The Brett Crawford-trained five-year-old Captain Al gelding Captain America took the bull by the horns in yesterday’s Gr 2 R400,000 Lanzerac Alta Mater Green Point Stakes, a weight for age event over 1600m, and managed to stay in front all the way under a superbly judged ride by Corne Orffer.
The Equus Horse Of The Year from the Justin Snaith yard, Futura jumped from a plum draw and was well poised on the rail when they turned for home, but the opposite was the case for the favourite Act Of War, who was left with too much to do after being dropped out from a wide draw.
Futura was a bit flat-footed at the top of the straight but the rank outsider Paterfamilias had quickened superbly and was chasing Captain America who stole a March at the top of the straight.
Futura then got going and closed rapidly but was 0,5 lengths shy at the line while Paterfamilias at odds of 50/1 was a further 0,5 lengths back in third. Act Of War ran on well but it was too little too late and he finished fourth ahead of Night Trip.

Captain America (Liesl King)

Captain America gave notice of his L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate credentials and will be hoping for the same conditions as there was a little bit of cut in the ground. However, Futura will be a hard horse to beat there as he will come on from this run and Act Of War will be a different proposition from a good draw on the more galloping New Course.
The big budget stables are largely located in the Cape and they had the bulk of the runners in the Non-Black Type R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m, but they were annihilated by the KZN raider Budapest from the yard of Gavin van Zyl. Budapest, whose thoroughly deserving owner is the enthusiastic Brian “Buffalo Bill” Burnard, was given a superbly professional ride by Anthony Delpech. The connections had decided to press the favourite, the champion colt Seventh Plain, and were determined to not allow him to get over easily into the lead from his wide draw. The plan worked as the latter had to be used up significantly to get his head in front. Delpech then “squeezed” the Lithuanian colt at the top of the straight and the response was instantaneous. He streaked clear, leaving Seventh Plain gasping for air, and in the end won by 4.25 lengths despite starting odds of 33/1. The Paddy Kruyer-trained Biarritz filly Anglet ran on strongly down the inside rail for second and the second favourite from the Ronnie Sheehan yard, Captain Chaos, was third ahead of the Dennis Drier-trained favourite Seventh Plain, who would have benefitted from the run and should be spot on for the CTS Million Dollar in January. The Justin Snaith-trained Nordic Wind finished fifth.The first three past the post all had nice draws of 5, 2 and 6. Budapest, winning for the second time in his fifth career start, became an instant millionaire, earning a cheque of R1,25 million. He was bred by Witzenberg Stud.
Anton Marcus had earlier ridden a superb race to win the Gr 2 R400,000 Selangor Cup over 1600m on the Joey Ramden-trained Warm White Night colt Hard Day’s Night. He plotted a clever course from a wide draw down the back straight which allowed him to take the lead at the turn without having exerted too much energy.
In the straight the bay bravely kept himself in front despite a blanket of closing horses on his outside. He got to the line 0,2 lengths clear of the flying Vaughan Marshall-trained Victorious Jay with the Crawford-trained Nassa a close up third and the next two Illuminator and Purple Mountain were 0,7 and 1,1 lengths behind the winner in the thrilling finish.
Hard Day’s Night, bred by Monarch Bloodstock, is likely to be a strong contender for the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby.
The Listed R150,000 Lanzerac le General Kenilworth Cup over 3200m was marked by a slow pace and in the end those coming from behind were proved to have misjudged it as it was soon clear they were going to have no chance of catching the pair who had stolen a march, the six-year-old Silvano gelding Gothic and Parachute Man. In a thrilling finish Aldo Domeyer, who had earlier looped them when deciding the pace was too slow, managed to get Gothic’s nose down on the line. The 33/10 favorite Ovidio was running on but it was too late and had to settle for third. This was only the third career win for the perennial bridesmaid Gothic, who finished runner up to Wylie Hall in the Gr 1 SA Derby as a three-year-old, and his first for over two years.
– David Thiselton
– Picture (Liesl King): Captain America is driven out by Corne Offer to land the 2015 Green Point Stakes