Abashiri, the joint top-rated runner in Saturday’s Investec Cape Derby (Grade 1) over 2000m at Kenilworth, looks unlikely to take part.
Abashiri won Saturday’s Sea Cottage Stakes at Turffontein and trainer Mike Azzie suggested in the post-race interview that the Go Deputy gelding would be held back for the Triple Crown races in Johannesburg instead of travelling to the Cape this week, citing his bad No 16 draw as the primary reason.
The Cape Derby is one of three rich feature races on the Investec Day Of Dreams at which the inaugural Million Dollar and the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes will also be run.
Azzie will not be empty-handed in the Cape’s premier classic. He will saddle joint top-rated Rabada, winner of the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes at Greyville last season but without a win in two starts this term. Rabada is not optimally drawn at No 13 but a double-digit draw is not considered that important over this trip.
Brazuca, from the Johan Janse van Vuuren yard, is the other top-rated runner in the field. He is well drawn at No 1 and will be trying further than 1600m for the first time. He finished second to Noah From Goa, considered by many to be the best three-year-old seen out so far this season, in the Cape Guineas and will have quite a few supporters.
Rabada and Brazuca are rated 10 points or five lengths superior to Eighth Wonder, the next best-rated runner in the 16-horse field but there is every chance a few of the horses are underrated at this early stage of their three-year-old campaigns.
One of those could be Black Arthur, who rose to the occasion when beating Marinaresco in the Politician Stakes over 1800m, one of the trials for the Cape Derby. He is trained by Justin Snaith, who has three other runners, two-time winner Star Chestnut, It’s My Turn and Prince Of Wales.
Same Jurisdiction, only fourth when starting favourite from a wide draw in last Saturday’s Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, has struck lucky this time. The Duncan Howells-trained filly is the highest-rated horse in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes and will jump from draw No 2. She is rated 3.5kg better than anything else in the race, the next highest being last year’s winner Inara, and could well be hard to beat.
Entisaar, second to Silver Mountain in the Choice Carriers Championship (Grade 2), will represent Mike de Kock and is one of only three three-year-olds in the race.
Final field and draws for the Investec Cape Derby over 2000m at Kenilworth:
16 Abashiri 60 109 A G Lerena Mike Azzie
2 1 Brazuca (AUS) 60 109 T A W Marwing Johan Janse van Vuuren
3 13 Rabada 60 109 A A Marcus Mike Azzie
4 18 Eighth Wonder 60 99 A S Randolph Greg Ennion
5 5 Black Arthur 60 96 A B Fayd’Herbe Justin Snaith
6 11 Star Chestnut 60 94 A A Delpech Justin Snaith
7 14 Liege 60 93 A S Khumalo Sean Tarry
8 7 Royal Badge 60 92 A A Domeyer Adam Marcus
9 6 Jet Air 60 90 A D Dillon Mike Bass
10 17 Marinaresco 60 90 A G van Niekerk Mike Bass
11 12 Kemal Kavur 60 89 A R Danielson Vaughan Marshall
12 3 Eastern Charm 60 88 BA M Byleveld Vaughan Marshall
13 15 It’s My Turn 60 87 A R Khathi Justin Snaith
14 2 Nebula 60 84 A C Orffer Brett Crawford
15 10 Prince Of Wales 60 84 A P Strydom Justin Snaith
16 4 One Away 60 80 BA B Lerena Brett Crawford
17 8 Paladin 60 77 BA Reserve 1 Vaughan Marshall
18 9 Mega Secret 60 76 A Reserve 2 Patrick Kruyer
Final field and draws for the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1 600m at Kenilworth:
1 2 Same Jurisdiction 60 115 A A Marcus Duncan Howells
2 6 Inara 60 108 A G van Niekerk Mike Bass
3 16 Bichette 60 107 A S Khumalo Sean Tarry
4 5 Lanner Falcon 60 107 A B Fayd’Herbe Mike Bass
5 7 Alexis 60 100 A C Orffer Brett Crawford
6 9 Fear Not 60 96 A W Marwing Adam Marcus
7 1 Deputy Ryder 60 95 XA G Lerena Neil Bruss
8 15 Double Whammy 60 95 BA S Randolph Glen Kotzen
9 3 Eventual Angel 60 95 A P Strydom Dennis Drier
10 8 Crystal Cavern 60 92 BA R Danielson Adam Marcus
11 4 Sea Cat 60 91 A J P v’d Merwe Paul Reeves
12 14 Sensible Lover (AUS) 60 84 A R Khathi Darryl Hodgson
13 12 Lohnromance (AUS) 60 73 A A Domeyer Andre Nel
14 10 Entisaar (AUS) 55 103 A A Delpech Mike de Kock
15 11 Taffety Tart 55 99 A D Dillon Mike Bass
16 13 Moonlight ‘n Roses 55 93 A M Byleveld Mike Bass
– TABnews
– Picture: Same Jurisdiction (Nkosi Hlophe)
