The unbeaten Zambezi River looks an exciting prospect
There is a touch more than pride and prestige on the line in Saturday’s R2 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes. It is called serious money – a sought after commodity in these trying times and something that our largely hard-pressed owners and trainers probably deserve more of. And while restricted races have their detractors, there won’t be anybody turning down the R1 million first cheque.
The big money on offer all the way down to tenth finishing position for the eligible 2013 Ready To Run Sale graduates and the invasion of six visitors makes for plenty of national needle and a punting puzzle of some gravity.
All A Winner
Sean Tarry has a strong hand with his two
What makes things so very intriguing in the build-up to the second running of the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes is that everybody appears to believe theirs can win it.
But CTS are life’s Dream Merchants and that part is just half the fun – the other is banking the big bucks.
Last year Captain America and Red Ray stood out and they finished head and shoulders above the rest. The 2014 renewal looks a different kettle of fish.
In the absence of any collateral interprovincial form and with so many unknowns associated with travel and horses, the race really is very wide open.
From The Top
Let’s run through the field on saddle-cloth number and try and make a little sense of it.
Johan Janse Van Vuuren
The Highlands bred Belong To Me is a twice winning son of Antonius Pius who boasts a Gr3 fourth 3,25 lengths behind Harry’s Son in the Graham Beck Stakes.
His trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren is a rare visitor to these parts but the young man has proven himself capable of getting them ready to rock.
The talking horse and sale recordbreaker, the Lammerskraal Stud bred Brutal Force represents the all-powerful Goodhope Racing attack.
Joey Ramsden only had marginally better luck with the draw this year after Red Ray jumped from 15 last year and Brutal Force looks to carry major expectations on his shoulders.
He is a massive horse who looks to have plenty of scope for improvement and the irony is that as good as he may be, this may be coming six months too soon for him.
Out Of Tune
The Captain’s Tune – Piere Strydom in the saddle
The Klawervlei Stud bred The Captain’s Tune has plenty in his favour, but has to travel from Johannesburg.
A fit horse, he is well drawn and enjoys the services of Piere Strydom, who won on him at his second start.
He finished a highly creditable third and only 1,75 lengths adrift of subsequent Gr2 Charity Mile winner Bezanova at his last start over the Turffontein mile.
The Avontuur bred River God has earned at all of his starts and ran on smartly last time to the older Royal Folly over the course and distance.
Royal Folly subsequently ran a rattling good neck second to the highly thought of Independence in an MR 74 Handicap at Kenilworth on Sunday.
Top Horse
The Geoff Armitage bred Imperial Gold is stable companion to the undefeated Zambezi River.
He has pulled a wide draw and has not seen action since going unplaced 17 weeks ago in the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes.
Dean Kannemeyer saddles Varlo from a wide draw
Despite his apparent ordinary form – if one win from two is ordinary – he is held in high regard by Sean Tarry who called him a ‘top horse’ in an SP interview earlier this week.
The Favour Stud bred Varlo races for Dean Kannemeyer and in the silks of Lars Kelp Bloodstock.
The son of Var has a victory over the boom horse Brutal Force to his credit and stayed on well for third to the smart Silicone Valley in an MR78 Handicap over the Kenilworth 1200m last time.
He should enjoy this longer trip but is drawn in Lansdowne Road and will need plenty of luck in running.
Windy Warrior
Mike Bass in form and saddles Peace Pact
The Highlands bred Clifton Surf is the sole PE representative in the race.
He has drawn wide out at 17 but did run a fast finishing second to the well performed former Charles Laird racer Unanounced last time out. He won on debut at fairly decent odds.
The Moutonshoek bred Peace Pact got the better of Varlo when winning his maiden at his third outing.
He then ran on nicely in his post-maiden effort when 1,50 lengths behind Catkin, who lines up in Saturday’s Gr2 Selangor Cup.
Peace Pact looks perfectly distance suited and could be a dark horse.
Our Choice
The Drakenstein Stud bred Zambezi River is an impressive unbeaten son of Trippi, who makes the long haul from Johannesburg.
Trainer Tyrone Zackey is bullish about Pennington Sands prospects
A horse who has won twice over the sprints after being slow off, he shows an impressive turn of foot and has drawn at pole position.
His trainer has touted him as a potential Cape Guineas horse and he ranks amongst our top selections in an open contest.
Tyrone Zackey is enjoying a purple patch with his small string and he saddles the Scott Bro’s bred Pennington Sands.
The daughter of Mogok has pulled an ugly draw of 16 but will be suited to the 1400m and will strip fit after her fair effort behind Majmu in the Starling Stakes.
Cape Hope
Brett Crawford – can he do it again this year?
The Connemara Stud bred Alexis has drawn at 2 and looks to spearhead the hometown hopes of keeping the trophy and the currency in the Cape.
Brett Crawford trains the daughter of Dynasty who has won her last two starts against her own sex with ease.
She steps up in ground and should relish the test.
If she is as good as they say she is then she must go very close.
The Oldlands Stud bred Cat And The Moon is one of three Justin Snaith-trained fillies in the race.
She has won twice from 8 starts against weaker but has feature jockey Sean Cormack up and runs on smartly at the business end.
The Snaith Racing bred Harvard Crimson is a promising daughter of Dynasty and the only three-time winner in the race.
She was well slammed by the champion prospect Cold As Ice in the Choice Carriers Championship and looks to have ground to make up against the best here.
On A Trip
Richard Fourie rides Sunset Tripp
The Gary and Jackie Jolliffe bred Sunset Tripp was an 800m juvenile winner on debut but squeaked in here on her narrow last win in a lowly rated handicap. Richard Fourie rides her and the power combination is worth considering – even if the horse looks an unknown quantity.
The Highlands bred Shimmering Leaves is one of the more experienced racers in the field and a two-time winner from eight starts.
She is nicely drawn and has proven consistent against older opposition.
The Harold Muller bred Jeweller’s Joy is a two-time winning daughter of Trippi who showed up well when beating some older fillies at her post-maiden outing over the Kenilworth mile.
She is fit and stays the trip and anybody leaving the Cheyne-Kotzen combination out is tempting fate.
Anybody’s Guess
The only guarantee in a race of this nature is that everybody wants to win and everybody will be doing their utmost to do so.
There won’t be any prep runners or those not quite ready. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity – for now anyway.
We are siding with the proven recipe of the big names and what has caught the eye.
The Trippi colt Zambezi Gold looks promising and he is selected to beat Belong To Me and The Captain’s Tune.
But it is open!
