Kannemeyer Has The Real Prince In Fine Shape
Can the Hollywoodbets Durban July winner The Real Prince add the prestigious Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate to his already impressive record? (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Dean Kannemeyer will be out to add to the yard’s success in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate and has a good chance of doing so with The Real Prince.
The Kannemeyer yard won the prestigious weight for age mile twice with Free My Heart in December 2000 and December 2002 respectively and they won it again in January 2014 with Capetown Noir, who like The Real Prince was owned by Lady Christine Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables, although he was bred by Lammerskraal Stud.
Dean said about the Khaya Stables homebred Gimmethegreenlight gelding The Real Prince, “I have had to prepare him and strip him in a very different way to how I did it for the July, where we were avoiding racing him to avoid all penalties. It all worked out for us in the July and then after he was beaten into second in the Champions Cup I gave him a rest. I did enough work with him to run a nice type of race in the Green Point. But I knew I had to leave something to work with, because I still had the King’s Plate and of course The Met coming up. I was very happy with his performance in the Green Point. It was a little bit of an odd-run race from the point of view of the pace up front. The winner Dave The King is a very good horse, but it all went his way. When you take him out of it, suddenly they all finish in a line together. The Real Prince was only beaten 2,50 lengths and is now 2kg better off than some of the horses in that race.”
The Real Prince will face Dave The King on the same terms, but will be 2kg better off with Garrix for a 2,20 length beating, 2kg better off with See It Again for a 2,15 length beating, 1kg better off with Sail The Seas for a 1,75 length beating, 2kg better off with Sugar Mountain for a 1,35 length beating, 2kg better off with Jet Force for a 0,60 length beating, 2kg better off with Questioning for a neck beating, on the same terms with Cosmic Speed whom he beat by 0,45 lengths and on the same terms with Gladatorian whom he beat by 0,75 lengths.
Furthermore, he would have come on well from the race.
Dean added, “I took him to Kenilworth last Tuesday and galloped him over 800m. I just had to give him a bit of short fast work just to sharpen him up, because he was pretty ring rusty when he went into the Green Point Stakes. He’s lost the speed he used to have when he was a younger horse and I’ve just sharpened him up a little. So, I think he’ll come on with that gallop. So, all is good with him. He’s looking very well and he’s doing well. And then, of course, his next race after Saturday will be the Met, but if all goes well, he’s had plenty of work to run a big race on Saturday.”
The Real Prince is drawn six out of the 14 runners and Dean said he would always prefer “to be closer to the paint”.
He mentioned Jan van Goyen , Eight On Eighteen, Sail The Seas, See It Again and Garrix among the opposition and said, “It’s going to be a wonderful King’s Plate.”
He might have left out the like of Gladatorian, Fire Attack and Cosmic Speed when singling out the opposition, but he concluded by saying, “Bad horses don’t win the classics and bad horses don’t win Gr 1 weight for age races. Bad horses don’t win the King’s Plate.”
Dean has three runners in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes, 119-rated Red Palace (Potala Palace), 105-rated three-year-old Keukenhof (The United States) and 108-rated Give Me Everything.
He said about Red Palace, who was the runner up in this race last year to the champion Double Grand Slam, who is once again the favourite, “Red Palace was travelling exceptionally well in her last race, but she stopped to nothing. It was her second run back after a rest, but it was nevertheless a very disappointing run. We did suspect that something had gone wrong, but we trotted her out after she had cooled down and she was beautiful. We could not find anything wrong with her. So, I’ve just kept her fresh since that run.”
He said about the up and coming Keukenhof, “If you look at all her form in Durban and in Cape Town, she’s always flying up. In the early parts of the race she is just out of her ground and then flying up. And I think what didn’t suit her last time (in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas) is that it was a very slow-run race. I said to Callan just commit and drop in, because I don’t want to chase her in case they go. And he actually had her three-quarters of the way back, but they were slowing it down and he didn’t want to go around three wide. So it became a sprint up the straight and she suddenly got going in the last third of the race, so she finished it off well. On what I saw last time she’ll get the 1800m trip and she’s nicely drawn (two). Her last few runs have been good and she’s knocking on the door. If she’s going to be good enough in the Paddock Stakes class, we’ll see, but she does get her weight for age allowance and only carries 54kg.”
