On The Up! The Graham Beck Stakes winner Francois Bernardus shows all the characteristics of a progressive 3yo and is our first choice
A very progressive Goldkeeper gelding makes his bid to annex the first leg of the SASCOC Triple Crown at Turffontein on Saturday. Francois Bernardus ticks all the right boxes and holds his opposition at the weights.
We expect him to win the R1 million Gr2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas, a high quality race that has shown a penchant for producing the shocks. Based on recent history, we should probably be siding with champion trainer Mike De Kock as a prudent approach to a tough race. The master has, after all, saddled four of the past five Gauteng Guineas winners, including last year’s 100 to 1 bomb, Golden Chateau.
Sadly the Australian bred son of Chateau Istana has done very little since his Guineas win, but the quality was there with the subsequent Vodacom Durban July winner and the SA Classic winner, amongst others, trailing in his wake. The depth is evident again this year.
Consistent! Tony Ruffel winner Fantastic Mr Fox should make a bold bid for Guineas glory
Our Boy
Tyrone Zackey’s Francois Bernardus is handicapped to beat the whole lot here and the chestnut looks spot on as he takes his first step to Triple Crown glory after making an impressive winning return to action a week ago over the Vaal 1200m.
After being outpaced early, Piere Strydom guided him through his opposition and he drew off to win well in good time. This gelding, who was named in honour of his owner’s late father, is unbeaten in the Zackey yard where he relocated after winning his maiden for Paul Matchett.
He announced his arrival in the big league with a resounding victory under Grant Van Niekerk in the Graham Beck Stakes run over 1400m at Turffontein at the beginning of November. He beat The Hangman, who was ridden by Piere Strydom.
Francois Bernardus was then rested and has joined forces with Piere Strydom. It is his first try beyond 1400m, but being out of a Fort Wood mare and with his relaxed style of racing, he should find this extra 200m no stress at all. Tyrone Zackey will be pondering whether Mike De Kock has got something up his sleeve this year.
De Kock Trio
De Kock ,like Geoff Woodruff, saddles three runners, the trio of which is headed by recent Sea Cottage Stakes winner, Alexandra Palace. Anthony Delpech rides Alexandra Palace from a good draw and the son of Jet Master raised eyebrows when storming through to win the Sea Cottage Stakes at just his third career outing last time.
That race was over 1800m and he was then being touted as a likely Cape Derby candidate. That plan never came to anything, however. But the Derby whispers concern us that he may be run off his feet in a potential sprint for home, amongst some emerging miler talent here. De Kock’s other two are Emerald Approach and the reserve runner Cannon.
Emerald Approach appeared to need the outing when running last in the Tony Ruffel, but won two of his first four starts, and ran a nice fourth behind The Hangman in The Dingaans. He has drawn wide, but as a course and distance winner from a powerful yard, must come into the equation.
Triple Woody
Geoff Woodruff sends out a powerful three way coupling of Killua Castle, Sabadell and the talented Tellina. Killua Castle and Sabadell have both shown flashes of serious ability, but the latter’s wide draw will not help his cause.
Killua Castle disappointed with a ninth place behind Fantastic Mr Fox in the Tony Ruffel Stakes, but may have found the inside track not to his liking. He ran two fair thirds in the Ready To Run Cup and The Dingaans, when given the breathing space to wind up for a run, and well drawn on Saturday, could be a serious contender.
Bernard Fayd’herbe flies up from Cape Town to ride Sabadell, who finished just behind Killua Castle in the Tony Ruffel Stakes. He had also disappointed in the Sea Cottage Stakes, but registered a fair fourth place in the Graham Beck Stakes and a solid second to The Hangman in the Dingaans over Saturday’s track and trip. His draw remains a passion killer though.
Robbie Fradd rides Tellina, who is unexposed at feature level, but has won two of his five starts. He beat the moderate Aces High by 5,25 lengths in a lowly rated handicap over the course and distance at his last start and could be a surprise package, as we don’t quite know what he is capable of when put under pressure.
Genuine Miler. Paul Lafferty’s Politician Stakes winner Love Struck will be partnered again by Anton Marcus
Foxy Lad
Paul Matchett’s Fantastic Mr Fox has proven himself a model of consistency and looks to be one of the better 3yo males around. The son of Right Approach steps up to a mile after brilliant wins in the Secretariat Stakes and the Tony Ruffel Stakes at his last outing. He has produced electrifying finishes at both of those, and his regular pilot Randall Simons will probably not be overly concerned about his wide draw.
