Three times in the past 15 years the winner of the Cape Derby has gone on to land the Vodacom Durban July so the obvious question now is whether Atyaab can put his name on the same page as Dynasty, Big City Life and Legislate.
Mick de Kock, who also won the Cape Derby with Ertijaal four years ago, did not answer the question with a direct yes or no after Atyaab’s success in the GBets-sponsored Grade 1 last Saturday but said: “Off a certain mark he would be competitive in a good handicap.”
Angus Gold, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s long-serving racing manager, added: “Atyaab is a tough horse and a real fighter. Hopefully he can go on.”
Most punters went for Bunker Hunt (fourth) and the Australian-bred winner was only nibbled at from 15-1 to 13-1. “It was no surprise to us,” said De Kock, adding pointedly: “We don’t come 1 800 kilometres down here just to use a bucket and spade.”
The colt may have officially only beaten Charles by a fifth of a length but he suffered serious interference from long-time leader Helen’s Ideal who hung badly right in the final 300m. He was well handled by Diego de Gouveia whose only previous experience of the Cape Town course was when fourth on Walter Smoothie in the Chairman’s Cup on Queen’s Plate day.
The 22-year-old said: “Helen’s Ideal hampered me a lot and had Atyaab been a nervous type I could have had problems. But this is a gutsy little bugger and he fought his way past.”
De Gouvier ended his apprenticeship earlier this month and this was his first Grade 1 win and his 82nd success in all. As his name suggests, he has a cosmopolitan background despite growing up in Johannesburg. His mother comes from Italy and his father, although born in South Africa, is of Portuguese descent.
When Kasimir was beaten in a pinnacle a month ago Justin Snaith said that 1 000m was really too short for the horse “but we will make it work for the Cape Flying.” He did so to such effect that Richard Fourie was able to take it up over 100m out in the Betting World Grade 1 and win going away.
So how did Snaith manage it? “We sharpened him up by being a bit harder on him at home than before,” the champion trainer explained, adding: “Richard was a big help in advising me what to do.”
Clouds Unfold gave Candice Bass- Robinson her second Bidvest Majorca in three seasons and the Drakenstein homebred was the first Grade 1 winner for What A Winter who stands at Gaynor Rupert’s stud. Aldo Domeyer’s mount is now bound for Durban.
She emphatically reversed the Fillies Guineas form with Front And Centre and her trainer explained: “Clouds Unfold was a bit above herself in the Guineas, pulling a lot, and she galloped over a guinea fowl which didn’t help.”
Mrs Bass-Robinson has her own satellite yard adjoined Summerveld but she may not make use of it for her 16-1 Tattersalls Summer Juvenile winner Miss Honey who had her conqueror of three weeks earlier, 2-1 stable companion Vandah’s Spirit, nearly four lengths back sixth.
The trainer explained: “She is a little bit hot. She will have a break and then I will play it by ear but I might run her in the Nursery here and then decide.”
Anton Marcus had the biggest South African pay day of any jockey after preceding his Sun Met success with both the CTS R5 million races. He earned a gross R8 million plus for the owners concerned.
The CTS races certainly franked the Cape Guineas form in no uncertain manner. Fourth-placed Cirillo ran out an emphatic winner of the 1200 and One World (third) made most in the 1600.
Sean Tarry is far from convinced that Cirillo is a sprinter, saying: “He is versatile. It was a very strong field in the Guineas and we followed the wrong horse.” Vaughan Marshall said earlier this season that he would not take horses to Durban this time and he confirmed this in the winner’s circle. He still believes that One World ran below form in the Guineas and said: “We can’t explain it but it wasn’t his day. Now, though, he has bounced back to what we thought.”
By Michael Clower
