Dean Kannemeyer landed a treble at Greyville on Friday night, while his other two runners both finished third, and these results not only provided proof of his skills as a trainer but also of the apparently superior Cape Town form, as all five of his horses were having their first KZN outings since being transported from Kannemeyer’s Milnerton base to his Summerveld satellite yard and most of them were sent out at attractive odds.
In the first race over 1200m his runner, the five-year-old Kahal gelding Black Agate, had already had 13 runs in the maidens and had been beaten more than ten lengths in both of his last two runs. However a closer look at his Cape Town form showed that in good going he had only once been out of the first five over this trip, so considering the strength of maiden races in Cape Town compared to Durban and the fast poly surface, he looked good value at R4.40 a place and duly ran on strongly for third. The winner of this race was the well backed favourite Var Du Bois, who was the second first-timer by Var that Doug Campbell had sent out to win on successive Friday nights and both were ridden by Ian Sturgeon.
Kannemeyer’s second runner of the evening, the three-year-old Kahal colt Tanjiro, looked impossible to impose facing a weak field in a Maiden over 1600m, having gone close over 1400m in Cape Town in his previous run. He was allowed to drift out to R1.80 a win, apparently due to some negative on course rumours, but he duly won comfortably under Anton Marcus.
Kannemeyer’s next runner, the five-year-old Judpot gelding Sussex, was another one who looked likely to enjoy the relatively fast poly surface, so looked amazing value at R23.70 considering the previous time he had raced on good ground over this 1600m trip in Cape Town he finished only 2,45 lengths behind the decent Bianzino and was now not only three points lower in the merit ratings but also had a 4kg claimer up in the handicap event. Apprentice Eric Ngwane didn’t panic when the horse was headstrong early in the running, but instead allowed him to bowl along in the joint lead and he fought back after being headed in the straight to deny Rocketball by a head.
In the next race, a handicap over 1800m, the once highly regarded Kannemeyer-trained Giant’s Causeway gelding Capel Top had dropped to a 66 merit rating and ran on for third paying R1.80 a place.
His runner in the next, a handicap over 1400m, was the Lecture filly Leylani and she didn’t look to have an easy task as a three-year-old carrying 60kg off a merit rating of 82. However, she won cosily under Alec Forbes and returned R7.00 a win.
The record of the off season arrivals to Kannemeyer’s satellite yard at Summerveld from Milnerton now reads seven runs, five wins and two thirds.
Charles Laird and Anton Marcus combined for a double at the meeting. In the fourth, a maiden over 1600m, the Dynasty filly Madame Justice, a full-sister to Legislate, relished the step up in trip and powered to a 9,25 length win.It was a weak field, but she over raced early so looks most promising.
Laird’s strong three-year-old Kahal gelding Dance On Air also looks decent having won the last race, a handicap over 1400m, comfortably despite carrying 60,5kg off a merit rating of 81.
The other two winners on the night were the problematic Belinda Impey-trained seven-year-old Scripture gelding Dulce Leche, who, ridden by Sean Veale, beat an unlucky Sweet Turn in a maiden over 1600m; and the often disappointing Gavin van Zyl-trained Silvano gelding Night Shadow, who enjoyed the step up to 1800m in a handicap, and won comfortably off a lowly 63 merit rating under Warren Kennedy.
By David Thiselton
Picture: Dean Kannemeyer