Unruffled
The Sean Tarry trained Silvano gelding Swift And Strong finished just 0,7 5 lengths behind Fantastic Mr Fox in the Tony Ruffel, and was running on very nicely. He had won his two previous starts in good style, and looks like an improving sort who could shock them from a good draw if things go his way. Summerveld based Paul Lafferty brings the Listed Breeders’ Cup Politician Stakes winner Love Struck to Johannesburg, after choosing to give the Cape Derby a miss.
Anton Marcus retains loyalties with the son of Kahal, who won a cracker on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day under a typically creative Marcus ride. Interestingly he had some fair sorts behind him there, including Dynamic who subsequently ran a good second to Capetown Noir in the Derby three weeks later.
Other than observing that Love Struck has No Worries held on their KZN Guineas Trial clash, the muddling cross provincial form of our three major racing centres, makes Love Struck well nigh impossible to rate.
He has shown himself to be more than capable up to a mile, having won twice at Listed level against his own age group. He had no answers against the country’s best in the CPYS Cape Guineas though, and the fact that he has travelled will not be in his favour.
Fighter
Corne Spies’ War Horse hit a flat spot after his scintillating Gr1 Golden Horseshoe win on July Day, but put his three subsequent below par efforts behind him with an impressive second finish behind the impressive older Galileo’s Destiny in a Conditions Plate two weeks ago.
War Horse took some time to get going and probably needed that run. His wide draw will not help him here, but he looks a serious place consideration if finding his better form again. Alec Laird’s Gitiano had won three of his seven starts, before a rather disappointing eighth and three lengths off Fantastic Mr Fox in the Tony Ruffel.
His Dingaans effort was also not quite up to scratch, but he did shock Fantastic Mr Fox in a Progress Plate at the end of January. That win earned him a tilt here and the jury will be out on Saturday as to whether Gitiano actually belongs in classic race company at all.
Good Spot
Stuart Pettigrew and Marco Van Rensburg team up with the Spectrum gelding, Zestful, who has drawn beautifully against the paint. A winner of two of his nine starts, he is yet to win beyond 1160m but ran a top class race when running handy to finish just 4,25 lengths behind The Hangman in the Dingaans.
Zestful caught the eye when, after a two month rest, he bounced back fresh in the Tony Ruffel Stakes at the beginning of February. He gave Fantastic Mr Fox a fright when going down a short head, after looking a winner late in the race.
That run brings Zestful in as a serious consideration here, and he technically holds all of Killua Castle, Sabadell, Emerald Approach, Gitiano, Swift And Strong and No Worries on that showing. Zestful warrants a second look!
Creative
Weiho Marwing’s Ready To Run Cup winner Rock Of Arts should strip a lot fitter after two prep runs following his big win in November. After being outpaced and well beaten over 1160m in January, he showed good improvement when setting the pace and staying on for second behind Captain Haddock over Saturday’s course and distance a fortnight ago.
He is apparently a difficult ride, but will benefit from the wily skills of Kevin Shea, Spike Lerena’s American Storm was withdrawn at the start of his prep run last weekend, and so fitness and well being must be serious questions. That is if he runs at all.
He has also drawn in the car park, and while not without a chance on his flying short head second in the Sea Cottage Stakes, is going to have to get very lucky. Glen Hatt flies up from Cape Town to partner Donnie Brasco, a winner of three of his six career outings.
The son of Ashaawes won an MR 78 Handicap at the Vaal over 1400m at his last start, and now takes a giant step up to this level. He also tries a mile for the first time, but should get the trip on breeding. Gavin Van Zyl sends out the Kahal gelding No Worries in the hands of Brandon Lerena.
This two time winner has drawn well, but looks very well held by Fantastic Mr Fox on their Tony Ruffel Stakes clash, where he could only manage a 2,75 length seventh.
Questions & Answers
This race is the first giant step to Triple Crown immortality. We have observed that there are many in with chances.
For our calculations, Tyrone Zackey looks to hold the ace with Francois Bernardus. Lightly raced, talented and with the best jockey aboard, he looks set for a big showing. We were very impressed with the manner in which he stretched in that return run last week. The rest are close together. Love Struck is a specialist over the mile and a dual Listed winner. How will he travel?
War Horse is a Gr1 winner, but can he maintain his recent revival from that awful draw? Fantastic Mr Fox has also pulled a poor draw, but he keeps stepping up to meet the challenges. Will he be equal to the task on Saturday?
Killua Castle has only won once but has shown the signs and may prefer this track. Do we want an Australian bred winning this race? Zestful is a powerful front runner who jumps from the 1 draw and will try to steal things out front. His last run suggested he may be good enough? Swift And Strong had solid below the radar form, before a cracker last time in the Tony Ruffel. Could he be underrated still?
Alexandra Palace won the Sea Cottage Stakes, and was then smeared with Derby paint. Are we fooling ourselves that De Kock won’t have him sharp enough for the mile? More questions than answers!
