Ready To Win. The gallant Kahal mare Enchanted Kingdom must be a big runner in the Gr2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes with Anton Marcus in the irons
Paul Peter’s talented daughter of Kahal,Enchanted Kingdom, looks all set to record her biggest career success to date. She takes on six rivals at favourable weight terms in the R300 000 Gr2 Gerald Rosenburg Stakes to be run over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday and looks a potential banker bet.
The engagement of Anton Marcus to ride the five time winning mare can hardly be classed as a master stroke, as our champion jockey has proven time and again in the past to make all the difference when the chips are down in a tight finish. That is not to say that Glen Hatt did anything wrong when riding Enchanted Kingdom at her last outing when she behaved like a naughty school girl and went down 0,25 lengths to Cherry On The Cake in the Jacaranda Handicap.
Brilliant
In that race Piere Strydom was at his brilliant best when riding Cherry On The Cake from the front and despite looking dead and buried 200m from home , she somehow hung on to win. Enchanted Kingdom had kicked into top gear at the 250m mark and only needed to run straight to win. She gave Hatt a torrid time though by running all over the track and was a most unlucky loser, for want of a better tag. Marcus will go into this race with the advantage of being forewarned here, and at the weights Enchanted Kingdom must go very close to being a good thing.
Danger
Her biggest danger is obviously posed by Gavin van Zyl’s very consistent Strike Smartly mare, Cherry On The Cake, who jumps from the best draw with her regular pilot Piere Strydom in the saddle.
Cherry On The Cake won a terrific race when holding the luckless Enchanted Kingdom in the Jacaranda Handicap and has improved immeasurably since her lacklustre effort in this race last year. There is little doubt in our minds that the master tactician Strydom will have a plan to counter even capitalise on the potential delinquent behaviour of the talented Enchanted Kingdom, and it would come as no surprise were the handicapper to be defied once again.
Eskimo Pie
Weiho Marwing’s Grey’s Inn four year old, Eskimo Inn, had consistent form before finding things rather testing in the Empress Club Stakes where she was eased and hampered before running a poor race. She was also reported coughing afterwards which doesn’t induce any confidence and she is in under sufferance on the weight terms of this event.
Mike de Kock’s Checcetti has not won in over a year since her smooth victory in the 2012 Jacaranda Handicap. She ran fourth in this race last year behind Hawker Hunter and has run five places in her nine starts since then. Her seven length unplaced effort behind Cherry On The Cake in the 2013 Jacaranda Handicap is best ignored as she raced wide for most of the trip and not surprisingly faded badly in the race. She is far better than that effort.
Tougher
Gary Alexander’s Classic illusion ran a rather disappointing race in the Empress Club Stakes when finishing well down field after running handily and fading badly. While she ran a fair 3.75 length third to Cherry On The Cake in the Jacaranda Handicap, she should find this tough going.
Brian Wiid’s Varlet appears to have lost her form after winning a MR87 Handicap over the Vaal 1800m in January. Her last few runs have been disappointing and she has failed to break through at group race level thus far. Wallace Tolmay’s mare, Pacific Dynasty, is a seven time winner whose recent form is not inspiring at first glance.
She did, however, catch the eye when staying on steadily at the finish of the Empress Club Stakes when only three lengths behind the very talented Thunder Dance at level weights. Her trainer stays with the headgear here and it is possible that she may prefer the 2000m as she matures.
Banker
At the weights Enchanted Kingdom looks sure to go very close. If she brings her worst behaviour to the track, then Strydom will be ready and waiting to swoop for the kill. That makes Cherry On The Cake a serious runner. Enchanted Kingdom could be the banker at best. It looks a two horse race at worst.
