Destined For Better. Dennis Drier’s Master Of My Fate is set to build on his big reputation when contesting the Gr2 Premier Trophy on Saturday
The visiting raiding trio of Dennis Drier, Gavin Van Zyl and Duncan Howells have not yet planted the KZN flag on Table Mountain or stormed the Castle Of Good Hope this summer season. With just eight wins between them, they have not frankly even been sighted doing Christmas shopping at the V&A Waterfront. They will be hoping that all changes in Saturday’s R300 000 Gr2 Premier Trophy to be run over the Kenilworth 1800m.
It is early days yet and there are plenty of sunrises ahead to salvage some pride and win the feature races. That is after all why these gentlemen packed up their home comforts and travelled South with their stronger horses to win some of the prized silverware on offer in what is arguably South Africa’s most popular racing destination.
It is well known to be an expensive and arduous business operating on strange tracks and adjusting to local conditions. And none of the three mentioned top trainers have even managed a minor feature so far.
Experienced
Dennis Drier is the most experienced of the trio, and it is only a matter of time before he strikes. He will not be happy with his four minor winners to date,and his big horse Master Of Fate looks set to change the tone of his working holiday.
The weights of the race are based and framed on penalties for feature wins clocked up in the past eighteen months on the basis of Gr1( 3,0 kg), Gr2 (2,0 kg), Gr3.(1,0 kg ) and Listed (0,5 kg). On paper Justin Snaith’s Run For It is the best handicapped runner in the race.
Go For It
Smart & Suited. Run For It enjoys the summer course and has a good record in the Gr2 Premier Trophy
The mercurially talented son of Dynasty has had something of an up and down career, but peaked with a brilliant effort in the 2013 Durban July when beaten just a quarter of a length by Heavy Metal into second.
His return run (under 4 lengths behind Ice Machine in a Pinnacle Stakes at Durbanville) after a flat Champions Cup effort was franked when Ice Machine came out next time to score a scintillating win in the WFA Green Point Stakes. Run For It has run places (3rd to Chesalon in 2011 and 2nd to Beach Beauty in 2012) in this race and looks overdue to put a winning effort together.
Spearhead
But he will have to beat off the visiting challenge and it is Dennis Drier’s excitingly talented Master Of My Fate who looks to spearhead the attack. The handsome son of Jet Master lacks big match experience, but makes up for that with serious ability.
Second on his debut effort, the well bred colt has won four on the fly. His opening Cape win was workmanlike and clinical and he beat Laurie’s Gold a lot easier than the official two length winning margin suggests. The Varsfontein Stud bred colt is learning to race still and is thrown into the deep end here, with the L’Ormarins Queens Plate his short term goal.
Big Move
Gavin Van Zyl has saddled two minor winners this Cape summer so far, and he will be wanting to see some results of his move from Noordhoek to the more structured environment of Phillipi. He also fired his stable jockey after what he judged a less than clever ride in the Green Point Stakes.
The horse that had Brandon Lerena red carded is the Kahal gelding No Worries and we can assume that his run in the Green Point Stakes is ignored following Van Zyl’s assessment.
No Worries went flat out into the teeth of a south easterly wind that afternoon, and in fact probably did very well in the circumstances to stay on for fourth and just 2,30 lengths behind shock winner, Ice Machine. His flying short head second behind the unbeaten Vercingetorix in the Gr1 Daily News 2000 last season is the standout effort that says that No Worries is a very talented sort.
He will be ridden by Piere Strydom, who has won on him, and will have every chance from the draw. He is a horse than can be sat on, and with a pace likely in Saturday’s race, he will have every chance of registering a long overdue third win and show that he is on track for the Met. Van Zyl also saddles Seal, and this looks a likely prep run for a staying feature for this gallant soldier.
Durban Dude
Like Van Zyl, Duncan Howells has only had two runners, and a few feature disappointments. He saddles One Cool Dude, a winner of 4 of his 8 starts. The son of Strike Smartly won his opening Cape outing in smart style in a quality handicap over the course and distance (winter track). His formline is consistency personified and he jumps from a beneficial 2 draw with Kevin Shea up. He should endorse his J&B Met prospects with a forward performance.
Mike Bass sends out a quartet of runners, headed by the topweight and 2013 Gold Cup winner Jeppe’s Reef.The son of Jallad will find this too short and is obviously being prepared for his staying engagements. Bass stable jockey Grant Van Niekerk rides the Winter Derby winner Gifted For Glory, who should be prime ready after two quiet prep runs. He was slow out in the Green Point Stakes and battled to get going over the mile. He will be a lot more comfortable over the 1800m.
Improving
The Trippi gelding Paterfamilias appears to be finding his feet as a 4yo and has reeled off wins at his last two starts. As a promising 3yo he was just on the fringes of the best of his year and it is possible that he will still develop into a decent racehorse and carries the burden of his R2,1 million price tag with some stress.
He has a tough task on paper at the weights off his rating of 91, but if his improvement graph continues on an upward trend, he could surprise to register a first feature victory.
Brown Penny ran a five length fifth behind Beach Beauty in this race last year, but disappointed when fading out after being made a lot of use of in the Algoa Cup at his last start. It is possible that he did not adjust to the rigours of the polytrack, and is worth another chance from a good draw.
Dancer
Joey Ramsden’s 2013 Gr3 Algoa Cup winner Disco Al did not appear to stay the 3200m of the Kenilworth Cup at his last start, when fading out to just over six lengths behind Paddy O’ Reilly in that race.
The talented 4yo has won from a mile and is a course and distance winner (on the winter track). That said, he is out on the handicap with a large percentage of his opposition and needs to show that he can give weight and beat a fellow like Run For It.
Ticket To Fly
Dean Kannemeyer sends out recent Listed Wool-avington Handicap winner, Hot Ticket. The son of Silvano was earmarked by his trainer as a prospective Met horse, and had a run in the Green Point Stakes, when finishing 8,80 lengths behind his stablemate Ice Machine.
He is a difficult horse to train and the point of that run was just to keep him ticking over. Hot Ticket will be a lot more comfortable over the extra 200m here, and will be finishing strongly for the back end of the quartets.
Interesting
Glen Puller’s Awesome Power has drawn well and is an interesting runner. The son of Surging River came up at long odds when grabbing a high handicap sprint win at his season opening penultimate start. He was just over five lengths behind Tevez in the Merchants last time, and will be much more comfortable over this trip. He will also strip fitter.
Over The Hill
Hill Fifty Four has the second outing of his Cape Summer campaign and did not show behind Ice Machine in the Green Point Stakes. His form prior to the Durban July was fair, and included a forward third when third behind Beach Beauty in the too short Drill Hall Stakes. Stan Elley’s Punta Arenas is a four time winning son of Silvano who ran a fair four length seventh behind Ice Machine in the recent WFA Green Point Stakes.
That was only his second start since running downfield in the Durban July. Punta Arenas is drawn wide at 14, and now needs to start finding his pre July form of last season, that saw him run fourth in the Cup Trial, and some good seconds.
Fateful
Current form and unexposed top ability point us in the direction of Master Of My Fate. It is patently obvious that we have not seen anything near the best from Dennis Drier’s runner and we are of the opinion that he will pass the test with flying colours. He could have most to fear from Run For It, who loves the long summer course run in and No Worries, who will be staying on. Paterfamilias could be the quartet kicket, if continuing his recent improvement.