He said about Give Me Everything, “She needed her last two starts. If you look at the weights and the ratings, she’s a bit out, but she’s earned her stripes and we’ll also put it to the test and see how good she is.”
He runs the crack three-year-old filly Princess Of Gaul, whose five career starts include two Gr 2 victories, in the Gr 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes over 1200m.
He said, “In the Cape Fillies Guineas they went slow and she quickened well and 300 out looked like she was going to win it, but then she went up and down the last bit. I think she’s more of a 1200m-1400m filly. It’s a very competitive race, but I think she’s going to love the 1200 at Kenilworth.”
He was full of praise for his Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship (1000m) runner Outlaw King, who defended his crown in the Gr 2 Splashout Cape Merchants last time.
He said, “This weight for age sprint is a different ball game and he would be more comfortable over 1200m, nut he is as tough as nails and you can never exclude him.”
15 Years On From Pocket Power's World Record LQP Bid
The legendary Pocket Power, pictured winning his fourth successive L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in 2010, was poised to make world racing history this time 15 years ago (Picture: Gold Circle)
Mike and Mathew de Kock will be heroes if they land the Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate on Saturday with either Jan Van Goyen or Dave The King, which is as opposed to the yard’s first win in this prestigious mile race in 2011 with the top class mare Mother Russia, because she shattered the hopes of many by ending the great Pocket Power’s chances of equaling a modern day world record.
After the Mike Bass-trained Pocket Power had won his fourth successive Queen’s Plate in 2010 pundits delved into the record books and discovered that in the modern era only one horse had ever won the same Gr 1 race five times in succession and that was the American legend Kelso, who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup over ten furlongs at Saratoga every year from 1960 to 1964.
Kelso’s feats happened before the pattern came into being in thoroughbred horseracing, so the Gr 1 status given to the Jockey Club Gold Cup behind Kelso’s name was retrospective.
So, Pocket Power would have in fact become the first to win the same actual Gr 1 race five times in succession.
The Jet Master gelding was bred by Zandvliet Stud and fetched the second highest price of R190,000 at the 2004 Grand West Yearling Sale.
He ran in the colours of Marsh Shirtliff, who owned him in partnership with Arthur and Rina Webber.
Pocket Power was gelded before he ever raced and Mike Bass said it was necessary due to his temperament and added without it he would not have been able to race beyond four years of age.
This was a particularly wise decision considering he only came into his own as a four-year-old.
His first win was in his fourth start on 15 November 2005 over 1600m at Kenilworth ridden by Gerrit Schlechter.
Subsequent to his maiden win he remained undefeated around the turn at Kenilworth until he was beaten into third place by his full-sister River Jetez in the 2010 Met.
He had an unbeaten ten race streak over the Kenilworth 1600m, which ended when finishing fourth in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate of 2011.
Pocket Power earned R25,000 in his last race, an eighth place finish in the 2011 Met, and that left him about R32,000 short of R10 million in earnings.
He only failed to earn a cheque twice, in a Maiden Plate over 1400m in November 2005 and then almost five years later in the 2010 July.
Pocket Power had a massive stride, but became infamous for his “flat spot”. He took a long time to wind up into top gear, but his devastating kick, usually at roundabout the 200m mark, will always be part of his legend.
He usually idled when in front, but with his huge stride he was very difficult to pass.
In fact in the 2010 Met his full sister River Jetez became the first horse to ever overtake him in the straight.
His first Gr 1 was in the December 2006 Queen’s Plate and besides winning that race four times in succession he also won the Met three times in a row.
His other two Gr 1 wins were a dead-heat in the 2008 July and winning the Gold Challenge at Clairwood in 2009, a race he had been very unlucky to lose two years earlier.
