Harajuku is one of two Danon Platina’s in the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Danon Platina has two chances of landing black type for the first time in the Splashout Cape Derby over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday and it would be fitting if this much vaunted Mauritzfontein Stud-based sire’s first stakes success is a Gr 1.
The Danon Platina gelding Rapidash gave Justin Snaith a second successive win in the lucrative R7.5 million Gold Rush and he has a chance of giving owner Nick Jonsson a second successive win in the Cape Derby.
Snaith won the inaugural Gold Rush with Royal Aussie (Royal Mo) and Jonsson won last year’s Cape Derby with the Michael Roberts-trained See It Again (Twice Over).
Danon Platina’s progeny appear to enjoy going over ground.
He already has a multiple winner over 2400m in his first crop (Twenty Drachmas).
Furthermore, Rapidash is out of an Australian-bred War Pass mare, whose only career win was over 2000m.
Rapidash has a tricky draw of eight, but in the Gold Rush Grant van Niekerk dropped him out to last and he produced a storming finish to win cosily.
Jonsson and Snaith might have an even better chance with the the Trippi colt Hluhluwe.
He beat Cape Derby favourite Green With Envy by a short-head in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas and strikes as one who is looking for 2000m. He is out of a Giant’s Causeway mare whose only win was over 1800m. Furthermore, his dam is a half-sister to Western Winter mare Fresnaye, whose three stakes victories included one over 2200m.
Hluhluwe will be ridden by UK-based Daniel Muscutt, who won the WSB Cape Town Met for the same connections, Snaith and Jonsson.
His Snaith-trained stablemate, the Danon Platina colt Harajaku, is not out of it despite odds of 14/1.
He was beaten 1,65 lengths by Green With Envy in the Politician Stakes and is now 3kg worse off, so on paper his chances look forlorn. However, he was caught without cover in a one out and one back position throughout the running of the Politician Stakes and now gets a plum draw of two.
However, the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Green With Envy is going to be hard to beat.
He is out of a Galileo mare and has always been crying out for middle distances.
The Gr 3 Schweppes Politician Stakes proved that contention as he came from last with a sweeping run to win easily and impressively by 1,25 lengths, despite carrying 60kg and giving the field bar one weight.
He has been ridden by Craig Zackey in all bar one of his seven starts, so Zackey will have a plan to overcome a tricky draw of six out of nine.
The Candice Bass-Robinson-trained filly Beach Bomb will be one of the dangers as she is a twice Gr 1 winner already and downed the Equus Horse Of The Year Princess Calla in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m. Her last unplaced run was a flat effort, but was explained because she was found to have “a bit of a virus.”
Of the others The Gold Rush runner up the Vaughan Marshall-trained Coastal Commander is of interest.
He will be attempting to give Marshall and owners Ken and Jane Truter a second Cape Derby this decade, having won it with Linebacker in 2021, although the Truters owned the latter in partnership with Cheryl Gabler.
In the Gold Rush he came from backward of midfield and was overtaken close to home by Rapidash.
Coastal Commander’s dam Open My Eyes by Kahal won twice over 1600m and has produced four winners from five runners, including a stablemate by Pathfork called Look For Hounds, whose six wins have been from 1200m to 1400m, although he did place second in a Listed race over 1600m. However, Coastal Command’s third dam Magnetic Field (Northfields) produced the Gold Cup winner Cereus, so there is some stamina in the female line. His sire Lancaster Bomber brings more stamina as a horse who won a Gr 1 over 2100m.
The Brett Crawford-trained Infrared plugged on for a 4,40 length fifth in the Gold Rush, but being by Twice Over out of a London News maiden who in turn was out of a Jallad mare, he should be crying out for this trip. He has a lot to prove off a 94 merit rating though.
Stablemate Willie John looks held on formlines and is rated only 88. Being by William Longsword out of a one-winning Trippi sprinter doesn’t augur particularly well on pedigree either.
A third stablemate Oriental Charm is well held by Green With Envy on Politician Stakes form.
Final Field and betting for the Cape Derby below:
Race-8 (Turf) R1 500 000 2000m 16:15 Ref-371
1st R890625, 2nd R285000, 3rd R142500, 4th R71250, 5th R35625, RCIS R75000
SplashOut CAPE DERBY (Grade 1)
For 3-year-olds
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 1 | Willie John | 60 | 88 | A | Richard Fourie | Brett Crawford | |
| 2 | 2 | Harajuku | 60 | 101 | A | Juan Paul v’d Merwe | Justin Snaith | |
| 3 | 3 | Coastal Commander | 60 | 101 | A | Bernard Fayd’Herbe | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 4 | 4 | Beach Bomb | 57.5 | 117 | A | Aldo Domeyer | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 5 | 5 | Oriental Charm | 60 | 87 | A | Kabelo Matsunyane | Brett Crawford | |
| 6 | 6 | Green With Envy | 60 | 110 | A | Craig Zackey | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 7 | 7 | Hluhluwe | 60 | 111 | A | Daniel Muscutt | Justin Snaith | |
| 8 | 8 | Rapidash | 60 | 103 | A | Grant van Niekerk | Justin Snaith | |
| 9 | 9 | Infrared | 60 | 94 | A | Luyolo Mxothwa | Brett Crawford | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (1,5,9) (2,7,8) | ||||||||
Hollywoodbets Prices:
Green With Envy 18/10
Hluhluwe 28/10
Beach Bomb 7/2
Rapidash 11/2
Coastal Commander 10/1
Harajuku 14/1
Infrared 17/1
Willie John 33/1
Oriental Charm 50/1
