Classy. The Sail From Seattle gelding Seattle Storm is looking for his first win as a 3yo
A smart Cape based son of Horse Chestnut makes his bid for glory in the first leg of the R900 000 Eastern Cape Sophomore Challenge which is run at Fairview on Friday. The R150 000 Listed Ibhayi Stakes is run over 1400m and hosts a smart field, where Vaughan Marshall’s Chestnut’s Rocket is expected to assert himself despite a bad draw.
Marshall used to have a training yard in Port Elizabeth but the Milnerton conditioner moved out years ago and even his raids up the coast have become less frequent as the years have gone by.
Tough Task
As the highest rated runner in the race, Chestnut’s Rocket looks fairly well in, but he won’t have an easy task with the likes of the East Cape Nursery winner and the usual Snaith lurker in the shadows.
The weights in this race are allocated with one time winners and raced maidens carrying 52 kg, thereafter a 2 kg penalty for each additional win up to but not exceeding 58 kg. Fillies are permitted an allowance of 2,5 kg.
Chestnut’s Rocket won his last race with authority when kicking clear to beat Epic Tale by two lengths in an MR 86 Handicap over 1700m at Kenilworth.
Gold Class
But it is the ability shown at his penultimate run that catches the eye. Running over the Kenilworth mile on 7 December, he ran subsequent Cape Guineas winner Elusive Gold to a half length when giving the former Brett Crawford star 3kgs.
That was a very good effort from the gelding and he returns to the scene of a fair earlier run. He ran right on top of the Bass’ Top Jet in the Listed RA Stakes run over 200m further at this venue in October last year.
Lurker
Justin Snaith plots his races carefully and he saddles the one time winning Jallad gelding Glenton, who has run some fair races post maiden to the likes of Roman Manner and the promising prospect Futura.
While he has a tough task at the weights on the ratings with the likes of Chestnut’s Rocket, it would be foolish to disregard anything that pulls out of the Snaith garage.
Breakfast
Grant Paddock saddles the Sophomore Plate winner Oats, who has been a revelation since relocating from Cape Town. He carries topweight of 58 kgs here and needs to give a further 2kgs to the smart King Of Indians after beating him a half length over the course and distance last time out. Oats has won four of his five starts in PE and has proved that he stays the distance.
Class Sort
Alan Greeff saddles the classy East Cape Nursery winner Seattle Storm who is yet to get into the winner’s enclosure in his 3yo season.
The thrice winning son of Sail From Seattle gets 2kgs from Oats after being beaten 3,50 lengths at their last meeting. He will be ridden by Glen Hatt in the absence of the injured Greg Cheyne.
Smith Duo
Gavin Smith saddles a coupling of Zobens and the consistent King Of Indians. The latter looks the stronger of the two (the handicapper says differently) and looks overdue for his third win.
Bush Ranger runs for Yvette Bremner after moving from Joey Ramsden in the Cape. The son of Solskjaer has failed to pick things up since his maiden win and needs more improvement to feature here.
Dorrie Sham saddles Voices Of Kings who looks to have little chance at the weights. He is also poorly drawn.
The Girls
There are three fillies in the race and despite the sex allowance, they look to have an uphill battle. Mitch Wiese’s Titlee ran on well behind Winter Fantasy in the Breeders Guineas Plate on the Valentine’s Day meeting switched to the polytrack. She appears to be more comfortable over further and could be a factor in a later leg of the challenge.
Glen Kotzen’s Eye Of The Panther is a two time winning daughter of Eyeofthetiger, who has run below par at her last two starts. Steven Janse Van Rensburg’s Tiger Dance filly Taipai Tigress won her maiden by over ten lengths and carries a paperweight of 50kgs. She could run into the minor place money.
The Rocket
Chestnut’s Rocket is a confident first choice to open his East Cape Sophomore Challenge assault. He is selected at the expense of Glenton and the consistent King Of Indians.
East Cape Triple Crown
Phumelela have confirmed the renewal of the R900 000 Eastern Cape Sophomore Challenge for 2014. The challenge is in effect a local Triple Crown. Besides the total stake monies of R650 000 on offer, a Challenge bonus of R250 000 will be paid to the winning connections, should a horse win all three races of the challenge.
The first race in the series is the R150 000 Ibhayi Stakes (Listed), to be run over 1400m at Fairview this coming Friday. The second leg is the R150 000 Listed East Cape Guineas to be run over 1600 metres at Fairview on 4 April, and the final leg is the R350 000 Gr3 East Cape Derby Powered by Recall Security run over 2400m at Fairview on 11 May.
Horses that participate in the first and second legs will be given free entry and acceptance to run in the third leg. If won, the Challenge bonus of R250 000 will be shared between the connections of the successful horse on the following basis:- Owner 75% / Trainer 10% / Jockey 7,5% / Breeder 7,0% / Groom 0,5%
Should there be more than one owner, trainer, jockey or groom associated with the horse over the period of the Challenge, the bonus will be shared proportionately.
Should a horse win all three races, a prestigious trophy will be presented to the owner in further recognition of this magnificent achievement. Miniatures will also be presented to the successful trainer, jockey and breeder.
