There is not a great deal to enthuse about in the Cape stamina ranks and the eight runners lining up for the R250 000 Gr3 Cape Summer Stayers Handicap run over 2500m at Kenilworth on Guineas day sum up the general state of affairs. One actually wonders what happened to the maxim, ‘if you stay, you’ve always got a chance.’
Gothic – seen winning the Kenilworth Cup thriller
Us racing folk love sayings and one-liners. And naturally only some of them hold true, one hundred percent of the time.
There must surely be at least another eight stayers in the Cape half capable of taking on the likes of mostly tired longhaulers like local hope and topweight Coltrane, and Mike De Kock’s temperamental J&B Urban Honey Stayers winner Kingston Mines over the 2,5 km – in the remote chance of securing even R25 000 for a third cheque?
Well done to Mike Bass for his initiative with three runners.
Horses of the ilk and less of July winner Dunford’s less illustrious half-brother A Time To Kill, who comes in under sufferance as he struggles to put a winning show together to register that elusive third victory.
Bass has thrown him in the deep end here, but he stays well enough to suggest that even though he is held by his new stablemate My World, he could get lucky and bank a stake cheque.
Let’s go down the list.
The Argentinian bred Coltrane stays all day and won this race last year, when beating Gothic by 0,75 lengths when giving him a half kilo.
Flashback to 2014 – Coltrane wins this race last year beating Gothic and Current Event
Coltrane has not run for 20 weeks since running unplaced in the Gold Cup and the fitness factor will be minimised again by Joey’s legendary treadmill. He gets the services of top man, Anton Marcus.
Listed Kenilworth Cup winner Gothic has a kilo to make up on Coltrane and is an interesting runner, now that he has found winning ways.
The son of Silvano has always been a class act and would not be a surprise winner.
Dry Spell
Kingston Mines comes off a dry spell of form and has not won since grabbing honours in the Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup at Turffontein – two months after his good tactical win in the Urban Honey Stayers (the old J&B Reserve Stayers).
Kingston Mines wins the Urban Honey on Met day
The son of Archipenko teams up again with Gavin Lerena, who has proven a decent foil for his ability.
Another quality son of Silvano is the 2013 Gr3 Winter Derby winner Gifted For Glory, the first of the Mike Bass trio.
He ran on powerfully over 1800m last time and certainly warrants consideration – and it is worth noting that he has won up to 2800m on this track.
Current Event has beaten Coltrane previously and ran a fair third in this race last year.
The son of Go Deputy is battling to win again but has paid his way well up in the Eastern Cape, where he can always be relied up to run a decent race.
Snaith Choice
Justin Snaith may prefer Gr3 Algoa Cup third placer Masterly who won four on the trot on the Fairview polytrack before that decent effort behind Stonehenge.
Masterly (blue and gold) flies up in the Gr3 Algoa Cup
The 5yo has certainly improved since his early turf days with Geoff Woodruff and makes for an interesting proposition off the 54kg mark.
Formerly with Stan Elley, My World won an MR 85 beating A Time To Killl last time and holds tye latter again.
Bred on stout staying lines, My World has Kenilworth 2500m form earlier on and is improving all the time.
A Time To Kill has won twice from 30 starts and invariably runs on strongly over a variety of distances.
The son of Mullins Bay will enjoy a decent gallop and even though outgunned on paper, could prove to be a quartet kicker.
So, in typically staying handicap fashion it is a wide open little race and exotic backers will be going wide.
The vote is for Gothic to build on his confidence and win again – he is the choice to beat Masterly and Gifted For Glory.