Jeff Lloyd rode him for his first two Gr 1s and Bernard Fayd’Herbe was aboard for his other seven.
In fact Pocket Power and Fayd’Herbe became famously close companions.
Bernard knew all the tricks to coax his quirky friend to cooperate, such as feeding him a clump of grass before mounting him at home otherwise he would become difficult.
Pocket Power’s other quirks which endeared him to the public were his dislike of parading in front of the grandstand, meaning Bernard had to be alert for his habit of suddenly whipping around and making his way to the start, his refusal to enter the winner’s enclosure, his tendency to back up whenever encountering something he disliked, rushing into the starting stalls, only going into his stable at home when he was ready to do so and, despite his tremendous will to win, he liked to have a lead when going to track in the mornings. He also spooked at the slightest disturbance.
Mike Bass’s patience in his early years was part of the reason Pocket Power was so successful. He resisted the temptation to go to Durban in the 2006 winter, but it was actually during that winter the yard realised he was something special as he reeled off the Cape Winter Triple Crown.
The other masterful feat of Mike Bass and farrier Greg Dabbs was managing Pocket Power’s very soft feet, which bruised easily, specifically the inner corn of his near fore. They were treated with rubberised concussion pads apart from other caretaking measures.
The build up to the 2011 LQP was immense with everybody talking about Pocket Power’s bid to join one of the greatest thoroughbreds in history, Kelso, with a fifth successive win.
However, Mother Russia started 18/10 favourite from a pole position draw and Pocket Power, drawn 2, was at 3/1 together with the crack three-year-old filly Ebony Flyer.
Pocket Power’s stablemates Blue Tiger and Captain’s Secret ensured a blistering pace, but it might have actually played into Mother Russia’s hands because she managed to find a position one in front of Pocket Power on the rail in fourth place. She was able to use her stride and at the age of eight Pocket Power was always going to battle to match the mare’s turn of foot.
Mother Russia duly quickened superbly under Anton Marcus in the straight and went on to win by 2,25 lengths from Tales Of Bravery and Ebony Flyer.
Pocket Power staying on down the inside rail for a 4,25 length fourth.
Mike Bass admitted afterwards Pocket Power was probably better at that age over 2000m but the Met three weeks later proved to be his final race.
Snaith And Vermaak Take Us Through The LKP Card
The two Justins provide expert insight into all ten races of Saturday’s much looked forward to L’Ormarins King’s Plate meeting (via youtube)
Champion trainer Justin Snaith and Race Coast Executive Of Racing and Bloodstock Justin Vermaak are well worth listening to in their analysis of the entire L’Ormarins King’s Plate ten race meeting, a discussion anchored by knowledgeable ex-jockey and now presenter Vicky Minott.
Snaith concluded the show by saying on behalf of his yard, “There is nothing better in sport than arriving at an event and saying, ‘I have done everything I can do and we are ready, throw it at us.’ We have really grinded through this period and we are ready.”
Vermaak concluded by saying this year’s L’Ormarins King’s Plate reminded him of the 2019 event, which followed a Grreen Point Stakes renewal in which the first four past the post, Legal Eagle, Undercover Agent, Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge, were separated by a neck. This led to a great build up to the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, because the Mike de Kock three-year-old Soqrat had just won the Cape Guineas in fine style. This year’s Green Point also had a blanket finish and a De Kock-trained horse once again provides the three-year-old challenge.
Click here to watch the two Justin’s analysing the LKP meeting
TAB To Refund Early Bets On LKP Meeting
L’Ormarins King’s Plate fever is building as fans looks forward to a day of top class racing and socialising (Picture: LKP)
In a media release published on Wednesday afternoon, TAB advise that their customers who have placed early bets on this Saturday’s L’Ormarins King’s Plate race meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth must please note that all such bets will be refunded.
TAB opened betting for the meeting on Monday, but the betting-system venue code allocated is incorrect in light of it being a Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool event and consequently all bets taken from 5 to 7 January have been cancelled.
