Glen Kotzen’s improving Dynasty gelding could be the joker in the pack off a galloping weight
The R250 000 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup is a traditional stepping stone to South Africa’s premier staying race, the Gr1 Gold Cup. As is often the case in these distance contests, the race is wide open and there looks to be plenty of possible permutations over the Greyville 2400m, with proven ability at the top end and promise at the other end of the scale.
Gavin Van Zyl saddles the topweight No Worries who comes in off an unplaced effort in the Betting World 1900.The son of Kahal has drawn in the bush and looks to have a tough task as he goes back up in trip.
His pipe opener in the Drill Hall Stakes was not the worst effort though and it is conceivable that he must have a place chance on his 2013 July placing and subsequent solid efforts in top company. This is in fact No Worries’ further try to date and on breeding he surely has the class and stamina to go close. His stablemate Shogunnar may lack fitness after just one run in the Betting World 1900 after a six month rest and cannot be tipped with any confidence.
Top Rated
Our top rated selection is Justin Snaith’s Jet Master gelding True Master who ran a very disappointing race in the Betting World 1900 Consolation behind Futura, where he stayed on for a 3, 50 length beating. The Varsfontein Stud bred chestnut has not won in over a year but has tumbled down the ratings and comes in on joint bottomweight. He should be very competitive.
Glen Kotzen’s Dynasty gelding Alexander came good quickly in his second run after a rest when he held Gothic to a quarter length beating at Clairwood last time. He is a kilo worse off here with the Marshall runner, but he is likely to strip fitter and is a progressive stayer who is being aimed at the Gold Cup. He beat the revitalised Gothic there and the Silvano gelding is another who has tumbled down the handicapper’s ratings.
Good Ability
Gothic’s second placed finish behind Wylie Hall in the Gr1 SA Derby of 2013 shows that he has shown sufficient ability to be a serious contender off his weight here. He has his third run for Vaughan Marshall and the change of scenery could be the spark required to revive his flagging fortunes.
The 2013 Gold Cup winner Jeppe’s Reef takes his place again as Mike Bass programmes the son of Jallad for a crack at a rare double,
Jeppe’s Reef ran a good fourth behind stablemate River Crossing in the Lonsdale last year and looks set for another big effort again.
De Kock Duo
Mike De Kock saddles a coupling of Gone Baby Gone and the recent Jeff Freedman runner, Wild One. Wild One is a July entry and off a current MR of 89, there are many that won’t rate his chances of making the cut for the bi race.
The son of Mogok showed fair early form against the better sorts of his generation over ground and as tumbled down the merit rating. With Anthony Delpech up, a 1 draw and a galloping weight, he could prove the value shrewdie.
Average Race
His stablemate Gone Baby Gone ran fourth in what his trainer labelled a ‘very average’ SA Derby beyond the first 3. De Kock is on record as saying that ‘something had to run fourth.’ Gone Baby Gone ran handily and stayed on well in the Consolation 1900 behnd Futura and is worthy of inclusion.
The Listed Easter Handicap winner Great Rumpus has staked claims for a July place and would need to boost his share price with a winning performance here.
He is 2kgs worse off on the Easter Handicap win with Dennis Drier’s consistent Cataloochee gelding, King Neptune, who ran a 1,75 length second. King Neptune tries the trip for the first time and is a strong galloper who enjoys the Greyville circuit.
Off Form
Sean Tarry’s coupling of Baracah and Tresco are both off form and will need to improve to feature. Wavin’ Flag ran a fair race when 2,30 lengths behind stablemate Futura in the Betting World 1900 Consolation. The son of Silvano has shown some fair promise but inevitably runs on when the race is over.
His third placed effort when under three lengths behind the classy Hot Ticket in the Gr3 Lektron Chairman’s Cup shows that he stays well enough and as a place chance if things go his way.
Open
The race is wide open and punters may want to go wide in the exotics. The capable lightweights like True Master, Alexander, King Neptune and Wild One could stretch the commitment of the likes of No Worries and Jeppe’s Reef.
All About The Gold
South Africa’s premier staying event, the Gr1 Gold Cup will be run for a stake of R1,25 million at Greyville on Super Saturday, 26 July.
With the building of the new Polytrack at Greyville, the width of the turf track has been reduced. As a result, the size of the field for this famous race has been reduced from 20 to 16 to ensure that every runner is given every chance of winning and to reduce the potential for interference or injury to the runners and riders.
The Gold Cup is a race full of character, colour and thrills. In 2013 the contest looked very open and the selections of tipsters around the country were varied with no particular runner being strongly touted. The lightly-weighted runners like Knight To Remember and Patriotic Rebel along with Kolkata that had won the Gold Vase, were at the top of the betting boards with Seal, Blake, Shogunnar and S’Il Vous Plait also drawing support.
It was anyone’s race when they stormed into the home straight towards the end of the 3 200m journey but at the 300m mark Robbie Fradd drove the 25-1 outsider Jeppe’s Reef through with a strong finishing burst to win for Cape trainer Mike Bass with Masai Warrior, Canterbury Tale and Knight To Remember following him home.
In 2012 Dean Kannemeyer’s hard-knocking six-year-old gelding In Writing overpowered the gutsy Var filly Princess Of Light in a hard battle to the line in the R1-million, Grade 1 Ladbrokes Gold Cup.
Carrying veteran jockey Felix Coetzee to his eighth win in this demanding race and into the world record books as possibly the only rider in the world to win the same Grade 1 race eight times, the Argentinean-bred son of Editor’s Note wrote a little paragraph in history of his own kind by returning from a career-threatening tendon injury to win the country’s premier marathon event.
In 2011, there was a major upset in the country’s premier long distance race when outsiders Aslan and Kolkata, trained by Sean Tarry, outran the opposition in the finish to fill the first two places. They were followed home by the Duncan Howells-trained Knight To Remember.
