Dyce wins last year’s Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship. (Picture: Wayne Marks).
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)
It’s been more than 14 years since Michael “Lucky” Houdalakis and Piere “Striker” Strydom teamed up with JJ The Jet Plane to win the Hong Kong International Sprint (Gr1) at Shatin Racecourse in 2010. Now the pair combine with the talented Dyce in the R1,5-million Cape Flying Championship (Gr1) over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. Ironically, the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool are the sponsors of the 2025 renewal of the Cape Flying Championship so in some sense it could be a case of déjà vu.
Dyce is the defending Champion having won last year’s event under Craig Zackey who will this year be aboard the 2023 winner Gimme A Prince. Following his victory last year, Dyce lost his way and owner David Shawe agreed with trainer Lucky Houdalakis that the 6yo son of William Longsword should be gelded. The unkindest cut of all worked a treat for Dyce and with Strydom now firmly a member of the Dyce partnership, he reeled off three consecutive wins before going down narrowly to Golden Sickle in December.
Many in the 14-strong field are not 1000m speed merchants but Dyce is very much at home over the minimum trip and all things being equal, he should go very close to retaining the Trophy. He is raiding Hollywoodbets Kenilworth from his base at the Vaal – as he did successfully last year – and Lucky confirmed that Dyce arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday morning in good order.
As mentioned, Zackey now rides Gimme A Prince for his “boss” Dean Kannemeyer and the multiple Grade-One winner commands huge respect. My only concern is that in recent times the Khaya Stables owned 6yo son of Gimmethegreenlight has been running over 1400m & 1600m, including an excellent third in the recent L’Ormarins Kings Plate, and he may now have lost the edge needed to come out on top over 1000m on a super-fast track. But win or lose, there is no doubt that he will be flying home over the final 200m.
Questioning is in terrific form and is as honest and genuine as they come. He would prefer 1200m-1400m, but he has been expertly trained by Vaughan Marshall to be as sharp as can be and he came through his last run in the 1000m Winchester Cup with flying colours. He was beaten only a length by the lightning quick Candy Town but was conceding the winner as much as 10,5kgs and the 4yo son of Querari looks overpriced in the ante-post market. Bereave signalled a return to form in the Winchester Cup and although flying well under the radar, we must not forget he did run third behind Dyce in last year’s edition of the Cape Flying Championship.
Of the balance Asiye Phambili, Café Culture and Surjay make some appeal and could upset the applecart but, fit and well, Dyce could deliver for “Lucky” and “Striker” with Questioning and Gimme A Prince fancied to follow him home. The HKJC Cape Flying Championship is one of three Grade 1 races on Saturday’s World Sports Betting Cape Town Met bumper 12-race programme and is the fourth leg of the projected R10-million Pick 6.
