Captain America bids to become the third horse in eight seasons to win back-to-back HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday following Smart Banker and Dancewiththedevil.
Captain America (Liesl King)
Crawford, who flew to Johannesburg on Sunday to supervise the five-year-old’s final grass gallop yesterday, said: “He has come out of his prep run in the 1 450m Pinnacle very well and Legal Eagle looks the one to beat.”
CTS Million Dollar winner Illuminator will be out for the best part of a year after suffering a fracture in his off-hind joint after doing a piece of work earlier in the month.
Glen Puller produced photographs and x-rays at Kenilworth on Saturday that clearly showed a crack in the bone. The horse is bandaged from just below the knee to the hoof.
Puller said: “The fracture is in his ankle, he will have to be box rested for six to eight months and it will be quite a while before he can run again.”
Cold As Ice has been retired after her bid to land the £150 000 All-Weather Fillies and Mares Championship at Lingfield on Good Friday saw her limp away with a badly damaged tendon. She started 4-6 favourite, moved smoothly into the lead entering the final furlong only to falter alarmingly. She passed the post in fifth and rider Pat Cosgrave promptly dismounted.
Come Fly With Me (Nkosi Hlophe)
Ridgemont manager Craig Carey said yesterday: “It was such a shame. She was cruising up and then it all went pear-shaped. She is now going to the National Stud for a six-week recuperation and then the owners will make up their minds as to what to do. There are a couple of options on the table.”
An obvious one would be to put her in foal to a top UK stallion and fly her home to continue her broodmare career in South Africa.
Mike Bass reports that Come Fly With Me, whose most recent starts have been in the Victress, Paddock and Prix Du Cap, will probably drop back to 1 200m for the Allowance Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday.
He said: “She will then go for the winter features like the Olympic Duel Stakes (May 21). Anywhere from 1 200m to 1600m is fine for her.”
Stable companion Caballo Blanco, who really caught the eye when overcoming a slow start to take third to Le Harve on debut, is likely to run in the opening Maiden Juvenile Plate.
By Michael Clower
