The third Vaughan Marshall Cape Guineas winner in three years?

In his previous two starts the unbeaten One World looked talented but temperamental. However his awesome performance in the Langerman at Saturday’s Highlands Stud Kenilworth meeting was completely devoid of any sign of attitude. Seemingly he now knows what is required and, even more importantly, that he has the ability to deliver it.

MJ Byleveld sent  the Captain Al colt into an immediate lead and once into the straight the 21-10 favourite strode further and further away to win by more than five lengths with his jockey looking back into the distance wishing he had brought his binoculars.

“The way he quickened at the top of the straight I didn’t think anything was going to get to him but there had been a lot of talk about Charles and I was waiting for him to come at me,” related Byleveld who is also now dreaming of a third straight Guineas.

“Last time One World tried to duck in at the junction but this time he raced like a professional. He is a good horse.”

Marshall, asked if he was surprised by how well the colt pulled away in the straight, replied: “Not at all. This is a very special horse and he will now be put away for the Guineas.”

The Klawervlei-bred was a welcome 54^th birthday present and tonic for Etienne Braun who had been in bed with ‘flu and owns him in partnership with Braam van Huyssteen and the Truters (Ken: “Vaughan was very bullish but I didn’t think the horse would win like that”).

The well-backed Charles was beaten six and a half lengths into third but Corne Orffer reckons his day will come, explaining: “It was a very good run – he is still inexperienced and it was his first time round a bend. He will come on a lot.”

Second, receiving 4kg from the winner, was the smart maiden Frank Lloyd Wright and Justin Snaith said: “He will be better on better ground and over further but this was a good effort.”

Doublemint’s decisive win under top weight in the Winter Derby, coming only seven days after Do It Again in the July, provided further testimony to the class of Twice Over’s first crop and surely – in terms of racecourse performance – the dual Champion Stakes winner is the best horse to come to South Africa straight off the racecourse for a very long time.

It was also the third consecutive Winter Derby for Snaith Racing and, typically, the new champion trainer is already mapping out big race targets. No, not the Met. “That is going to be a very tough race,” said the man who holds most of the aces. “This one is a July horse!”

The Winter Derby was the last big race win, and indeed the last South African meeting, for Grant van Niekerk who has two ten-day interference suspensions to sit out before he leaves to seek international  fame and fortune in Hong Kong.

Ancestry and Rock My Soul faded in the closing stages and Joey Ramsden found out why in the racecourse stables afterwards. Both horses were full of mucus.

Ramsden, now operating from a smaller 70-box yard between Eric Sands and Piet Steyn, had first and second in the Winter Oaks and he will talk to Drakenstein manager Kevin Sommerville about whether the Bernard Fayd’Herbe-ridden Fresnaye should attempt to follow up in Saturday week’s Final Fling. Second-placed Dynasty’s Blossom in Grant Knowles’ sale on Thursday week.

Adam Marcus is eyeing the Final Fling (and no doubt much bigger things too) for Brave Move who had no difficulty in making it five in a row in the Ladies Mile. Dan Katz is targeting the Algoa Cup after 2016 Durban July third Mac De Lago returned to winning form in the Silver Mountain Handicap and Glen Kotzen has the Cape Fillies Guineas as an obvious target for Coral Bay.

The Ideal World filly gave weight all round in the Irridescence and Richard Fourie reported: “She had the race won from the 900m point. She could be anything.”

By Michael Clower