The Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby over 2 000m at Kenilworth on Saturday could have class versus stamina as its chief protagonists.

Table Bay, an Australian-bred by Redoute’s Choice, is merit rated seven points higher than any other runner on 107. He has a ton of class, a beautiful action and a fine turn of foot.

He does have a speedy pedigree, but milers are able to win this race if they have the class, with Capetown Noir being a good example. However, they would usually be ridden cold to do so and this is an unlikely scenario with this horse as his good gate speed and big action has consistently taken him to the front over shorter.

But from a draw of two there is perhaps a chance Table Bay could end up sitting behind the front-running sort Winter Is Coming, who is drawn wide. Jockey Anton Marcus will have to be at his brilliant best to keep enough in reserve for this highly regarded horse.

Edict Of Nantes stayed on from well back in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas to be beaten 0,6 lengths by pace setter Table Bay.

He beat Table Bay when running on strongly from near last in the Selangor Cup, also over 1 600m. There is speed in his female line and his sire Count Dubois was a miler, but the latter has produced an SA Oaks winner and a Daily News 2000 winner in French Navy.

On running style Edict Of Nantes looks likely to stay the trip on this course and should be involved in the finish.

Elevated is out of sprinter by Spaceship but is by SA Derby winner Elusive Fort and on his Cape Guineas run, when widely drawn and staying on well from quite a handy position he should enjoy this trip. He should be right there from a good draw.

Horizon impressed in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m when relaxing well in the running, quickening well and staying on to the line. He is likely improving being a Candice Bass-Robinson-trained son of Dynasty. He is out of a sister to Silvano, so should relish the trip and is drawn in pole.

Australian-bred Zodiac Ruler was caught wide in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas, so not surprisingly faded. He had earlier plugged on in the Lanzerac Ready To Run over 1 400m to finish midfield.

Zodiac Ruler was an impressive winner of the Gr 2 Golden Horseshoe at Greyville over 1 400m and also quickened well when second in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1 600m.

His sire Zoffany has sired a Prix d’le Arc de Triomphe winner, Rail Link, but his damline is speedy and his dam is in fact a half-sister to the champion sprinter Laisserfaire. There must be a slight stamina doubt for this good looking, robust sort.

Australian-bred Newlands looked a touch unlucky last time out over 1 800m in the GR 3 Cartier Politician Stakes as he took a while to find a split and by the time he had done so Horizon had pinched a few lengths. He closed in late to be beaten at level weights by 1,25 lengths.

Newlands is by Epsom Derby winner High Chapparal and his dam, who won over 1 600m, is a half-sister to a Champion Two-year-old colt in Australia, Vancouver, who won the Gr 1 Golden Slipper. Therefore his pedigree looks to be ideal for this course and distance. A draw of six should be favourable for a slow starter who is likely to be held up.

KZN raider Winter Is Coming kept on finding extra in a Progress Plate over 1 400m on the Greyville poly last time to repel the much touted 104 merit rated Red Chesnut Road, although he was receiving 4kg and the latter was returning from an eight month layoff. He will relish the step up in trip on pedigree.

Winter Is Coming is by Western Winter and is out of a half-sister to Sansui Summer Cup runner-up Deo Juvente, while his champion grandam Circle Of Life is a half-sister to J&B Met winner Zebra Crossing. He is a laid back type, who likes to run from the front and a tongue tie helped him last time.

Ollivander is a rangy, long-striding sort who will be improving all the time. This is especially as he is a Bass-Robinson-trained son of Silvano. He stayed on to be beaten two lengths by stablemate Horizon in the Politician Stakes. However, he is now 3kg worse off with the latter and is drawn ten out of ten, so has it all to do.

Omaha Tribe is a staying type and off quite an exposed merit rating of 75 looks to be an optimistic entry.

Captain Gambler is a long-striding sort by Captain Al and is a half-sister to Liquid Mercury, who finished a 4,8 length third in the 2015 Cape Derby behind Ertijaal. She stayed on from last in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas for a 4,35 length eighth.

She then stayed on again for a 4,15 length seventh in the Listed Jamaica Handicap for fillies and mares over the Cape Derby 2 000m course and distance.

Captain Gambler will be getting 2,5kg from the boys, which is worth about two lengths in handicapping terms, and has scope. However, she was only running off a 91 merit rating in the Jamaica and will need to step up considerably.

By David Thiselton

“A July horse in a maiden field,” is a big statement by any stretch of the imagination but if you are an owner who likes to rough up the ‘old enemy’ then it’s music to your ears. Popular owner Alesh Naidoo is no friend of the bookmakers and Duncan Howells gave him all the confidence in the opener at Greyville yesterday and the confidence was not misplaced.

Recently signed up stable rider Keagan de Melo had favourite Roman Emperor in the box seat throughout and quickened up the inside rail to win comfortably in spite of racing green.

