Trainer Mike de Kock has sidestepped the Cape Guineas with his smart 3yo Bold Rex, opting rather to take on what looks to be a very beatable bunch of his elders in the R400 000 Gr2 Premier Trophy at Kenilworth on Saturday.
The 3yo Bold Rex is on the brink of his biggest win
This 1800m contest often hosts a whole bunch of Met entries, but the eight horse field bucks the trend for the 2016 renewal, with only three on the big race entry list so far.
De Kock’s Bold Silvano gelding Bold Rex is one of those and the Ascot Stud-bred galloper looks to be a youngster going in the right direction.
Conditions
The weight conditions of this race certainly favour him.
The Premier Trophy sees 3yo’s carrying a base 51kgs, 4yo’s 57,5kgs and 5yo’s and older 58kgs.
Winners of a Gr1 race get a 2kg penalty, while a Gr2 success incurs a 1kg premium.
Mike De Kock – part owner of Bold Rex
A winner of 4 of his ten starts, Bold Rex has run two top-class feature places.
These include a meritorious third to Bezanova in an admittedly false-run Victory Moon Stakes.
Bold Rex emerged from that with a 101 rating – the maximum 6 point penalty he could get in terms of the race conditions. It was a cracking effort and Bold Rex actually ran closer to a 108, according to the official handicapper.
He then came out and ran his usual honest race when staying on for third and 4,35 lengths back in the Dingaans.
He is very fit and if he adapts to the left-handed course, he strikes us as a massive contender for top honours.
Joey Ramsden’s older St Tropez returns to his original home-base after a tough KZN and Joburg campaign that yielded little. Often fancied, he is a horse that has shown flashes of decent ability – but has seldom delivered.
The son of Silvano was beaten 9,40 lengths in the Summer Cup and he needs to show a little more to have us including him again.
Candice Robinson – looking for her yard to find form
Candice Bass-Robinson has a pair in the race, with the 4yo Icy Trail looking the scopier.
The son of Go Deputy has won his last two starts beating the talented Prince Of Wales on both occasions.
Those were pure handicaps and the 4kg swing in favour of Prince Of Wales could be a bridge too far for Icy Trail on Saturday.
But he is a fit horse who has continued to strengthen and improve, and could be equal to the challenge.
His stablemate, the disappointing Helderberg Blue has his third dip at winning this race.
He ran second to Dynamic in 2014 and then third behind stablemate Paterfamilias last year.
The son of Jet Master has never lived up to early expectations and ran a poor race when not persevered with in the Green Point Stakes when trailed off behind Legal Eagle.
He is likely being aimed at the Urban Honey Stayers on Sun Met day.
Justin Snaith – saddles half the field
Justin Snaith saddles the rest – a whole 50% of the field with four runners carrying the top yard’s banner.
S’manga Khumalo takes the reins on the very consistent Prince Of Wales, who has come up through the handicaps with good credentials over the past six months.
He has a solid turn of foot and was unlucky to bump the rampant Icy Trail at his last two starts.
We have already alluded to the weight swing in Prince Of Wales’ favour and he must go close to picking up his first feature success.
Topweight Ovidio will be ridden by Piere Strydom, but looks hard-pressed to take these on over this trip.
The son of Danehill Dancer was scratched with an elevated temperature from his scheduled last start in the Kenilworth Cup and this looks to be a prep for the Met day staying race.
The now 7yo Dynamic beat Helderberg Blue to win this race in 2014 – and has not won a race since.
The son of Dynasty is capable on his day, but his recent form is hardly encouraging.
Krambambuli has not won a race in over 14 months but has produced sufficient decent perfomances to give him a shout here.
Krambambuli – capable but needs some improvement
The son of Black Minnaloushe ran on well at his penultimate start for a 1,75 length fourth behind Nebula in the Gr3 Algoa Cup, but never quickened last time when a 9,05 length last to Whisky Baron.
The pace could play a role as it often does down in Cape Town.
But with two yards holding the ascendancy in numbers and preferring a pace, it should be a true-run affair.
We are siding with the well-weighted and fit De Kock raider Bold Rex to win this and secure his Met berth.
Prince Of Wales and the enigmatic St Tropez could be next best.
