After Friday’s sensation Gr2 Sceptre Stakes victory for Live Life, can the same combination land the Gr3 Politician Stakes today?
Some very decent horses have used the R250 000 Gr3 Politician Stakes as a springboard to better things in recent years.
Vodacom Durban July winner The Conglomerate and Champions Cup winner Marinaresco are just two of those and both line up in today’s L’Ormarins Queen’s’ Plate.
Fifty Cents holds Horizon to win the Jet Master Stakes
With the Investec Cape Derby being reprogrammed again to Sun Met day, this 1800m contest now better serves its’ intended purpose as a Derby Trial again and the next big thing could well be lurking in the shadows.
That said, looking at the past three runnings of this race, this year’s bunch are slightly below par.
Consider that in 2015, the average MR was 91, with two 102’s in ML Jet and Imperial Gold in the field.
In 2016, the average MR dropped marginally to 90, with Rabada the standout at 111.
This year the best we can muster is Candice Bass-Robinson’s first genuine pressure horse of her short career, Horizon,who is the joint top-rated runner, racing off an MR of 91 and sharing topweight honours with Ramsden’s Newlands.
But what did somebody say about three types of lies, and statistics slotting in somewhere in the middle of it all?
Maybe there are just one too many other sideshows and carrots on offer this month, and who can blame owners?
But let’s get down to the race. Restricted to 3yo’s, the Politician Stakes weights are set in merit rating bands, with penalties for graded race wins.
While there are none in the MR 100+ range, they would carry 60 kgs, with MR 95 – 99 set 58,5kgs, MR 90 – 94 at 57 kgs and MR 85 – 89 just 55,5 kgs. MR 84 and lower carry 54kgs. In addition, winners of a Gr1 get 2kgs extra, with Gr2 scorers getting a 1kg penalty.
With no graded race winners in the class of 2017, that latter information is largely academic.
Sales record-breaker Horizon has only won a maiden so far, but showed a glimpse of serious ability when storming through late to fail by a half length to catch the older Fifty Cents in the Listed Jet Master Stakes.
While he lodged a subsequently failed objection after the winner Fifty Cents had played his own silly games , the ride given Horizon by Grant van Niekerk was not the stuff of SA Jockey Academy text books and the young jockey gets a golden opportunity to set the record straight on the R5,2 million buy.
The Dynasty colt looks to have everything in his favour – including a likely appreciation of the extra 200m – to register his first stakes success and launch his career in style.
Anton Marcus – rides Newlands
The Gr3 Langerman placed Newlands was well back in the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes and then ran a 2,55 length fourth (in receipt of a kilo) to William Longsword in a handicap last time out.
Anton Marcus rides the son of High Chaparral for the first time.
Mike de Kock’s Coyote is something of an unknown quantity and could be the one to spoil the Bass-Robinson party.
The son of Fort Wood has had one run in the Cape, when running a 0,70 length fifth in a blanket finish behind Cape Fling in an MR 78 Handicap.
Prior to that he had run a 3 length fifth behind Chili Con Carne in the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup, but the winner failed to frank that form next time.
Perhaps taking a line through second placed Africa Rising, who finished 1,75 lengths ahead of Coyote, will tell us more. Africa Rising finished 3,60 lengths behind stablemate Safe Harbour in the Lazerac Ready To Run Stakes and then 4,40 lengths back to William Longsword in the Cape Guineas at his next two starts.
Coyote looks to have some scope for improvement.
Brett Crawford – saddles low-key trio
Brett Crawford has three runners, but it is difficult to assess whether any of the trio are genuine classic aspirants – at this stage, certainly!
Sunset Eyes was well beaten in the Cape Classic but ran a cracker in handicap company last time when running on well to be beaten a head by the promising Summer Sky. There may be a question or two over him getting the extra 400m here.
Carbon Offset is the most well-tried of the three. This Gimmethegreenlight colt was an expensive buy at sale and his form is good, if ignoring his last run.
Stable jockey Corne Orffer jumps aboard The Great One, who ran a modest race in the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes last time out. He did win his second and third starts well – but at Durbanville over 1400m. The New Zealand-bred colt may warrant a chance to redeem himself.
Weichong Marwing – strong rider
Weichong Marwing is an interesting jockey booking for Justin Snaith’s Strathdon.
A maiden winner at best so far, the son of Silvano finished 5,30 length behind Guineas star William Longsword in a handicap last time. He should enjoy the extra and the Foster’s scarlet and gold were carried to victory by last year’s winner, Black Arthur.
The second of the Snaith attack, the Australian-bred King Of The Rally has won his last two in the easier climes of the Eastern Cape.
He caught the eye though with a weight receiving (4kgs) victory over local star Pacific Spirit in a Guineas Plate last time. Pacific Star then came to the Cape and finished with only two behind him in the Guineas, won by William Longsword.
Ollivander is the second of the Bass-Robinson runners.
The son of Silvano has won once in five starts and improved again last time when chasing the older Annigoni home over the course and distance. He did get 6kgs from the Marshall horse and has to improve to beat his stablemate at these weights.
Dean Kannemeyer-trained The Slade was beaten 6,40 lengths by Gold Standard in the Selangor but showed up well enough in his first four runs to suggest he may yet develop into a decent sort.
Horizon looks progressive and is really a winner without a penalty after the Jet Master Stakes debacle.
He is a fairly confident choice to beat Coyote and The Great One. There are others that could improve and the quartet may require a few more for the minor placings.
