High Class. The Western Winter colt Red Ray may have the measure of his opposition on Saturday (Photo: Hamish Niven Photography)
Whether you are a racing purist, a return on investment fundi, or just simply a racing adrenaline junkie, the hype and excitement surrounding Saturday’s R2million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes, presented by CTS, would have caught your attention. The quality of the field lining up for the inaugural running of this concept race certainly sets the foundation for a winning future.
The sale with race approach has caught alight in all respects and has occupied an unprecedented amount of space in all forms of racing media across the board in recent times. It also goes without saying, that, like everything else in life, the idea has its supporters and detractors.
But even the most ardent purist would concede that that the top few in this year’s race will be making their own serious individual bids for classic race glory in the months ahead. And with stakes paid all the way down to tenth position, it makes sense to take a chance, champion or not.
Ramsden Ray
The obvious talking horse of the race is the magnificent Joey Ramsden trained Western Winter colt, Red Ray. The Lammerskraal bred bay has captured the public imagination with a superb run only blotted by an abortive trip to the Highveld that saw him go down in the Gr1 SA Nursery to the top class Willow Magic.
Red Ray’s last win when annihilating his opposition in the Gr3 Elusive Fort Cape Classic was a top class effort at the youngster’s first effort around the turn. Never far off them, he moved through smoothly to win going away and looks a serious Cape Guineas prospect at this stage. That whatever anybody up North chooses to argue. A winner of four of his five races, he is a serious racehorse.
Ramsden also saddles the goodlooking grey Var gelding Rio Branco for his longstanding owners Gisela Burg and Martin Wickens. While he won his maiden in assertive fashion at his last outing, the horse he beat there is still in the maiden ranks and the form is questionable.
Captain Hook
What looked a one horse race a matter of a month ago has changed dramatically in complexion, following the emergence of another very promising looking sort. Brett Crawford’s Captain America has plenty of supporters to upset the Red Ray roadshow.
Captain America has won three of his 4our starts (it is difficult to believe he started 18 to 1 on debut), and won his last two over the course and distance of Saturday’s race. He won his last two on varied going too, and looks very promising.
Kotzen Challenge
Glen Kotzen will fancy his own chances of getting back into the feature race limelight with his exciting Antonius Pius colt, Antonius Du Bois, who unlike Red Ray, has drawn nicely at 3. Antonius Du Bois has won three from six and includes the Langerman and East Cape Champion Juvenile Stakes amongst his wins.
He may have needed the run when not disgraced behind Red Ray in the Elusive Fort Cape Classic, and besides being cramped in running, finished just under 3 lengths behind the Ramsden champion. Kotzen also saddles the Ashaawes filly Davyana, who took seven runs to win her maiden. Her last outing, while with some possible excuses, was not good enough to suggest that she could challenge the likes of Red Ray.
Marshall Movers
Vaughan Marshall saddles a coupling of Captain’s Reserve and Exelero. Captain’s Reserve has won two of his five starts and was hampered last time when going unplaced behind Unencumbered. He ran third in the Gr1 Gold Medallion behind the promising Captain Of All, and is a scopy fellow who could grab place money.
Exelero was well beaten by Red Ray in the Choice Carriers Championship and has now gone 5kgs backwards. The much hyped R1 million son of Western Winter has let his supporters down in the past and he may have to come back another day to lower Red Ray’s colours.
Snaith Trio
Justin Snaith is well represented by a trio of runners, headed by the smart looking Silvano colt Arion who has pulled a 1 draw. The promising sort ran Captain America to a half length (when carrying a half kilo overweight) when Crawford’s horse shed his maiden. He subsequently won two on the trot, before going down to Dynasty’s Secret in a shock reversal at Durbanville last time.
While Snaith was well treated by the draw gods in Arion’s case, the same cannot be said for his other two runners. The Australian bred son of Teofilo Play intheenemy has registered one win from eight starts, but is poorly drawn on the outside and needs to improve after a poor last run.
The third of the Snaith runners is the Jet Master filly Six Of The Best. She ran handily in fillies company over the 1200m Kenilworth straight last time.
Fast
Adam Marcus saddles the multiple sprint winner Tribute To Kylie, who tries a mile for the first time. The son of Kildonan is very fast, but it remains to be seen as to how he adapts to the turn and the extra ground. Sean Tarry’s Fort Wood colt Fort Bellini won his debut when easily accounting for Sunday’s Clairwood winner Salesman. He came out at Clairwood for his second run last week and was well beaten by the Mike de Kock trained Captain Lars.
Fillies
Dean Kannemeyer’s Eyeofthetiger colt, All About The Dash has had no luck with the draw, and was comprehensively slammed by Captain America last time out. The Kannemeyer runner has to find a further 4kgs here and would appear to have no chance of reversing the order with Brett Crawford’s star.
It is pleasing to see that five fillies have made the final cut and the best of them may well prove to be Peter de Beyer and partner’s daughter of Kabool, Knysna Lagoon. While she has pulled a 13 draw to match her 13 saddle cloth, she has run two forward races post her maiden win in fillies company and has certainly earned her tilt at instant fame.
Dreams
Red Ray looks destined for greater things, even though he will go far to find a bigger payday! He is selected to win at the expense of Captain America and Arion. And if you share similar hopes and dreams, why not go down to Durbanville Racecourse on Friday 22 November at 14h00 and acquire your own four legged ray of hope?
