Royal Salute! Karl Neisius acknowledges the crowd as Capetown Noir wins the Queen’s Plate (Equine Edge)
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer received some overdue acknowledgement for his staunch faith in the ability of his brilliant Western Winter colt Capetown Noir, when the athletic bay slammed a high quality field, including Met favourite Jackson, to win the R1 million Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday.
With all the media attention focussed on the Champions Cup winner Jackson and Joey Ramsden’s boom 3yo Red Ray, Capetown Noir slipped in quietly through the backdoor of South Africa’s premier mile and those astute punters who took the 5 to 1 on offer, hardly raised a sweat. After jumping well from his 1 draw, the race was over as a contest at the 200m.
Capetown Noir had come out of the 2013 KZN Champions Season with his shiny reputation slightly dented after bumping the De Kock champion Vercingetorix at his peak.
A short break followed, and he hacked up to win the Matchem Stakes in October without coming off the bit.
The Kenilworth winter course, a bad draw and a slightly off day (don’t we all have them?) saw him put in a flat effort when his stablemate Ice Machine struck gold in the Green Point Stakes.
But champions bounce back and Capetown Noir beat Jackson fair and square on Saturday, in a race which , despite being a mile, looks to have thrown the Met picture wide open.
Piere Strydom took No Worries across from his wide draw to lead Lake Arthur , with Royal Zulu Warrior, Jackson and Castlethorpe on the wide outside. Capetown Noir was beautifully settled about eight lengths back.
Another Angle. Capetown Noir leaves his opposition for dead (Equine Edge)
Strydom took the initiative controlling the pace out front and as they went for home No Worries dashed down the inside rail as the Van Zyl runner pinched two lengths on the chasing Lake Arthur. Capetown Noir commenced his perfectly placed assault at the same time, from within striking distance.
With Jackson slightly flatfooted down the centre of the track Capetown Noir glided through down the rail and appeared to have plenty in hand as he galloped powerfully.
The race developed into a chase over the final 200m, but it was apparent that Neisius had it in the bag some way out, as Jackson came forward and lacked the urgency and toe.
Capetown Noir flashed past the post and won by 1,25 lengths in a time of 97,94 secs.
Jackson stayed on without threatening and has interestingly still never won over a mile
The performance of the race beyond the winner must go to the Snaith trained Jet Explorer, who came into the straight in last place and made up lengths to finish like an express train. Watch this fellow over the 2000m of the Met. He is currently at number 15 on the log, just behind Capetown Noir.
Speak To Me. Lady Christine Laidlaw comes face to face with her champion (Hamish Niven Photography)
Trainer Gavin Van Zyl would have been pleased with the run of No Worries, who clung on grimly to fourth place after making all the running.
Winning jockey Karl Neisius said afterwards that Capetown Noir had proven again that he was the top miler in South Africa. He said that the stable’s recent frustrating run of seconds had made the win even more enjoyable.
“I have been in the game a long time and it is horses like these that get us up in the morning. I had the run of the race and it all panned out very well in the end. He is a great horse and looks like a serious stallion prospect in the making,” he said.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer was winning his third Queen’s Plate and showed again that he is a true stakes race specialist when it comes to prepping the big winners.
He paid tribute to his staunch owner Lady Christine Laidlaw and his father Peter, himself a legend of the turf in the Cape and a trainer of many Gr1 winners. The retired Peter (now 80) was on the winner’s podium.
Dean also said that the loss of Western Winter was a major blow for SA racing. He thanked Mike and Norma Rattray for breeding quality horses.
Kannemeyer has had a frustrating few weeks and battled to contain his emotions.
“Let’s face it. Bad horses don’t win the Guineas. And then he won the Derby too. Last time out he was badly drawn but he loves the summer course long run in, and we thought we’d go close from the good draw. He quickened well and I rate him a brilliant miler. My staff have worked overtime and I must thank them too. This is the best mile in the country to win and it sorts the men from the boys,” said Dean.
For the rest, there were some hard facts of life in the top league to face.
Sean Tarry’s Hawaii Stakes winner Whiteline Fever finished 2.60 lengths back in fifth. He made up some fair ground from some way back and was not disgraced.
The Yogas Govender trained Lake Arthur finished 2.70 lengths back in sixth. He was well placed throughout and had every chance.
Sansui Summer Cup winner Yorker finished 3.45 lengths back in seventh. He was cruising in midfield tracking Capetown Noir, but despite staying on in the straight appeared to be run off his feet and may want further. He blew in the betting and may have had his travel issues.
2012 Selangor Cup winner King Of Pain finished 3.65 lengths back in eighth. He checked early on the rail and made his run down the centre of the track and appeared to have every chance as he went a stride or two with Jet Explorer. He produced no finishing effort when it counted.
The boom 3yo Red Ray finished 4.15 lengths back in ninth. The son of Western Winter tracked Yorker wide out into the straight and despite being ridden hard by Marcus, he had no answer and ran a rather disappointing race.
Charity Mile winner Royal Zulu Warrior finished 4.45 lengths back in tenth. He was third turning into the home run but failed to kick on.
Cape Classic winner Chave De Oura finished 5.95 lengths back in eleventh. He was a half length adrift of Capetown Noir as they came for home, but had nothing to offer in the final 300m.
The Mike Bass trained Castlethorpe finished 8.20 lengths back in twelfth.He appeared to fight his rider early and came wide into the home run about four lengths off No Worries. He went backwards from the 400m marker and appears to have little enthusiasm for his racing.
The winner’s stablemate and Green Point Stakes winner Ice Machine finished 9.95 lengths back in thirteenth. The unsound son of Silvano was always towards the rear of the charge and failed to show the sparkling finish of his previous victory.
The former KZN based Corredor finished 11.45 lengths back in last place. The son of Cataloochee never showed and was outclassed.
The brilliant Capetown Noir has won 8 of his 14 starts with 7 places and took his stakes to R2 379 450.
Capetown Noir was selected by Dean Kannemeyer and the Form Organisation’s Jehan Malherbe who went to R1 million in search of a classic horse at the National Sale on behalf of Lady Laidlaw.
The full-brother to the well-performed Chris Van Niekerk-owned Across The Ice was bred by Lammerskraal Stud and is by Western Winter out of the lightly raced one time winning Fort Wood mare, Akinfeet.
Capetown Noir is the fourth Queen’s Plate winner by Western Winter after Yard Arm and Winter Solstice (twice).
