Classic Double. Capetown Noir was the top 3yo of the Cape’s Sizzling Summer
The curtain comes down on the Western Cape’s Sizzling Summer Season next weekend with the running of the newly sponsored Gr3 Lektron Chairman’s Cup and the Gr3 Two Oceans Racing Prix Du Cap. The first Cape summer season under the guidance of Phumelela has seen a fascinating period of high quality racing.
The season launched on a high for visiting trainers, who were to win 11 of the 33 features to date, when Dennis Drier and Sean Cormack teamed up with their smart Jet Master colt Chave De Oura to win the Gr3 Cape Classic on Sunday 4 November.
Animosity
Bucking the underlying animosity and trend of KwaZulu Natal trainers avoiding the lion’s den of the Cape, Dennis Drier never looked back. He and Cormack went on to record a further three feature successes, that included the Gr2 Calulo Services Premier Trophy and the Gr1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes with the brilliant J&B Met third placer, Beach Beauty. Drier and Cormack also won the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes with Sunshine Rock.
The only other KZN trainers to show their faces were Mike De Kock, Duncan Howells and Paul Lafferty. Howells’ brilliant Var filly Via Africa won the Gr2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes, and then went on to run a meritorious second in the Gr1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship behind champion SA sprinter, What A Winter.
In Love
Lafferty enjoyed success with the son of Kahal, Love Struck, who won the Listed Politician Stakeson Queen’s Plate day. Local trainer Shane Humby saddled the winner who was ridden by Anton Marcus.
De Kock and jockey Anthony Delpech were the other KZN visitors to register success. They won the Gr1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas and the Gr2 J&B Jet Stayers with Ilsanpietro.
The only Gauteng trainer to win silverware during the Cape summer was Gary Alexander, whose very smart Blueridge Mountain won the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes and the Gr1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes double. Glen Hatt and Anton Marcus were the respective winning riders.
The filly’s wins caused some controversy with fingers being pointed after she had been prepped and conditioned by Cape Champion trainer Joey Ramsden, contrary to official records. Even Port Elizabeth tasted glory, with the very talented Muscatt winning the Need For Speed Sprint for trainer Gavin Smith.
Great Season. Dennis Drier enjoyed a great season away from home
Good Hope
Blueridge Mountain aside, Joey Ramsden was the most successful trainer overall with five feature winners. He pipped Dennis Drier on four, with Dean Kannemeyer and Mike Bass winning three features apiece. Kannemeyer achieved a momentous classic double with his smart Western Winter colt Capetown Noir winning the Guineas and Derby double.
Yogas Govender enjoyed his best summer season ever after Razzle Dazzle Rose won the Gr3 Victress Stakes and the Gr1 J&B Met with shock winner, Martial Eagle.
In the jockey stakes, Anton Marcus and Bernard Fayd’Herbe tied on five feature winners each. They were closely followed by Sean Cormack (4 ), with two each for all of Karis Teetan, MJ Byleveld, Karl Neisius, Aldo Domeyer and Anthony Delpech.
Big Five
The five big horses of the season were Variety Club who won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and Green Point Stakes, Beach Beauty who won the Premier Trophy and the Paddock Stakes, Capetown Noir who the CPYS Guineas and Investec Cape Derny, Blueridge Mountain who won the Sceptre Stakes and Majorca Stakes, and What A Winter, who won the Diadem Stakes abd Cape Flying Championship double.
Kenilworth Racecourse hosts the Cape Town Prawn Festival and an end of season Lawn Party with free entrance and kiddies entertainment on the Lektron raceday next Saturday.
