth five points to 104 and runner-up White River 11 to 103. Like A Panther (third off 94) and Cot Campbell (fourth off 87) have both been re-assessed at 100.
Handicapper Matthew Lips said: “The winner may well be better than this but he seems to be one of those that doesn’t win by big margins. Also there weren’t too many highly rated horses going into the race and many of them finished in a heap.”
Tap O’Noth was reported in good shape by Vaughan Marshall who confirmed that the colt will not run again before the Investec Cape Derby on Met day. “Years of experience – never rush things,” he said.
Bold Respect – didn’t stay
Bold Respect, who warranted a stipe-ordered veterinary inspection after dropping out rapidly in the final two furlongs to finish with only two behind him, was also reported fine. “He pulled very hard and didn’t settle,” said Brett Crawford who now intends dropping him in trip.
African Night Sky is as short as 17-2 for the Met and so his 1 400m gallop before racing at Kenilworth last Saturday was particularly interesting. Bernard Fayd’Herbe rode the Winter Series winner who was tucked in behind as Robert Khathi set a decent pace on Heartland from Star Chestnut (Grant van Niekerk). Another Night Sky moved up well early in the straight but he tired before the end and couldn’t get past the other two.
Jono Snaith – Met in sights
First impressions were not encouraging but Chris Snaith pointed out that he was giving away up to 10kg to the other two and Fayd’Herbe said: “It was a good gallop and I am sure he will progress from this. He is still a bit heavy but then that is why he was galloped.”
Justin Snaith added: “It was what I expected. I deliberately made it very hard for African Night Sky – the other two are the best 1 400m horses I have and they were super ready. I think a lot of him and I wouldn’t be doing all this if I didn’t think he has a chance in the Queen’s Plate and the Met.”
Brother Jonathan, an astute student of the form book, reckons that the four-year-old is a better horse than his 102 rating would suggest although he makes the point that the gelding is “more of a Met horse than a Queen’s Plate horse.”
