Cousin Casey makes his long awaited reappearance on Saturday at Kenilworth in a race which has had a last minute name change from the Selangor Cup to the Cape Punters Cup.
The Grade 2 event over 1600m has always been the key pointer to the Grade 1 Cape Guineas, which is being sponsored by Hollywoodbets this year and has a R2 million stake, befitting of one of the best sire producing races in the country.
Cousin Casey is not going to have it easy because he is the only horse carrying a Grade 1 2kg penalty.
The draw of eight in a 16 horse field is tricky too.
However, the Vercingetorix colt’s exceptional turn of foot will allow regular rider Grant van Niekerk a few options.
The giant Light Speed (Gimmethegreenlight) has drawn well in six and Richard Fourie will be looking to get him handy.
He has won his last three inlcuding the two-year-old classic pointer, The Langerman, and looks to have plenty of scope for improvement as he grows into his big frame.
Both the Justin Snaith yard and Richard Fourie have kicked into top gear and Light Speed is one of the horses who will make this race a fascinating contest.
The Snaith yard also run the talented Twice over colt Triple Time and have given the ride to Rachel Venniker, who was successful for Triple Time’s owner Nick Jonsson recently in a Listed race at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the Michael Roberts-trained See It Again.
Khaya Stables have two runners and their retained rider Keagan de Melo has opted for the Brett Crawford-trained Querari colt At My Command ahead of Dean Kannemeyer’s Pas De Nom, a Rafeef colt who has won his last three.
At My Command was a three length second to Charles Dickens in the Grade 3 Cape Classic. Interestingly, the last two runner ups in the Cape Classic, Linebacker and Zapatillas, both went on to be Guineas winners, albeit both winning the Grade 2 WSB Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
At My Command has unfortunately drawn wide on Saturday.
The Vaughan Marshall-trained Dave The King is a big rangy type who was staying on in the Cape Classic for a four length third. He is by Global View out of a Jet Master mare who won over 1800m so is stoutly bred and will relish the step up in trip. He has drawn seven and Corne Orffer rides so he will have a few supporters.
Vaughan Marshall also runs Marvel William, who has a bit to do on formlines, but wears second time blinkers and being by William Longsword should be improving all the time.
The Brett Crawford-trained Port Louis stayed on well in the Cape Classic to be beaten just a short-head for third by Dave The King, but has a tricky draw of eleven.
KZN has two runners, the Peter Muscutt-trained Formagear (Querari) and the Gareth van Zyl-trained Money Heist (Gimmethegreenlight) and both have shown glimpses of class.
Formgear in fact is 2kg better off with Cousin Casey for a 2,75 length beating in the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m, although he might have been flattered having been handy behind a slow pace whereas Cousin Casey came from a wide draw and someway back in the running.
Glen Kotzen’s Countdown (Gimmthegreenlight) is apparently a different horse since gelding but he has a hard task on Cape Classic form, where he finished a 6,30 length fifth.
The Kotzen-trained Imposing (Visionaire) is progressive but has 3,15 lengths to find on his stablemate Countdown from the Cape Classic, where he was given too much to do.
Another interesting Kotzen-trained runner is the well regarded Famous And Rich (Visionaire), who went close to the promising Gqeberha three-year-old Khaya’s Hope last time out at Fairview. He is progressive and is drawn in pole.
He beat the Brett Crawford-trained Allez Moris narrowly in that race and the latter also runs on Saturday.
Crawford’s other runner is the unbeaten form three starts Le Morne. He will be improving being by Futura but does have awide draw.
Kotzen’s Grinkov has caught the eye before but has been unlucky with draws and gets 16 out of 16 here.
See Field Below:
