Variety Club and Act Of War both used the Langerman as a stepping stone to Cape Guineas success and most Kenilworth racegoers left the course on Saturday convinced they had seen not one future star but two.

“I should have won – and if I’d had a lead I would have done,” said Grant van Niekerk who led for all except the frustrating final stride on Our Mate Art. “He didn’t settle for the first furlong but, make no mistake, this is a horse for the future.”

Candice Robinson added: “Nobody wanted to go on and our horse couldn’t get any cover. We will bring him back in the spring and aim him at the Guineas.”

But it should not be forgotten that Table Bay, who responded so courageously to Donovan Dillon’s urgings, was conceding two kilos. Derek Brugman, who is already talking of the Cape Derby or Met following the Guineas, said: “I think both first and second will go straight to the top.”

It was the fourth Langerman in six seasons, and the ninth in the last 16, for Joey Ramsden who recalled how he had so nearly said goodbye to Table Bay in Melbourne last year. He had set his heart on buying the horse but overslept and did not wake up until after the sale had started. He rang Brugman to be told the yearling was due into the ring in 20 minutes.

A desperate Ramsden rushed for a taxi fearing he would get a slow driver but hit on an Afghan “who drove like Mikka Hakinen” and got there in the nick of time to buy the colt for a bargain A$120 000.

Ramsden added: “Newlands (third) is a Derby horse but he is qualified for the CTS $500 000 mile. Attenborough (who weakened close home into fourth) will either go back to six furlongs or we ride him with cover. He over-raced so the jury is out on whether he stays.”

Ramsden and Dillon also have a leading candidate for the Cape Fillies Guineas with the Drakenstein homebred Captain Gambler who got up on the line in the Irridescence.

Justin Snaith reckons that Elusive Silva, backed from 14-1 to 6-1 before giving the trainer his first Winter Derby under a well-judged ride from Robert Khathi, has what it take to make his mark in the Cape summer season.

He reasoned: “Silvanos always improve and I think that this one will furnish into the right type of horse. He has a nice way about him as well as a lovely temperament.”

Whisky Baron went the same expensive way as seven of the previous eight Winter Derby favourites and the 13-10 shot could get no closer than fourth. Bernard Fayd’Herbe reported: “He didn’t stay and I had to use him to get across which made it worse.”

The different bridle worked wonders with the previously hard-pulling 20-1 shot Eighth Wonder but Greg Ennion, who also sent out third-placed Roman Discent at 66-1, was left rueing what might have been, saying: “Eighth Wonder needed a pace and so he had to do it the hard way out in front.”

Jack Mitchell, fighting leukaemia with a degree of success in a specialist clinic in Houston, Texas, had a welcome tonic when Francia initiated a Snaith feature double in the Winter Oaks to give the talented Lyle Hewitson his first Cape Town winner.

Brett Crawford intends resting Chevauchee until the spring when she could be stepped up further in trip after Corne Orffer rode the 7-2 favourite to a comfortable win in the Ladies Mile. Indeed the only moment of anxiety came when racing manager Craig Carey, relaying the commentary to boss Wayne Kieswetter in Britain, lost the connection!

Mike Bass was on course to record his sixth successive century with St Elmo’s Fire who put Van Niekerk on 99 while Mike Robinson revealed that Blarney Bay needs a penetrometer reading of a least 30 for the trainer to get really confident. It was only 25 on Saturday but the old war horse revelled in the winter course seven furlongs.

By Michael Clower