Two Strikes wins Gr3 Cape Summer Stayers
The second half of the Boxing Day Strike Smartly Gr3 double was delivered by Two Strikes, when he ran out a game winner of the Cape Summer Stayers Handicap at Kenilworth’s “twilight” meeting on Sunday evening, writes Matthew Lips.
Like the Christmas Handicap a few hours earlier, this event had a wide open look about it, with many of the regular campaigners in Cape Town’s staying events turning out once more. Two Strikes brought solid recent form to the table and went off as the 75/20 favourite in a field of twelve, with the Australian-breds Predestination and Another Giant next in the market at 4/1 and 9/2 respectively.
The pace was better than it often is over long distances at the Cape, with Hospitality opening up a lead of some three lengths and showing the way clear of Predestination, Two Strikes, and Another Giant. Sangria Girl was next in line, with Golden Parachute making some headway in the back straight to race in midfield. Just Like Al, winner of this race last season, was amongst the backmarkers with Sun City last of all.
Hospitality was coming under heavy pressure 400m out, and halfway down the straight the race resembled a cavalry stampede with any number of horses spread across the course who could have won it. Predestination was the first to take over as Hospitality faded, but Two Strike grabbed a narrow advantage inside the final 200m and held off all challengers under a determined ride from Richard Fourie to win by half-a-length from Cree Lodge. The latter ran on strongly wider out and briefly looked as if he would perhaps collar Two Strikes, but the latter found a little bit more when it was needed in the final lunge to the wire.
Grey Cossack stayed on well to finish half-a-length further away in third and is coping quite well with the massive 15 pound penalty he received for winning a Listed handicap under heavy sufferance over 3200m in November. Top weight Hawk’s Eye ran on very strongly to share third place with Grey Cossack, and clearly has suffered no ill effects from his unsuccessful raid to Gauteng for the Gr 1 Summer Cup. Another Giant had every chance and was eventually beaten a total of only 1.25 lengths into fifth place, with Predestination right on his heels in sixth.
Five-year-old Two Strikes was winning for the first time from four starts since he joined trainer Stephen Page after his previous conditioner Mike de Beer relinquished his licence at the end of last term. “He takes a hard ride,” said Page of Two Strikes, “but he is a willing and good-natured horse.” The winning rider noted that, “he is a big horse, and he only wins by just enough.” Fourie then added that Two Strikes really “needs more ground”, which would seem to make the Gr 2 J & B Reserve Stayers over 2800m on January 29th the obvious next target.
Two Strikes is out of the Fort Wood mare Striking Gold, who won four races over 1300m/1400m. Striking Gold’s dam in turn is a full sister to top class Goldmark. Bred and owned by Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer, for whom both Stephen Page and Richard Fourie have enjoyed so much success since the beginning of last season in particular, Two Strikes has won four times from 13 starts and earned R295 090.
Cape Summer Stayers Hcp (SAf-G3) (12/26)
Kenilworth, South Africa, December 26, R200.000, 2500m, turf, good, 2.37.36 (CR 2.33.66).
TWO STRIKES (SAF), 54.5, ch h 5, Strike Smartly (CAN) – Striking Gold (SAF) by Fort Wood. Owner Mrs B D Oppenheimer; breeder Mauritzfontein Stud; trainer S H Page; jockey R Fourie (R132.609)
Cree Lodge (SAF), 57.5, b g 4, Casey Tibbs (IRE) – Fiery Spirit (SAF) by Goldmark (SAf)
*Grey Cossack (SAF), 52.5, b g 4, Fanatic Dane (NZ) – Desert Fields (SAF) by Salaadim
*Hawk’s Eye (GB), 60.0, br g 5, Hawk Wing – Inchiri (GB) by Sadler’s Wells
Margins: ½, ½, *d/h
Also ran: Another Giant (AUS) 52.0, Predestination (AUS) 56.5, Just Like Al (SAF) 59.0, Hospitality (SAF) 58.5, Sangria Girl (SAF) 59.5, Golden Parachute (NZ) 56.0, Life Of Pi (SNL) 54.5, Sun City (SAF) 56.5