TAB apologises for any inconvenience caused.
TAB betting on the meeting will be available from later this week.
TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella and Swinger bets on all 10 races will be commingled into the World Pool tote and a R1-million TAB-TOTE Pick 6 carryover on the meeting is expected to generate a bumper P6 pool of some R4 million.
De Melo/Hollywood Racing Treble, Hlengwa, Wright, Puller Doubles
Izibulo (Lancaster Bomber) gives Keagan de Melo and Hollywood Racing a treble together and gives Garth Puller a double (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Keagen de Melo has quickly reminded the SA racing public why he was champion jockey out here and he kicked into overdrive at the seven race Hollywoodbets Greyville poly meeting on Wednesday by scoring a treble.
All three of the wins were for Hollywood Racing.
Siphesihle Hlengwa rode a double and both Alyson Wright and Garth Puller scored doubles.
De Melo has now had 17 wins since returning from Hong Kong and he is going at a strike rate of 15.60%.
It was a welcome double for Hlengwa, who has been through a dry patch and the two wins actually doubled his tally for the season. He will hopefully kick on from here.
Wright went further clear in the KZN Trainers Championship with her double.
She is now on 26 wins overall for the season at 13.54%.
She is on 25 wins in KZN, two clear of Gareth van Zyl, who had one winner today.
Four yards are on 16 wins in KZN, Stuart Ferrie, Mike and Mathew de Kock, Dean Kannemeyer and Andre Nel.
Garth Puller’s double took him to 13 wins for the season and he is doing it at a strike rate of 7.34%.
Hollywood Racing are already on a phenomenal 88 wins for the season, so will almost certainly smash their own record of 128 wins they set last season.
Andrew Harrison of Race Coast wrote a full report on the Wednesday meeting:
Andrew Harrison
Strutting looked to be one of the better bets on a tricky seven-race programme and she duly obliged at cramped odds in the card opener on a wet afternoon on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly.
Drawn wide, Craig Zackey was forced to press forward on Mike and Mathew de Kock’s diminutive filly with the runners on her inside not giving an inch, but once in front, Strutting was never headed holding off the battling Owner Of Creation and Harpa who stayed on well for the shallow end of the purse.
Kevin and Alyson Wright are both steeped in horse racing, their roots going back to Zimbabwe where Kevin was multiple Champion Jockey and Alyson the daughter of leading trainer Penny Fisher.
The couple, together with equine physio Tessa Zietsman, daughter of trainer Gary Rich, have prolonged the life of many a veteran galloper, highlighted by the win by Hollywood Racing’s eight-year-old Ibutho, who score his tenth win in the second. His stable companions Winter Waves (8-yr-o) and Ulta Quick (7-yr-o) were only separated by six-year-old Rafiki in second from the Andre Nel stable where Hailey Crawford does their physio.
However, the danger of a reputation for patching up retreads is that you can miss out on building a yard from two-year-olds up. Superb horsewoman, the late Anne Upton, would have born testament to that trend, frustratingly hamstrung by her reputation.
Ibutho was always on the bridle travelling under Keagan de Melo as Ultra Quick set brisk fractions and if there was in-race betting, it collect at the top of the straight.
Apprentice Dezahn Louw is still a 4kg claimer but I don’t think for long. It is seldom that a seasoned jockey gives an apprentice kudos but Keagan de Melo was generous in his praise after he was made to work hard on Isivivane to get the better of Sundance Kid in the third. A furlong out, the race looked to be a formality as Isivivane challenged pacemaker Sundance Kid, but Louw had saved something in reserve and De Melo and Isivivane had to work hard for victory with the balance well beaten.
In the fourth, favourite Malshana Mou was under pressure from the jump as Million Voices set a blistering gallop and she finally ran out of steam over the final 200m as Wings Of Josephine and Magical Sky took off together in a ding-dong battle. Race caller Devonne Govender was not tempted into calling a winner but Magical Sky prevailed by the shortest of short heads with Call Me Jane a further length back.
