Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Kotzen big on J&B Met pair

David Thiselton
Glen Kotzen said at the Cape Flying Championship meeting last Saturday that both of his J&B Met runners, Big City Life and Fabiani were “doing very well.”
The yard’s only concern in the build up to the big race is Big City Life’s wide draw of 14.
The yard cannot split the pair, although Kotzen said, “My heart is with Big City Life, but the little horse (Fabiani) is doing very well.” This is interesting news for punters considering Big City Life is currently quoted at 7-1 while Fabiani is at 20-1.
Big City Life won three Grade 1 races last year as a three-year-old including the Cape Derby over Saturday’s J&B Met 2 000m course and distance, the Daily News 2000 at Greyville also over 2 000m and the Vodacom Durban July over 2 200m at Greyville.
“He has doubled in size since last year and his summer campaign has always been with the Met in mind,” said Kotzen.
Fabiani caused a 20-1 shock when winning the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes over 1 600m at Kenilworth, but then proved that was no fluke by dead-heating with Big City Life for third in the Gr 1 Queen’s Plate.
In between the Green Point and the Met the four-year-old gelding ran in the Midmar Premier Trophy over 1800m and finished a well beaten 4,85 length fourth behind Met contender Red Rake, albeit on 3kg worse weight terms than he faces him on Saturday.
Asked on whether that run implied Fabiani was better over a mile than further, Kotzen replied, “He’s finished a close second over 2 400m before. In the Premier he was drawn 17 and was caught wide for most of the way.”
The yard felt that was an excellent run under the circumstances.
Fabiani was actually a touch unlucky in the Queen’s Plate too, being bumped by Pocket Power close home, and it probably cost him third place on his own.
He is 2,5kg better off with Pocket Power for a 1,25 length beating, while Big City Life is only 0,5kg better off with Pocket Power.
Furthermore, he has an excellent draw of five from which to try and emulate his father, Model Man’s, victory in 1987.
However, Big City Life, a four-year-old gelding by Casey Tibbs, is thought to be better over 2 000m than a mile and, after a bout of coughing had delayed his summer campaign, he might still have needed that run. Stable jockey Karis Teetan has stuck with him.

\| All information on these pages are (©) Copyright Gold Circle Pty (Ltd) 2002 \| site map
(This site is best viewed at 1024 X 768)