Legislate tops J&B Met log
PUBLISHED: January 15, 2015
As expected, Legislate, Futura and Louis The King top the merit log the R2.5-million J&B Met over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday 31 January.
Legislate, favourite since betting opened on the Cape’s premier race, failed to fire in the R1-million weight-for-age L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth last Saturday but trainer Justin Snaith reported this week that the ruling Horse Of The Year has a lung infection. With the correct treatment, he should not take long to recover. “Those who write him off are making a big mistake,” he said.
Queen’s Plate winner Futura has kicked Legislate off the top spot on Betting World’s boards. He is now 2-1 favourite, while Legislate has drifted out from evens last week to joint second-favourite with Louis The King at 5-2.
Futura was the panel’s second pick for a berth in the 20-horse field. He ran on well off a very slow pace to win the 1600m Grade 1 event last Saturday from Louis The King, who was balked until it was too late for him to make an impression on the winner.
High-class Act Of War is the only three-year-old among the entries. He has also been entered in the Investec Cape Derby. He was scratched from the Julius Baer Politician Stakes (Grade 3) at Kenilworth last Saturday because trainer Joey Ramsden believed “running him would be of no benefit in helping us decided where we go with him – the Met or the Cape Derby”.
Declarations for the J&B Met are on Monday 19 January and the final field will be announced on the same day with a ballot for draws being held on Thursday 22 January when the official gallops will be held.
The current merit log for the 2015 R2.5-million J&B Met over 2000m at Kenilworth on Saturday 31 January:
| Log | Age | Sex | Horse | Wt | MR | Trainer |
| 1 | 4 | C | LEGISLATE | 59,5 | 117 | Justin Snaith |
| 2 | 4 | C | FUTURA | 59,5 | 116 | Brett Crawford |
| 3 | 4 | C | LOUIS THE KING | 59,5 | 116 | Geoff Woodruff |
| 4 | 3 | C | ACT OF WAR | 53,0 | 117 | Joey Ramsden |
| 5 | 5 | G | KILLUA CASTLE (AUS | 58,0 | 109 | Geoff Woodruff |
| 6 | 7 | G | GOLD ONYX (NZ) | 58,0 | 109 | Sean Tarry |
| 7 | 6 | G | JET EXPLORER | 58,0 | 109 | Justin Snaith |
| 8 | 5 | M | JET BELLE | 55,5 | 106 | Glen Kotzen |
| 9 | 5 | G | TELLINA | 58,0 | 109 | Geoff Woodruff |
| 10 | 5 | G | KING OF PAIN | 60,0 | 114 | Joey Ramsden |
| 11 | 5 | G | READYTOGORIGHTNOW | 58,0 | 108 | Justin Snaith |
| 12 | 4 | G | CAPTAIN AMERICA | 57,5 | 105 | Brett Crawford |
| 13 | 4 | C | ARION | 57,5 | 101 | Justin Snaith |
| 14 | 5 | G | DYNAMIC | 58,0 | 100 | Justin Snaith |
| 15 | 4 | G | POWER KING | 57,5 | 100 | Dean Kannemeyer |
| 16 | 6 | G | PUNTA ARENAS | 58,0 | 103 | Stan Elley |
| 17 | 4 | G | HELDERBERG BLUE | 57,5 | 98 | Mike Bass |
| 18 | 6 | G | RIVER CROSSING | 58,0 | 104 | Mike Bass |
| 19 | 5 | G | PATERFAMILIAS | 58,0 | 104 | Mike Bass |
| 20 | 6 | G | ASTRO NEWS | 58,0 | 102 | Justin Snaith |
| 5 | G | JOHNNY ROCKETS | 58,0 | 98 | Justin Snaith | |
| 4 | G | DE KOCK | 57,5 | 98 | Brett Crawford | |
| 4 | G | RAKE’S CHESTNUT | 57,5 | 94 | Geoff Woodruff | |
| 5 | G | TRUE MASTER | 58,0 | 93 | Justin Snaith | |
| Scratched | ||||||
| 6 | G | HALVE THE DEFICIT | 58,0 | 104 | Sean Tarry | |
| 5 | G | SERISSA | 58,0 | 93 | Sean Tarry | |
| 4 | C | FRENCH REVOLUTION | 57,5 | 91 | Yogas Govender | |
| 3 | F | MAJMU (AUS) | 50,5 | 114 | Mike de Kock |
RELEASED BY: Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Ltd
Western Winter progeny running out
PUBLISHED: January 14, 2015
David Thiselton
The second last crop of the late great stallion Western Winter will be on sale at the various yearling and two-year-old sales this year and as he only covered up until early September in his final season, there won’t be many available next year.
Klawervlei Stud will therefore be in a good position as they have six Western Winters on the forthcoming Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) Cape Premier Yearling sale, which takes place next week on Thursday and Friday at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Included among them are a half-sister to the Equus Champion Three-year-old colt Vercingetorix, a half-brother to the dual Gr 1 winner Thunder 
Dance and a half-brother to the useful Paterfamilias.
Maine Chance Farms Stud are consigning a Western Winter colt out of the Gr 1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Field Flower.
