David Thiselton
Joey Ramsden has proved himself one of the most astute big race conditioners in the country over the years and his J&B Met pair, Bravura and Lion In Winter, and his Investec Cape Derby hopeful Variety Club have duly enjoyed excellent preparations into Saturday’s big day. He said his chief Met hope Bravura was “doing great for the Met”, but added that the race conditions that lump him with a 2kg Grade 1 penalty for a race that he won two years ago is “ludicrous and grossly unfair”. Bravura was caught three wide for the entire trip in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1 600m, but was still staying on gamely for a 1,8 length fourth and faces the three-year-old winner Gimmethegreenlight on weight for age terms again, meaning he gives him 6kg over this trip as opposed to 5kg over 1 600m. Bravura’s biggest moment came at this same meeting two years ago over the course and distance of the Met when he won the Cape Derby.
He jumped from a wide draw that day with Anton Marcus up and will be relying on the Champion Jockey to help him overcome another tricky draw on Saturday in the brilliant fashion that he did back then. Bravura was considered a big runner for last season’s Vodacom Durban July, but scoped full of mucus after the race, explaining his disappointing seventh place. This could be his ideal trip and his best chance to make amends for that run since then. Lion In Winter has also enjoyed a good preparation and could earn if he repeats last year’s excellent fifth place. He has consistently been unable to quite match the best at this level, but is very well drawn this year.Ramsden said that Variety Club had enjoyed a better preparation going into the Derby than he had when a narrow runner up in the Queen’s Plate. “This time we have not had to sort out any niggles he had with the start, so he has enjoyed a much more focused preparation and is looking a million dollars. There has to be a question mark over the trip and a lot could depend on how he’s ridden, but it also must be remembered that he won as a juvenile (the Langerman over 1500m in slightly soft going) when coming from off the pace.” Variety Club had to be used up early in the Queen’s Plate to overcome his wide draw and only just failed to hold on in a strong run race, so has a chance of seeing out another 400m. He does tend to bounce out very quickly and has plenty of early speed, so his chances could also depend on whether this early energy can be contained over this extra distance. There is every chance that it can be as he appears the type that can be switched on and off at will, as is the case with most great horses.
However, he will face a horse in Jackson whose pedigree and style of running look perfectly suited to the 2000m trip, while the likes of Potala Palace will also relish the trip, so it will be a truly classic contest.
Ramsden also has Silver Haven in the Derby, who looks to be wanting this trip, and Ramsden said, “He was close to Mushreq over 1800m in the Politician Stakes at level weights. It won’t be easy to reverse form with Jackson despite the weight turnaround (3kg better off for a 5,4 length beating), but last year Il Saggiatore also finished fifth in the Politician Stakes and then ran a short-head second in the Derby.” Ramsden runs the consistent three-year-old Trinity House in the Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m for fillies and mares and appeared confident that she would stay a true run mile, which it is likely to be with the presence of the strong Mike de Kock-trained front-runner Gibraltar Blue. Trinity House’s only attempt at a mile was when staying on gamely for a 1,25 length second to the brilliant Princess Victoria in the slow run Cape Fillies Guineas. Ramsden has a trio of runners in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m and his preference is for the four-year-old Casey Tibbs gelding Orchard House. “Orchard House has done incredibly well, is looking a million dollars and is a lively runner. There’s a question whether he stays the trip, but there is no reason why he shouldn’t.”

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Kenilworth Mega Net Pick 6 C/Over: R 133 525 on Saturday 28 January 2012. Race 4 off at 14h10. Estimated Pool: R 3 Million

Kenilworth Mega Net Pick 3 C/Over: R 13 006 on Saturday 28 January 2012. Race 6 off at 15h35. No Estimation.

Turffontein Mega Net Jackpot C/Over: R 19 471 on Saturday 28 January 2012. Race 5 off at 15h05. No Estimation.

Vaal Maxi Net Trifecta C/Over: R 2 782 on Sunday 29 January 2012. Race 9 off at 17h15. No Estimation.

Vaal Maxi Net Quartet C/Over: R 83 506 on Sunday 29 January 2012. Race 9 off at 17h15. Estimated Pool: R 600 000

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DAVID THISELTON
Igugu travelled very well down to Cape Town for the J&B Met, arriving at the Kenilworth Quarantine Station on Wednesday after an 18 hour journey.
Journalist Liesl King took a group of Australian media personnel to see her and reported that she looked in impressive condition and had a peaceful demeanour.
However, Mike de Kock is still concerned about her having to stay under vector protection.
Under these conditions horses have to be locked up from two hours before dusk until two hours after dawn and can only be seen through a window.
The temperature in the lock up environment is kept relatively constant compared to the changes that are occurring outside and this apparently caused the de Kock-trained Silver Flyer to begin sweating profusely when he came outside on the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate raceday.
He said that Igugu is not the most laid back horse around, so was concerned that she would also be affected in the same way.
Besides that he said that she had finished her preparation and would just be kept ticking over until the big race.

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David Thiselton

Tyrone Zackey said that he will know how well his Highveld raider Smanjemanje had travelled for his engagement in the J&B Met over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday after the five-year-old Kahal gelding had had a pipe opener at Kenilworth today (Thursday).
Smanjemanje is staying in the holding boxes at Kenilworth racecourse.
Zackey said, “He looks fine and didn’t wait to put his head in the manger. We took him for a walk for about an hour and he does look a bit tucked in, but I think that is normal after a 20 hour journey.”
Smanjemanje first showed improvement when a cornel collar solved a breathing problem caused by a soft palate.
However, he showed even bigger improvement with recent gelding and has consequently won the Grade 2 Victory Moon Stakes as well as the Grade 3 London News Stakes this season, both over the tough Turffontein 1800m course.
Zackey said, “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to see that the weights favour Igugu. But we haven’t only come to challenge one horse. It’s a very hard race for any trainer to win. He’s improved tremendously with gelding and has been ahead of or alongside some of the other contenders. He’s run well over the tough Turffontein 2000m (2,75 length fifth in the Summer Cup), so the Kenilworth 2000m shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t think he will be disgraced as long as he’s travelled well and I think he has a shout of earning a small cheque.”

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