The Silvano colt Power King looks overdue to register a major win and is the choice
Some big names of recent years are inscribed on the R250 000 Gr3 Cape Winter Guineas roll of honour. Pocket Power and Variety Club are two that tower above the rest. The 2014 renewal hosts a mixed bunch of 3yo’s but there are two that look most likely to fight over the spoils.
The brilliant 2012 winner Variety Club ironically runs in the Gr1 Champions Mile on the same day 11873 kms away at Sha Tin. As Cape Town is some six hours behind Hong Kong we will know the outcome of Variety Club’s bid prior to the running of the Cape Sunday feature.
Interestingly, and purely for academic reference, Variety Club won both the KRA Guineas and the Cape Winter Guineas in 2012. That would naturally be a tougher and well nigh impractical task in 2014, with these two races programmed for the same weekend.
Paper Tiger
Only nine runners take their chances in this schoolyard for better things on Sunday and Dean Kannemeyer’s Silvano colt Power King looks a good thing. On paper, at least.
Power King did not get the nod with the rest of the Kannemeyer string of twenty that headed up to KZN for Champions Season a month ago. That will be more a reflection of capacity restraints and limited accommodation (we won’t go down that road) rather than his own ability.
He is rated way superior to the rest and has a fair reputation to carry. Power King returned a fortnight ago from a two month break following an unplaced run after a rough passage in the Cape Derby. He was beaten under a length by two horses he meets again, but his 3yo classic form was much stronger than anything he meets here.
Impressive
Marmalade Tycoon was an impressive winner of that 1400m event with Dynastic Power running on well to shade Power King for second. Marmalade Tycoon is now 2,5kgs worse off with Power King and Dynastic Power, and both will strip fitter come Sunday.
Marmalade Tycoon is a son of the Coolmore stallion Duke Marmalade, who was a five time Gr1 winner from 1400m – 2400m and considered to be the last great racehorse by Danehill, the proven sire of sires. He was really most impressive last time and could follow up and show he is way ahead of the handicapper.
Support String
The second of the Hodgson runners is the Badger’s Drift colt, Mister Matchett. He will be ridden by stable jockey Fareed Anthony, but it is not likely that he will be seen as the stable elect.
He won his maiden readily over 1400m at Durbanville at his sixth outing and then produced a fair subsequent effort when staying on steadily behind Emblem Honour over 200m further at the same track. He is relatively unexposed and quite difficult to assess.
Snaith Duo
Richard Fourie rides Paolo for Justin Snaith. The son of Casey Tibbs has won 3 of ten starts but bumps stronger after winning last time. The second of the Snaith runners is the Captain Al gelding Vice Admiral who had a no show pipe opener at Kenilworth over this past Monday.
He has registered his only two wins in PE and appears to have his problems.It is difficult getting too excited about his prospects, but it is a small field and he could run into minor place money.
Joey Ramsden’s Count Dubois gelding Azincourt has been largely restricted to the sprints and now steps up to a mile after a ten week break. He has looked promising but has little collateral over the trip.
Destiny Unknown
Paddy Kruyer’s Dynasty gelding Global Destiny has won twice from just five outings and got the better of the modest Time To Kill when winning over 2000m at Durbanville last time out.
He could be more competitive in the second and third legs. Gen Puller’s Ashaawes gelding Reim returns from a three month break and appears well held at level weights. He was conclusively beaten at both of his feature efforts late last year and seems outclassed, on what we have seen of him to date.
The Power Of Winter
The Mike Bass trained legend Pocket Power is the only horse to have won the R1 million Cape Winter Series Triple Crown. The son of Jet Master won the prestigious series in 2006, beating the brilliant Joey Ramsden trained Silver Mist in the last two legs. The two clashed again in the L’Ormarins Queens Plate of the same year, with Silver Mist getting even closer to one of South Africa’s great equine heroes.
Silver Mist went on to success in Dubai, while the Pocket Power story is well documented. Joey Ramsden’s former SA Horse Of The Year Winter Solstice came close to achieving the treble in 2004, when he was narrowly beaten in the third leg by stablemate, Set To Music. The 2014 Winter Series again promises to provide a platform for emergent stars building their racing careers.
The well- spaced, Grade 3 races over increasing distances of 1600m, 1800m and 2400m are a test of classic ability, culminating in a serious search of endurance in the Winter Derby.
The series for three year old Colts and Geldings comprises:
Leg 1: R250 000 Tekkie Town Winter Guineas(Grade 3) 1600m, 4 May 2014
Leg 2: R250 000 Mbokodo Awards Winter Classic (Grade 3) 1800m, 31 May 2014
Leg 3: R250 000 Winter Derby,(Grade 3) 2400m, 28 June 2014
A bonus of R250 000 will be paid to the connections of the horse that wins all three les.