Avontuur Estate consign a Western Winter colt out of In Camera, who is a four-time winning half-sister to the Gr 1 winner Give Me Five.
There are a total of eleven Western Winters at the sale, six colts and five fillies.
Western Winter, who stood at Lammerskraal Stud, was champion sire three times and has sired 20 Gr 1 winners to date.
The (CTS) Cape Premier Yearling Sale next week is considered to have an extremely strong catalogue and a good turn out of international buyers is expected.
Picture: VERCINGETORIX – A half-sister to Equus Champion 3-year-old colt Vercingetorix by Western Winter will be available at the forthcoming Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) Cape Premier Yearling sale (Nkosi Hlophe)
Marcus back in the saddle
PUBLISHED: January 14, 2015
David Thiselton
Anton Marcus has been riding work at Summerveld for at least two weeks and will have his first race ride back from his thumb injury aboard the Markus Jooste-owned colt Red Ray in Dubai on January 22.
Red Ray, a top class speedster by Western Winter formerly trained by Joey Ramsden and now trained by Mike de Kock, will run in the Gr 2 Al Fahidi Fort on turf over 1400m.
Marcus, who is retained by Jooste, has had tremendous success in his infrequent raids of Dubai.
He has only ever had three rides there, but has won two of them and finished second in the other.
His wins were on the Herman Brown-trained Jay Peg in the Gr 1 US$5 million Dubai Duty Free in 2008 and on the Ramsden-trained Variety Club in the US$1 million Godolphin Mile last year.
After the Dubai trip, Marcus will fly back and ride the Charles Laird-trained Normanz in the Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship on January 24 and has also been declared to ride the Laird-trained Beloved Country in the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales Stakes on the same day.
Marcus ruptured a tendon in his thumb when his mount Admiral’s Eye jumped a patch and faltered badly in a 1600m event at Greyville on November 9.
Futura new J&B Met favourite
PUBLISHED: January 13, 2015
Michael Clower
Futura was yesterday cut from 7-2 to 18-10 favourite for the J & B Met as the bookmakers finally responded to Saturday’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate shock result.
Betting World marked out Durban July winner Legislate from evens to 5-2, the same price as Triple Crown winner Louis The King who was a 6-1 chance prior to his second in the Queen’s Plate.
Arion, who returned to winning form in the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap, has been slashed from 66-1 to 14-1 but Act Of War is on the drift, going out from 7-1 to 10-1. Queen’s Plate third Gold Onyx is now a 40-1 chance from 100-1.
No fear for young Marcus
PUBLISHED: January 13, 2015
Michael Clower
Fear Not, the horse who gave Anthony Delpech a broken leg on Guineas day, runs in the Soccer 6 Maiden over 1200m at Kenilworth tomorrow and she carries plenty of stable conviction.
“We were very confident about her on Guineas day but the horse next to her played up,”says Adam Marcus. “Fear Not is a big filly and she reared with Anthony, injuring his leg in the process.
“But she has a lot of ability and we expected her to run as well as she did on debut although I think she will really come into her own when she goes round the turn.”
Fear Not, who will be ridden by Grant van Niekerk this time, opened at 6-4 with Betting World on Monday. Upper Echelon was favourite at 6-10.
Yogas Govender’s filly drops in trip after leading briefly over a furlong out in a 1 400m maiden last time and then finding no extra in the last 200m. She could be hard to beat despite the confidence in Fear Not.
Adam Marcus
But don’t overlook Indemnity who could be each way value at 10-1. She also comes back in distance and Vaughan Marshall says: “Her best run was over 1 200 and I am putting blinkers on her this time. I think this is going to be the secret. She went very well when I put them on for her work on Saturday. “
Carmina looked a certain future winner when making up a lot of ground in the final 100m on debut and would look the part in the opening Maiden Juvenile – indeed she opened at 1-2. But she has drifted out to 6-4 as Richard Fourie has opted for the stable’s newcomer Jo’s Bond (backed from 5-2 to 8-10).
“I thought Carmina’s race was very weak,” explains Justin Snaith. “Jo’s Bond was to have been my horse for the first two-year-old race of the season and she is the pick although she is naughty.”
Smart D’Argent ran poorly in a work riders’ race last time but on previous form the 5-1 chance can beat Pacific Coral and Trackmaster in race three and Quick Step Rosie (9-2) may follow up for Mike Bass in the Seasons Of Champions Maiden (race five).
Forte De Ouro showed that staying is his game when stepped up to the 2 500m of the Rugby 5 Maiden two races ago and Fourie’s mount looks the one they all have to beat. Yesterday’s 9-2 is a good price.
Ferdnand The Bull has his first run since the Matchem over three months ago in the Soccer 4 Handicap and Greg Ennion reports: “He pulled glutal muscles in his hindquarters. He is above average but he was in a paddock for six weeks so he will probably need the run.”
Space Launch caught the eye when winning a maiden on Christmas Eve and opened at 1-2 but Bold Var makes more appeal at 7-2 despite being raised 1.5kg for last time’s second.
