Versatile. Dean Kannemeyer’s talented Taipan could return to his best and cement his Met claims with a big showing in Saturday’s feature
Seven J&B Met hopefuls are amongst the fifteen contestants for Saturday’s R300 000 Gr2 Peninsula Handicap to be run over 1800m at Kenilworth. With a consistent past record in the race it may pay to look to veteran trainer Mike Bass and his coupling headed by the smart Fort Wood gelding Brown Penny.
While Brown Penny is not amongst the Met nominations, his stablemate Hammie’s Dynasty is in a group that includes Taipan, Black Wing, Ice Machine, Cask, Hill Fifty Four and Jet Explorer.
Penny Dropped? Mike Bass sends out a powerful coupling in the Peninsula Handicap
Hammie’s Dynasty had won 4 from 9 before finishing sixth in the Jet Master Stakes last time. His rider received some criticism for the ride but the Bass yard have stayed loyal to Glen Hatt, and he could make good in his big league debut from a tough draw of 14.
With the Met just a month away, time is fast running out for the marginals and this should be borne in mind by punters looking for value inclusions that could perform above themselves.
The Bass stable fortunes have lifted in the past few weeks after a quiet spell, and the form of the Calulo Services Premier Trophy won in such outstanding fashion by Dennis Drier’s Beach Beauty may hold the key to the outcome of this rather complex puzzle.
In that event we had five of Saturday’s field competing, and Brown Penny came out tops when finishing five lengths off the winner in fifth position from a poor draw.
The Drakenstein Stud owned and bred six-time winning Brown Penny appears to have the beating again of the four that finished behind him in the Premier Trophy.The fact that he is well drawn will not harm the prospects of this fit gelding.
Those held include Black Wing who finished 0,9 lengths behind after being made a lot of use of in the running. Brown Penny has a 3,5kgs turnaround with the Crawford runner and should hold him again. Black Wing will be a lot fitter at this third run after a break and his formline shows a great second beaten narrowly by Master Plan in the Champions Cup on Super Saturday.Brett Crawford and Karis Teetan won the race in 2012 with Polar Front and are in form at the moment.
Met Sights. Dean Kannemeyer is looking for a big showing from Taipan with the Met around the corner
The lightly raced Cask finished 1,2 lengths behind Brown Penny and is 1,5kgs worse off here. He only had three runs in 2012 and appears an unsound sort. He is also poorly drawn.
Taipan has to overcome a 3,5kg turnaround for a 1,5 length beating in the Premier Trophy.
Dean Kannemeyer’s Met hope blotted his copybook somewhat there and was never in the race after languishing at the rear for much of the trip. The 1800m is considered Taipan’s minimum trip and the Woolavington winner only needs to recapture his earlier spark this season to bounce right back into contention.
The 2011 winner of this event Lion In Winter is the sole Joey Ramsden representative. He is a half kilo better off with Brown Penny on the Premier Trophy finish. That should not be enough to reverse a 3,85 length beating. Lion In Winter was slow out in the recent Jet Master Stakes when plodding on late for an eighth and 2,45 length adrift. That was something of a blanket finish and the run was not dismal by any means. Sean Cormack has won on him previously, and is riding with great confidence.
Glen Kotzen has a three-way coupling, including two hard-knocking mares.
Danger. The one-eyed Glen Kotzen trained Political Playboy could improve further to place
The one eyed Australian-bred Political Playboy may be the pick of the trio and the son of Dehere is edging back to form after winning three in a row at the beginning of 2012.
Political Playboy was being touted a potential July runner at one stage and is obviously highly thought of by his trainer. He ran a fair fourth last time when beaten two lengths by the promising 3yo Awesome Power to whom he was giving 7,5kgs.
Cash Register and the 2012 Flamboyant Stakes winner Queen’s Command both ran fair races in the Victress Stakes in mid December. Both have been limited to facing their own sex and they will have to be at the top of their games to challenge the boys here
Former champion jockey turned KZN trainer Garth Puller is still waiting to break the ice in the Cape. He sends out a Meaker family-owned duo of Ice Machine and the older Ice Diamond.
Ice Machine will have a fitness and soundness question mark against his name after being dramaticalky withdrawn at the start of his last intended outing when found to be lame.
He had previously been outclassed in the Green Point Stakes, but his penultimate run when a smart level weights second to the top-class Whiteline Fever brings him into this race.
His stablemate Ice Diamond ran in the Jet Master Stakes where Ice Machine was take out at the start, and loomed dangerously down the inside rail before being beaten a half length by Thunder Dance.
Ice Diamond meets Brown Penny on 1,5kgs better terms than when 3,40 lengths at his penultimate start over the course and distance in an MR 94 Handicap. Ice Diamond’s cracking third to Pessoa in the Listed Michaelmas when giving him 1 kg was a good effort and he must be a runner here as a fit horse off 52kgs.
Vaughan Marshall’s Hill Fifty Four won the Gr3 Algoa Cup at Fairview at end November in scintillating style from a poor draw beating Punta Arenas.
While poorly drawn here, the son of Captain Al looks a very progressive sort and has won 5 of his 10 outings.
He is two kgs worse off with Punta Arenas for a two length beating there, but looks far more comfortable than Elley’s Winter Derby winner over Saturday’s trip.
Justin Snaith’s Jet Explorer also brings the Algoa Cup form into the race. The 4yo son of Jet Master finished 2 and 4,35 lengths behind Hill Fifty Four and Jet Explorer respectively. He meets Hill Fifty Four on a 1,5kgs better terms and Punta Arenas on a half kilo worse terms.
Greg Ennion’s Nysean Bolt was fancied to go close in the recent Cape Summer Stayers Handicap, but ran a poor 18,35 length last. This should be on the short side and he will have to improve dramatically to have a say in the finish.
A puzzling contest where sketchy form and interim improvement could impact on our calculations.
We suggest that Brown Penny will be good enough to beat Taipan and Hill Fifty Four, with Political Playboy right there.
But an upset is on the cards and consideration should be given to the Puller duo for bigger perms.
