Jan Van Goyen represents the Mike and Mathew de Kock yard and is out to give the De Kock name a sixth Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas title (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
Alistair Cohen (Race Coast)
South Africa’s Champion Two-Year-Old Male of last season makes his first trip to Cape Town on Saturday to run in the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas. With a superb prep run under his belt two weeks earlier at Turffontein, he looks to be coming into this showpiece event ready to claim his second career scalp at the highest level. This card shapes up to be one of the most enticing in years regardless of the 1600m showpiece event.
Trainer Mike de Kock won this race, which is a stallion-maker, five times. Now teaming with his son Mathew, they will look to increase their footprint on this race which has been dominated by himself, Vaughan Marshall and Dean Kannemeyer over the last 30 years.
Jan Van Goyen won the Grade 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville in July. That was the race that stamped him as an elite quality talent. He was given a long rest and many questioned where he was hiding. He held a few nominations but Team De Kock picked their spots with this race in mind. He had a grass gallop at Turffontein nearly a month ago to brush off some cobwebs.
His real return came two weeks ago in the Grade 2 Jackpot City Dingaans over 1600m at Turffontein when he finished a superb second behind Trust. The Dingaans is traditionally a great pointer for the future. One must keep in mind that the winner and runner-up were nearly five lengths ahead of the third-placed horse. There were Grade 2 and Grade 3 winners who did not lay a glove on them. Jan Van Goyen was reported to not quite be 100% going into that race but close to peak. He should be in the pink of health for this race.
The big question is the travel aspect from Johannesburg to Cape Town but if anybody knows how to pull off the big trip, it is De Kock. Callan Murray is carded to take the ride.
Randolph Hearst has been unlucky in his two runs this summer. His return in the Grade 3 Cape Classic over 1400m he was asked to make up too much ground when he finished third behind Vapour Trail. It was still an encouraging run to have finished his race that strongly. Last time in the Grade 2 Cape Punters Cup over this track and trip he was impeded in the closing stages. He failed to win the race in the boardroom, a decision many think is debatable. Randolph Hearst has a brilliant turn of foot and there is evidence of a pace in the race. He should make a bold bid.
Happy Verse got the run from hell in his last run, the Cape Punters Cup when he found no position and he was forced to travel at the outside of the pack with no cover. He stuck it out and was not disgraced finishing fourth behind Good For You, who he meets again. Whatever happens, less will go wrong.
Gimmie Rules is at the top of the boards and he has taken a soft route into this Grade 1. He was impressive when beating the solid, well-performed Handsome Prince last time by 0,5 lengths. He was in receipt of 4,5kg. Whether that is good enough to win a Grade 1 remains to be seen. He is a full brother to Grade 1 hotshots Gimme A Prince and The Real Prince. For now, he is all reputation. If he lives up to the hype, he will excite many in the coming seasons.
A mention for Good For You. He is a very good horse. He has a habit of hanging from side to side when under pressure but he is a Grade 1 winner as a two-year-old when taking out the Gold Medallion at Hollywoodets Scottsville. He had to repass and gallop in a straight line before a racemeeting a few weeks back. He is either going to win or go completely missing.
The rest of the card is so appetizing. The Grade 2 Ridgemont Green Point Stakes over 1600m is a galaxy of stars except Eight On Eighteen who should step out withing a month. Gladatorian is an iron horse who runs massive races even when the chips are down. His versatility and desire are huge attributes and it is hard to expect him to be off colour. He looked the part when winning his prep run at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 1200m last month. His main aim will be the L’Ormarins Kings Plate and World Sports Betting Cape Town Met. Stuart Ferrie has his first string in Cape Town since replacing his legendary boss, Dennis Drier. He trains this brilliant son of Vercingetorix.
Sail The Seas has stuck himself among possible Weight For Age race winners. He also has a run under his belt this season when he returned from a six-month break and ran close to his stable companion and 1400m specialist Great Plains. He could be more of a Met or Kings Plate horse too but if good enough to win those races, he should be good enough to win this.
Fire Attack comes from Alec Laird’s Johannesburg-based yard and he has Grade 1 wins and places to his name. His seasonal debut at Turffontein last month was excellent when he ran South Africa’s most exciting sprinter, Buffalo Storm Cody close over 1160m. His deep draw of No 13 is a concern but he does not have his legs tied up.
Neither do Cosmic Speed and Snow Pilot who also have Grade 1 wins to their names. See It Again is in the race while The Real Prince and Dave The King are good enough to compete on any stage having won the Hollywoodbets Durban July and crowed former Horse Of The Year respectively.
The Grade 3 1Voucher Victress Stakes, race 4, over 1800m could be best setup for Rainbow Lorikeet who won this race last year. Her seasonal debut was pleasing when she finished 2,8 lengths behind Double Grand Slam. She generally needs her first run back on track before she gets into the swing of things.
Just about anything can win the Grade 2 SplashOut Cape Merchants over 1200m. Raven Black has a big reputation but soundness has compromised him of running regularly and staying in the swing of things. Since relocating to Cape Town he has got into a routine. He possibly needed a few runs on return from nearly a year off the track. His last effort was meritorious when he finished 0,4 lengths behind Mai Sensation over this course and distance. He is 1,5kg better off so he should turn that form around. There are chances for Quantum Theory, The Us Of A, I Am Giant and Outlaw King.
The Grade 3 Ownpay Peninsula Handicap over 1800m has an interesting complexion. The presence of Magic Verse has pushed most of the field under sufferance and some light-weight jockeys have a spin on horses they would not necessarily be familiar with. Landoftherisingsun and Muzi Yeni have combined and he could pay to follow. He won the Listed Settlers Trophy over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville when last seen in September. He gives the impression that he is ahead of the handicapper and developing only now. Regulation gets the services of regular rider JP van der Merwe and he is also coming to hand as a four-year-old. His last win was full of merit when he stretched away to beat Umfula by 4,5 lengths over this course and distance.
Champagne Castle has experience under the belt and she could score in race 1 over 1000m. On debut she finished 1,9 lengths behind Querari Dancer. That form was franked last weekend when Catwalk King made some significant improvement from debut to second start.
Rockanrollin could be the best bet on the card when he runs in race 2 over 1200m. Unless debutant, Cardinal Point is any great shakes, he should have no issues getting out of the maiden ranks after a string of solid, placed performances.
Race 3 over 1200m looks to be a three-cornered contest between Spirit, Churchillian and Nightrain. They are selected in that order. Spirit is far better than his recent runs suggests. Richard Fourie takes the ride for Piet and Elbert Steyn.
There are a few with chances in race 9 over 1600m. The free-striding Mente Et Manu could bounce back to winning ways. He ran in a very open race in his last start behind horses who are running in the Grade 3 Peninsula Handicap a race earlier. He has pulled his career together since a wind operation and he still seems upwardly mobile.