This may not have been the strongest of maiden fields but Roman Emperor won as the stable expected. “He has lots of scope to improve,” said Howells post-race. “He was still green on the turn and Keagan said he wasn’t travelling.”

De Melo has recently signed on as stable rider to Howells who is notoriously difficult to please. “Jockey’s don’t last long with me,” Howells quipped post-race. “Anton (Marcus) and Anthony (Delpech) have done well for me but both are contracted to top stables and I need a jockey who can give me a length or two advantage.”

With most trainers in Cape Town attending the CTS Yearling Sales where Saturday’s top price was R6million paid by Coolmore’s M.V. Magnier, it was left to the assistants to fill in. Vuzi Ndlovu has been with Paul Lafferty from his days in Ashburton and was on hand to saddle a treble for the yard, all ridden by apprentice Diego De Gouveia.

Tropical Blow was followed up in the very next by Roy’s Strike Force and the Lafferty-stable treble was completed with La Gitanila finishing with a wet sail to land the seventh.

It was not a day for backers of favourites as Hot Chilli (10-1) gave apprentice Sandile Mbhele the second winner of his career for Garth Puller. The former top jockey a mentor for many a young apprentice.

Duncan Howells was assistant to top trainer David Payne before the latter up-staked and moved to Australia and Gavin van Zyl, who had recently taken out his trainer’s license, was quick to snaffle up Opensea Mhlamvu, Payne’s long-time head groom who had a wealth of experience behind him.

With Van Zyl in Cape Town, Mhlamvu did the honours yesterday as Paint The Way saw off the fancied runners in the second.

By Andrew Harrison

Sun Met favourite Legal Eagle may be ridden from further back in Saturday’s Kenilworth spectacular in his bid to go one better than last year.

Twelve months ago, when he started at 16-10, he sat a close second and led 300m out only to have no answer when Smart Call came at him.

Indeed the filly drew right away in the closing stages.

When he won the Queen’s Plate earlier this month Legal Eagle was also ridden close-up, sitting third behind the pace-setting Midnite Zone and Captain America before going on over a furlong out.

However racing manager Derek Brugman said: “He has shown in his last two races that he could do with some cover and I would be happy for him to follow the better drawn horses.

“He is versatile and has a great turn of foot. I also think he is better over Saturday’s ten furlongs than he is over a mile.”

The running of Captain America – closer to Legal Eagle in last year’s Met than he was in the Queen’s Plate last season and this – might suggest otherwise but Anton Marcus, the man best-placed to know, disagrees.

“I will leave that to the analysts and statisticians,” he said before adding that he thinks the gelding is equally as good at 2 000m as he is over a mile. Second favourite Marinaresco, less than half a length behind Legal Eagle in the Green Point in December, had some of the gloss knocked off his reputation when he struggled from a wide draw in the Queen’s Plate and was beaten more than three lengths into fourth. Rider Grant van Niekerk shoulders some of the blame, saying: “I probably rode a bit of a bad race that day. But that’s the nature of the game – you ride some good races and some bad ones – and I make him a big runner on Saturday.”

The 25-year-old, who will be riding in his sixth Met, has yet to partner a horse in the race shorter than 25-1 but has twice finished third.

He warmed up with a four-timer on Saturday and points out that he should be added to the illustrious group who have ridden six winners on the same card.

He had eight rides on Kenilworth’s nine-race programme on July 12 2014 and won on six of them including the Winter Juvenile Stakes on Act Of War.

Frankie Dettori’s presence at the meeting is due to Investec boss Bernard Kantor.

“Dettori is an ambassador for Investec and Bernard rang us to ask if we had anything good that we would like him to ride, “ Brugman explained. “If we hadn’t, he would rather not ride.

“I hope he has a winner and maybe he can do it on The Conglomerate in the Met although I feel the horse is a handicapper and that it will be tough for him taking on the top horses.”

Dettori was originally declared for Table Bay in the Investec Cape Derby but, intriguingly, he has since been switched to Edict Of Nantes and Marcus moves from the Brett Crawford-trained runner to Table Bay. Both are Mayfair Speculators horses. Table Bay made the running when third in last month’s Cape Guineas but it seems likely that connections will revert to the original plan A and opt to get a lead from stable companion Newlands

Dettori has also been booked by Sean Tarry for two big race mounts – Vortex Star in the Kuda Sprint and French Legend in the CTS Sprint. His other rides are the Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual in the CTS Mile and the Dennis Drier-trained Seventh Plain in the Betting World Cape Flying Championship.

The Mike Robinson-trained Kapteinspandieseile, who cost punters dear when only fifth at 6-10 at Kenilworth last Wednesday, has been found to have a distended off-fore fetlock.

By Michael Clower

Miss Frankel’s eagerly-awaited and much-touted debut proved an expensive anti-climax at Kenilworth yesterday.

