Mike who? That was the question posed a good few times prior to Saturday’s Cape Guineas – until we were provided with a wake-up call that took just over a minute and a half in the form of Noah From Goa. De Kock saddles the Australian-bred Entisaar in Sunday’s R150 000 Listed Laisserfaire Stakes – and maybe we should jump on the wave and enjoy the ride.
It has been well documented that the multiple SA champion trainer’s Cape summer season had been a bit in and out up until Saturday.
Entisaar
Interestingly, Entisaar was one of the culprits – if we dare so label a Gr1 filly who chased Silver Mountain home in the Choice Carriers Championship – and the daughter of More Than Ready could make good on Sunday.
Top-Class
Let us just recall a few facts about Entisaar, who has disappeared off our radar since she arrived in Cape Town a winner of 3 of her 4 starts – including the Gr1 Alan Robertson Championship and the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery.
She trailed Silver Mountain on her Cape debut as we have already alluded to and then ran rather disappointingly in the Southern Cross Stakes when beaten 2,15 lengths behind Carry On Alice.
Entisaar had both Cuvee Brut and Real Princess (2,10 lengths) and Real Princess (1,35 lengths) in front of her there and she meets them on 2kgs and 1kg better terms respectively.
While it is a bit of a swipe in the dark, she should also enjoy the extra 100m – but realistically, so should both of the other two.
Cuvee Brut was a desperately narrow loser of the Southern Cross Stakes and the daughter of Count Dubois will be fancied to go close again.
Rated
Dean Kannemeyer – saddles Real Princess
Dean Kannemeyer holds Real Princess in high regard and the daughter of Trippi will strip sharper in her second outing in three weeks.
Grant Behr may want to try and get her closer to the action and she is a massive runner at best.
Justin Snaith will have plenty of emotional sentiment attached to this race by virtue of the family association with Laisserfaire and he sends out three runners – all by Captain Al.
The yard saddled a four-timer last Saturday and they can never be discounted.
Snaith Trio
The three are much of a muchness and the best may be the keenly weighted and fast improving Acaciawood.
A winner of 2 of her last 3 starts, she gets a chance to stake a black-type claim and is a pacy sort who could stretch the top-rated gallopers at the weights.
Victoria Lavelle popped up to beat the much vaunted Chevauchee last time of asking and makes for an interesting contestant as she can be switched off and run at them late.
Petala won two on the trot before being outclassed in the Choice Carriers Championship. She has won 3 of 5 starts and is another worth throwing in if looking for a decent dividend.
The stakes placed Champery has her first outing as a 3yo after a 33 week break from racing.
She won her first two outings and then notched a stakes place behind My Emblem.
Fitness will be her major worry in a quality field.
Kotzen Duo
Glen Kotzen – saddles two
Glen Kotzen –trained Night In Tahiti actually beat Silver Mountain on her debut over the Kenilworth 1000m and was not disgraced in the Choice Carriers Championship when 3,85 length off the same flyer.
The lightly raced daughter of Kildonan has the makings of a decent sprinter and could chase place stakes – even if outgunned on paper.
The Paarl-based Kotzen also saddles the year older Goldandsilver who bolsters the dominance of the lightly weighted runners in the race.
The Silvano 4yo has little stakes credentials but has won 4 of her 17 outings and is no slouch down the straight track.
Geoff Woodruff’s Ntombe may feel she is running without a jockey as she lumbers 52kgs as she rises in class.
The Australian-bred mare is a touch in and out and registered her only Cape win during the dark of winter.
Laisserfaire
Just a word about the racename.
A daughter of Danehill, the multiple Gr1 winning Laisserfaire won 12 of her 16 starts in the Plattner silks and retired after her second consecutive win in the SA Fillies Sprint in May 2002.
A timeless link is provided by Justin Snaith’s three runners as his Dad and mentor, Chris, was Laisserfaire’s original trainer.