Axis Power did not have many supporters in the D Stakes over 1000 m but Siphesihle Hlengwa, ‘Spare’ to his mates, jumped Garth Puller’s charge out from the wide draw to lead early. It was a lead that he did not relinquish in spite of challengers coming from all sides with another turf veteran Trafalgar Square flashing up for second but well beaten. It was a quick double for the under rated Hlengwa who edged out Cole Dicken in a tight finish to the previous race.
S’Manga Khumalo is never shy when it comes to the use of the crop and he gave Good Traveller a few reminders that the gelding will not remember fondly as he got Good Traveller home for Gareth van Zy. In a desperate finish to the B Stakes with three horses nose-to-nose on the line, Good Traveller got his nose in front ahead of favourite Circumbendibus with visiting Wild At War denied two short heads from giving the sister partnership of Candice and Tammy Dawson their first winner in KZN.
De Melo may be missing the lucrative pickings of Hong Kong but finishing in the pack on mostly modest horses is not where one wants to be in a highly competitive sport. A champion in his own right, De Melo’s experience in Hong Kong will have honed his skills and they came to the fore in the last as he rode a canny race on Garth Puller’s charge Izibulo to round off the afternoon with a treble. The win gave Puller a double and Hollywood Racing a treble with log leader Craig Zackey adding one more to his tally.
Brett Crawford Reaches Double Figures In Hong Kong
Hugh Bowman scores his 25th win of the season aboard the Brett Crawford-trained Beauty Missile, who finally won a race at the 37th attempt (Picture: HKJC)
Brett Crawford scored his tenth win in Hong Kong at the Happy Valley meeting on Wednesday and he has done it at a fine strike rate of 11.63% as his runners have only had 86 runs between them to date.
Crawford won the first race on Wednesday with the Australian-bred Smart Missile gelding Beauty Missile, who was brought home by Hugh Bowman to prevail by a head in the Class 5 event over 1800m, having jumped from a tough draw of ten.
Beauty Missile jumped superbly but things weren’t looking good around the first turn as he was caught three wide without cover and was near the back.
Bowman than decided to take the 36 start maiden right up to the lead and he hit the front when hitting the final turn.
Most of his supporters would have been throwing their tickets away, because surely he had expended too much energy.
However, they would not have reckoned with Crawford’s conditioning skills.
Just as he looked likely to be swamped Beauty Missile found extra and put his nose back in front.
He then plugged on gallantly all the way to the line to finally break his duck by a margin of a head.
Crawford had got two fourths and a fifth out of him in five previous starts for the yard and he started second favourite paying 4.80 on the Tote.
Littlemissmillion Can Bounce Back To Winning Ways
Littlemissmillion has an easier task than last time and can bounce back to winning ways (JC Photos)
Vaal Classic Thursday Formguides And Selections
Race 1
3 BLOOD OF EDEN 5 CHICKASAW 1 CODEWORD 4 HUBERTUS HUNT
Preview: 3 BLOOD OF EDEN should be distance suited and has good form and a fair draw. 5 CHICKASAW can win if she reproduces her penultimate start over this trip but she does have a wide draw. 1 CODEWORD has pole position and has struck as a middle distance to staying type so should start improving now. 4 HUBERTUS HUNT has improved in her last two starts but has to prove she stays this trip, although it is just 200m further than last time. (David Thiselton 3-5-1-4)
Race 2
13 THE REASON 6 BRIGITTE ANNE 1 FALCONFLY
Preview: 13 THE REASON has also been showing promise and was also due to have run. 6 BRIGITTE ANNE should enjoy the step up in trip and this well bred sort can improve. 1 FALCONFLY improved last time over 1600m and can earn again with a repeat. (David Thiselton 13-6-1)