Seldom has a horse in this country attracted so much attention before even seeing a racecourse. Indeed the interest in this one – the first progeny of the unbeaten wonder horse to run in South Africa – captivated racing’s attention far and wide. “Frankel fever grips South Africa,” headlined Britain’s Racing Post.

The minute she appeared in the parade ring for the Welcome To Kenilworth Maiden photographers descended on her like a film star at the Oscars. The chestnut with two white stockings and unusual – if not unique – markings on her white face was totally unfazed.

Unfortunately she adopted the same casual approach for much of the race and Sean Veale was niggling at her from the word go. A furlong out he asked her in earnest and, to the horror of those who had made her 5-10 favourite, he found the response to be completely negative. She weakened rather than quickened and faded to finish seventh of the 12 runners.

The stipes, seemingly equally stunned, promptly ordered a veterinary examination but the racecourse vet pronounced nothing apparently wrong.

“She was shell-shocked – and I am even more shell-shocked than she was,” declared Dennis Drier who reckoned the filly’s lack of experience meant she didn’t know what was required of her.

“I didn’t expect that but at this stage I have no excuses,” he added. “However, on what she has shown me at home this was not her run. She will be back.”

Veale said that he was not unduly disappointed, adding: “I thought she would be more forward than that but she was green. She will improve – Mr Drier’s horses always come on from their first run.”

But maybe we all went for the wrong horse because fellow newcomer Magical Wonderland came away in the final 200m under and a hands and heels ride to score in most impressive fashion at 9-2.

“I rate her highly and I would have been very confident had it not been for all the hype about Miss Frankel,” said trainer Candice Bass-Robinson. Grant van Niekerk, who went on to win half the eight races, added: “This filly won very well and she really impressed me.”

Michael Clower

 

Turffontein Inside Saturday 21 January Tips and Race Previews by Warren Lenferna

Race 1
Preview: MADAM SECRETARY is knocking very hard at the door and looks ready to be rewarded with her maiden win – hard to beat. CHARTER JET finished close behind MS last time and again there should not be much between them. CATWALK comes from a small but consistent stable and showed good improvement from run one to run two. She has a strong place chance. (Warren Lenferna 1-2-9)

Race 2
Preview: KING OF MANI has run two seconds recently and looks ready to score. AUGUST DUKE went close to winning last time but has had many chances. He should win one of these days and today could well be his day. EMPRESS VALLEY made a smart debut and has tons of scope to improve – he can improve to go very close to winning. (Warren Lenferna 1-2-7)

Race 3
Preview: MAGIC SWORD showed good improvement from run one to run two and based on that has to be given a very strong winning chance here. DIAMOND DANCER and HOUSTON ROCKET have done okay so far and have to be included on the short list. (Warren Lenferna 12-9-10)

Race 4
Preview: SHEEMA has a wide draw to overcome but if doing so should have very strong each way claims – her last two runs have been good. SWEET CHESTNUT need only repeat her penultimate effort and she will be able to go very close once again – she deserves healthy respect. It would be silly to ignore PRADA PRINCESS’S chances for the quartet. (Warren Lenferna 5-1-4)

Race 5
Preview: COMMODORE AL is getting on in age but he is still racing so consistently. It is however interesting to see Andrew Fortune go for the ride on ILITSHE. CA stays very well and should be right there at the finish. JET FEVER improved and ran a cracker last time and based on that is a must for the quartet. ILITSHE got up to win last time and could well follow up. (Warren Lenferna 2-8-3)

Race 6
Preview: Trainer Sean Tarry is bang in form and winning race after race country wide and it would be silly not to follow him. CAPE ORCHID has won two out of her last three and looks very hard to beat here. RED POMEGRANATE is way better than her last run and has to be respected – the same can be said about SAVE THE DAY. (Warren Lenferna 6-1-2)

Race 7
Preview: A difficult race and all of the following need to be included and given a chance: BRITISH ROYALE has won his last three and is clearly no slouch – can win again. CHAMPAGNE HAZE is a very good horse and should win but could prefer further. PURE BLONDE is never far off the action and the same can be expected from him today. (Warren Lenferna 7-3-8)

Race 8
Preview: NOTHER RUSSIA goes well for Craig Zackey and she has to be given a big winning chance. She should relish the distance and has the advantage of a good draw – hard to beat. PENNINGTON SANDS won well last time and is the exacta selection and ZANTE could improve to get a lot closer this afternoon. (Warren Lenferna 3-4-2)

Race 9
Preview: TURN BACK TIME is turning out to be a very useful staying type and gets the services once again of Andrew Fortune. Her form is very consistent and in this field certainly looks the right one and the horse they all have to beat. The battle should be on for second. Horses like: END GAME, RUSSIAN FRIEND and BARCELONA BABE look set to fight out the minor money. (Warren Lenferna 2-3-9)