Poetry in motion … Gimme A Prince powers to an emphatic victory on Saturday under Craig Zackey. (Picture: Wayne Marks).
The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Gimmethegreenlight gelding Gimme A Prince undoubtedly stole the show at Hoillywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday when romping home to a 5,75 length victory in the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Cape Flying Championship over 1000m.
The Khaya Stables homebred’s time of 56,76 seconds recorded with a penetrometer reading of 23 was just outside the course record of 56,46 seconds held by Muscatt (29/12/2012) and also just outside the race record of 56,53 seconds held by the filly Alboran Sea (24/1/2015).
Kannemeyer said, “It was a really impressive performance and I think it’s his best win in his whole career, despite being a six-year-old. He won it two years ago and then unfortunately last year he missed the whole season. He had run a short-head second to Charles Dickens in the Matchem and cracked his knee (hairline fracture accross). It has been a long, slow process. Fortunately, we have had an owner who has been very patient, and that makes all the difference. He’s a top horse, but also not an easy horse to train. You can’t go and gallop him every week, like before the L’Ormarins King’s Plate I should have galloped him, but I didn’t want to take that chance. He was only found out in the last 100m in the King’s Plate. From that run we just freshened him up and kept him ticking over. He won the Cape Flying two years ago, but, as an older horse, I thought maybe the 1,000m would be a little quick for him now. But, he was out of the machine well and he was sitting four lengths off them all the way. He came to the false rail and as he moved him inward he just picked them off quick, quick. He’s got a hell of a turn of foot, as we saw on Saturday and as we also saw in the King’s Plate. When he changes gears it is something to beheld. We are all so proud of him. But I remember before the Golden Horse Sprint at Scottsville when I gave Keagan de Melo a leg up I said to him, ‘He’s got 60kg, it will be quite tough’, and he said to me, ‘Don’t worry, he is the best horse in South Africa.’”
It was Gimme A Prince’s third Gr 1 victory.
He beat Surjay, Lucky Lad and Dyce, all three Gr 1-winning sprinters, by 5,75, 5,95 and 6,70 lengths, and the classy Questioning was next best, beaten 6,75 lengths.
What made the victory extra special is Lady Laidlaw of Khaya Stables splashed out R2,7 million when Jehan Malherbe picked out Gimme A Prince’s mother Real Princess at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale and Gimme A Prince is her first foal.

Picture: Gimme A Prince as a foal
Real Princess is by Trippi and was bred by Klawervlei Stud. She is out of the once-winning Fort Wood mare Pagan Princess.
Kannemeyer trained this half-sister of William Longsword’s to win six races, including the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint.
At stud Real Princess has also produced the promising three-time winner The Real Prince and the classy Gr 3 winner Gimmie’s Countess.
Gimme A Prince was always thought to be suited to further than the minimum trip. However, he has only raced over 1000m twice, both times in the Gr 1 Cape Flying, and he has won both times.
He will now go for the Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadeem Stakes over 1200m, which he finished a length second in two years ago when giving the winner Bereave 2kg.
Kannemeyer said he was also toying with running him in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein Standside on 29 March.
He will have many options open to him in the Champions Seasons, including the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stales, the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint and the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint. However, Kannemeyer said he would also consider having another tilt at a Gr 1 weight for age mile in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.