Saturday heralds the end of a bumper Cape Summer Of Champions season and while the region continues to be plagued by a disturbing lack of field subscription, it is heartening to see thirteen fillies and two good mares line up to contest the R250 000 Vasco Gr3 Prix Du Cap. This is the penultimate feature event and Brett Crawford holds a powerful hand as he looks to go out with a pop of the champagne corks.
Cuvee Brut is knocking hard
The aptly named Cuvee Brut heads the Crawford attack and her decent recent form, good draw and with Anton Marcus in the saddle suggests she will go very close.
The daughter of Count Dubois failed at her one and only try at the turn – when unplaced in the 2014 Cape Fillies Guineas.
She has since matured beautifully and grown in stature and looks ready to score a deserved first stakes win after two excellent Gr2 placings in the sprints.
Stable jockey Corne Orffer rides her KZN Fillies Guineas winning coupling, Alexis.
KRA Fillies Guineas winner Alexis
This very capable daughter of Dynasty has had a quiet season so far and had nothing to come when out of the money in the Majorca.
She is the class proven performer around the turn and there should be little to choose between the Crawdord duo.
Mike Bass won this race with the excellent Hammie’s Hooker last year and saddles Come Fly With Me for the Devines.
The daughter of Jet Master has failed to build on her Diana Stakes runner-up finish at the start of the season but should find this more comfortable territory than her last two starts.
Adam Marcus
Adam Marcus saddles a coupling headed by the Ideal World 4yo, Fear Not.
The Mauritzfontein bred galloper may enjoy the drop down to 1400m and showed nice pace in the Majorca, where she clung on to run fifth and 4,15 lengths behind Inara.
A repeat of that level of performance brings her into the reckoning and a stakes win looks well within her scope.
Marcus’ Crystal Cavern has been rather disappointing.
The daughter of Horse Chestnut has had excuses – her running style can lead to traffic issues in the hurly burly of Cape racing, with its bunching, lack of pace and home run rail options. But she now needs to come to the party and show that she is better than her recent profile suggests.
Paul Reeves’ Sea Cat races in the Met winner colours and is a decent five-time winning daughter of Var.
Sea Cat – potential quartet kicker
She won her penultimate start – a PE feature – quite readily and then showed pace but fell away to 5,50 lengths behind Inara in the Majorca. She will need to be at her peak to feature here.
Justin Snaith has three in the race.
Harvard Crimson ranged up down the inside rail at the 300m marker of the Listed Jamaica Handicap but failed to go through with her effort and ran fourth 2,60 lengths off Gathering Fame.
Justin Snaith – always a factor
She has had no luck with the draw but could be more comfortable over the shorter trip here.
The 3yo Petala could catch her breath here after failing in the Choice Carriers and then finding the 1200m a touch fast last time when staying on for fifth behind stablemate Acaciawood,
The latter has come good, winning 3 of her last 5 starts over the sprints and being out of a Fort Wood mare, should enjoy the extra 200m.
She looks a likely danger off the 53,5kg mark and must be respected.
Trainer Andre Nel has made a flying start to his career and saddles School Run and the undefeated Lohnromance in the Plattner flag.
Regular man Aldo Domeyer opts to ride Fear Not for Adam Marcus- so if we trust jockey’s judgement, then these two look to be out of it.
School Run won an MR 84 Handicap over the straight 1200m in December and then followed that up with an excellent second to the highly rated Qing on Met day.
The daughter of Trippi steps up a rung here in terms of competition, but is well drawn and must have a place shout.
Lohnromance has won both her sprint starts in good style but was scratched with on overreach from her last intended start in the Majorca.
She has not raced for 8 weeks and has a 13 draw to overcome – but if she is as good as she is rumoured to be, she may be the value dark horse.
The likely pacemaker is Petty Officer, who is quick out of the gates and will be right there early on from her 3 draw.
The 5yo daughter of Royal Air Force is a big girl with a lovely stride but her recent form suggests she may come up a few lengths short on these terms in this company.
Joey Ramsden – Supercilious has good form
Joey Ramsden throws the fit 3yo Visionaire filly Supercilious into the deep end after winning 3 of her last 5 starts.
She has drawn perfectly at pole position and has very decent course and distance credentials to her credit.
Varumba has drawn wide out at 12 and reverts to her own sex after being outgunned in the CTS Million Dollar last time.
She needs to learn to settle in her races and this cost her at her penultimate jump when a 2,65 length third to the decent Amarillo Rose over the course and distance.
The Listed Devon Air Stakes winner Flying Ice has failed to recapture her 2yo form.
After running on fairly smartly for fourth in the Choice Carriers Championship 2,85 lengths behind Silver Mountain, she failed to build on that in the Cape Fillies Guineas.
Brett Crawford holds the aces and much like the staying feature later on, one stable could dominate the race.
Cuvee Brut should hold Alexis – with Lohnromance and Sea Cat the dangers.
