Not that many horses in Cape Town win on debut and then follow up in their first handicap start – and so Do It Again may prove to be well out of the ordinary.
True, his victory in the last at Kenilworth on Saturday owed a great deal to Bernard Fayd’Herbe successfully gauging the pace as way too fast for ground softened by over 70mm of rain.
But the Twice Over gelding’s finishing burst was as impressive as the way he won – he made up the best part of five lengths in the final 100m and was easing up before the line. “95% of horses would not be able to do what he did here,” pointed out Justin Snaith
Bernard Fayd’Herbe
Two races earlier Snaith chalked up the 2 300th winner of his great career when R20 000 bargain Sassy Lady took the 1 000m handicap after Grant van Niekerk secured outside help to extricate himself and his mount from a position akin to the jaws of a car-crusher, and almost as dangerous. He was fast closing on the pace-setting State Ballet and had horses hemming him in on either side. “I was getting too close to the leader’s heels and I had to shout for room,” he related. “The gap then opened.”
The season’s leading trainer fully expected the way Fred Crabbia’s Sabbatical and Fayd’Herbe wore down hot favourite Johnny Black in the closing stages of the 1 200m maiden, explaining: “We were quite bullish. I had him in Durban throughout the season and I nominated him about six times but on each occasion the ground was too firm to risk him.”
Anton Marcus increased his amazing Kenilworth strike rate by making it look easy on two of his four rides but course doctor Ahmed Naili informed the stipes that he had advised the four-time champion against using the sweat box to do 56.5kg on Eastern Front and Querari’s Secret. The former only managed third and Vaughan Marshall decided to save the latter for another day as he could find no suitable jockey.
Marcus’s two winners were both for Joey Ramsden and seemingly the previously headstrong True Words is one for the notebook. “He‘s got ability, speed and action,” said an impressed Ricardo Sobotker while Marcus added: “There is no reason why he shouldn’t win again. He will get seven furlongs but further than that will depend on his demeanour.”
However blinkers failed to work the oracle with Ice Queen in the Betting World Maiden won by Kotzen newcomer Wings Of Honor (Fourie) who was backed from 7-1 to 37-10 favourite. And two races later front-running tactics didn’t pay off for Leadman who weakened out of the frame after Silver De Lange took over for Andre Nel and Greg Cheyne.
Sunil Aniruth would have retired Scorpion Queen two races back had not Aldo Domeyer been available and the doctor’s favourite jockey duly ended Paul Reeves’ run of seconds in the TAB Telebet Maiden.
A little surprisingly, there was no inquiry into improved form after the Glen Puller-trained Western Storm came right away under Morne Winnaar in the Interbet.co.za Handicap. He had finished ninth and 11th on his two most recent starts.
By Michael Clower
