Joey Ramsden is bidding to win the Cape Classic for the fourth time in six seasons at Kenilworth on Saturday and his Twist Of Fate is officially the best horse in the race. Yet the colt was originally to run in the Betting World Pinnacle Stakes instead.

“Twist Of Fate is very good but I thought maybe the 1 400m of the Classic was a little bit too far for him and I was 7-5 in favour of going for the shorter race,” Ramsden relates. “But Bernard Fayd’Herbe was extremely positive and it was his enthusiasm that tipped the balance in favour of the Classic.”

Twist Of Fate has not raced since finishing third to Mike de Kock’s pair Soqwrat and Alyaasaat in the Premiers Champion almost three months ago. Will he be fit enough?

“He ran a good race in that Premiers Champion despite having no prep but I would like to have got a little bit more work into him this time,” says his trainer. “He has only had the one gallop although he did gallop well.”

Fayd’ Herbe has not won the Cape Classic since scoring on Chief Warrior and Tobe Or Nottobe for Mike Bass in 2002 and 2003 and he has an outside draw to contend with. But it could be worth noting that Fayd’Herbe was already aware of the draws when he was pressing Ramsden to run. The colt was a 7-1 chance yesterday.

By Michael Clower