Consistent. The Secretariat Stakes winner Fantastic Mr Fox is a big runner in Saturday’s Tony Ruffel Stakes
A quality field of 3yo’s lines up for Saturday’s R200 000 Gr3 Tony Ruffel Stakes to be run over the Turffontein 1450m inside track. In a race endowed with loads of ability and pace, the draw and luck in running could play a key role. Recent history shows that there is little wrong with this little early season feature as a launching pad to greater things for our stars of the future.
Leading Lights
The outstanding Jet Master colt Pomodoro won the Tony Ruffel Stakes in 2012 and with the preceding two runnings being won by luminaries of the ilk of Link Man and Pierre Jourdan, one can imagine that there could well be another rising star lurking in Saturday’s field. The race honours one of the great old school racing administrators of years gone by.
The late Tony Ruffel was a former Steward, Chairman of the Transvaal Owners and Trainers Association, as well as a Chairman of the National Federation of Owners and Trainers(NATFED). He was appointed Chairman of the then Jockey Club of SA in 1981. His wife Joan made history when becoming the first female Steward in our history when elected to the board of the Newmarket Turf Club.
The Right Way
While the Dingaans run on 1 December may well hold the answers, we are plumbing for a fellow who skipped that race but looks to be going the right way. But an immediate negative is the reality that Paul Matchett’s Fantastic Mr Fox has had wretched luck with a barrier gate in the wilderness at 11.
The Right Approach gelding won the Secretariat Stakes on the standside track in a thrilling tight finish beating Cookie Monster and Waka Waka , before running on very strongly last time behind Alec Laird’s Gitiano, whom he meets here again.
Fantastic Mr Fox is 1,5 kgs better off with Gitiano for that 0,25 length beating over the course and distance and may well be better than rated by the official handicapper. There is no question that he faces tougher here.
Dingaans
If we use the Gr2 Dingaans as a guide for a collateral measure of seven of the balance of the runners, we should remain mindful of the fact that this is a very different sort of race.
The Dingaans was run over the kinder standside track and over 150m further. It was also over two months ago, and things change in that time frame in the development of these young horses.
The ill fated The Hangman, who was injured during Cape Guineas week, won the Dingaans going away and was chased home by Geoff Woodruff’s Sabadell, who ran a cracker from his 14 draw. Sabadell has drawn against the paint here after a disappointing subsequent effort in the Sea Cottage Stakes, and besides maybe finding the 1800m of that race a trifle far, he was also reported not striding out.
Promising. The Mike De Kock trained Emerald Approach could bounce back after a short rest
Companion
Next best in the Dingaans was his Australian bred stablemate Killua Castle, who finished strongly in third position and just behind him. Killua Castle was experimented with on the sand at his last outing in a MR 94 Handicap over the 1450m when running handy and fading to fourth behind the useful older campaigner Uncle Tommy. Killua Castle has continued the Woodruff lucky streak by drawing alongside Sabadell, and he will no doubt prefer this surface.
Mike De Kock’s Emerald Approach finished 3,50 lengths back in the Dingaans and has not run since. He won two of his four starts prior to that, and is worth including based on jockey choice and stable strength. Stuart Pettigrew’s Zestful also has first outing since the Dingaans, where he ran a smart fifth and 4,25 lengths behind the winner. He has not drawn too cleverly at 10 here, and will need to bring his top game to Turffontein to have shout.
Hatt’s Up
Glen Hatt travels from Cape Town to ride Mike Azzie’s Yukon Gold, who looks an optimistic entry after shedding his maiden way back in May of last year. He ran 8 lengths back in The Dingaans and flopped on the sand last time.
The topweight Gitiano finished 8,75 lengths back in the Dingaans, but redeemed himself somewhat with a smooth win in a Progress Plate last time. He appears to relish this course and distance, and while held by a fellow like Fantastic Mr Fox, may be worth including from a reasonable draw.
The runaway maiden winner The King And I is the second of the Tarry runners, and has the worst Dingaans record of the lot. He finished 12,75 lengths behind his stablemate in that event and has drawn 12 here. He ran fourth behind Gitiano last time when 2,75 lengths adrift and now looks stronger with a two kilo advantage. But Piere Strydom will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat, from the draw.
Bullish
It is difficult getting too bullish about the remaining four runners. Gavin Van Zyl’s No Worries has won twice from his six starts, but ran a disappointing race in the Sea Cottage Stakes last time.
Cannon returns from a three months rest following his unplaced effort in the Graham Beck Stakes. While De Kock horses can never be ignored, he should need the outing. Sean Tarry’s Swift And Strong steps up dramatically in class from the novice ranks. His race record of two wins and three seconds from five starts is worth respecting, and he has drawn well.
Lucky Houdalakis’ Right To Tango is another stepping up in class, and won his last start over the Vaal 1400m in mid December. He could be anything , but looks held by some of the others.
Fantastic!
This is not the kind of race where one should go staking reputations and being dogmatic. The vagaries of the inside track and the consequential strategic value of the draw and early pace, could sway matters.
Fantastic Mr Fox looks like a progressive sort who has plenty of scope to improve. His draw does not help his cause though. The Woodruff pairing of Sabadell and Killua Castle are well drawn and will both be happier here after their respective poor last runs.
De Kock’s Emerald Approach has done very little wrong and may come out refreshed and ready to race after his Dingaans fourth. We suggest that Fantastic Mr Fox will get there late to nab Killua Castle and Sabadell. The Gauteng 3yo picture will surely be clearer after the race.