Race 3
5 ROYALE JACKET 3 LANCE A LOT GO 9 JOHNNY GO 10 HIGHWAYMAN HARRY
Preview: 5 ROYALE JACKET went close last time over 1500m with second time blinkers on and has a fair draw. 3 LANCE A LOT went close last time over 1600m after a good performance before that and is a big runner if able to overcome a tricky draw. 9 GO JOHNNY GO just failed last time over this trip and should be right there if able to overcome a tricky draw. 10 HIGHWAYMAN HARRY can be involved if bouncing back to the form of his first run and he should relish the step up in trip. (David Thiselton 5-3-9-10)
Race 4
15 WAR TALK 1 NARETOI 8 EMERALD CITY
Preview: 15 WAR TALK ran a cracker when stepped up to this trip last time and has a plum draw. 1 NARETOI is in good form and should earn again. 8 EMERALD CITY has been in good form over further and could earn here. (David Thiselton 15-1-8)
Race 5
5 GERBERA 7 COPPER EAGLE 6 READ ALL ABOUT IT 3 CHESTNUT BOMBER
Preview: 5 GERBERA has some class and can convert her fine recent form into a win. 7 COPPER EAGLE has not been disgraced in some top fields and has a chance in this easier race. 6 READ ALL ABOUT IT is a progressive sort who should start coming into his own and will be dangerous. 3 CHESTNUT BOMBER is threatening to return to his best form and has a chance. (David Thiselton 5-7-6-3)
Race 6
9 LITTLEMISSMILLION 3 ACCEPT COOKIES 4 BAKWENA 6 ACROSS THE POND
Preview: 9 LITTLEMISSMILLION is a tiny filly with a big stride and this represents an easier task than last time where she was not disgraced in a Gr 3 after a five month layoff. 3 ACCEPT COOKIES is in fine form and should be right there again. 4 BAKWENA is knocking on the door and is distance suited. 6 ACROSS THE POND is a capable sort and can bounce back over a suitable trip from a good draw. (David Thiselton 9-3-4-6)
Race 7
4 SPECIAL STAR 6 AMAZON QUEEN 7 PRETTY ANALIA
Preview: 4 SPECIAL STAR won her maiden well over 1800m and from pole position off a reasonable 82 merit rating she could follow up over this suitable 1600m trip. 6 AMAZON QUEEN has 3,20 lengths to make up on Special Star and is half-a-kilogram better off. 7 PRETTY ANALIA is capable of a strong finish so could overcome a tough draw. (David Thiselton 4-6-7)
Race 8
3 PRINCESS ILARIA 4 CAPE SAFFRON 5 PRINCESS KEIRA 7 VAMANOS
Preview: 3 PRINCESS ILARIA went close over this trip last time and has a plum draw again. 4 CAPE SAFFRON is in fine form and should go close if able to overcome a wide draw. 5 PRINCESS KEIRA ran a cracker last time over course and distance and now has a better draw. 7 VAMANOS looks to have plenty of ability and should go close if able to overcome a wide draw. (David Thiselton 3-4-5-7)
Race 9
2 INSPIRATION 7 PALACE REVOLT 8 PROPHET 3 NEVER NEVER LAND
Preview: 2 INSPIRATION won her maiden in fine style and can follow up off a reasonable 81 merit rating. 7 PALACE REVOLT ran a cracker last time with blinkers on and will go close with a repeat. 8 PROPHET is a former top class Gr 3-winning performer and he showed signs of a form return last time having dropped to a 73 merit rating and he is now a further point down to 72. 3 NEVER NEVER LAND has shown ability and might well enjoy the step down in trip so has a chance from pole position. (David Thiselton 2-7-8-3)
Today's Question
FIELDS, Thursday, 8 January
Today’s Question Answer
No, a horse called Riley won the Queen’s Plate four times between 1877 and 1882. He won it three times in succession from 1877 to 1879 and then won it again in 1882.
Riley, by an imported horse called Newsmoner out of an unknown mare, was bred by Mr Melck and won 15 of 25 starts.
He was a great character and was loved by the locals who would shout “Kom nu Riley” when they felt it was time for him to begin his run from a customary position of some lengths behind the rest of the field.
