See It Again strides past the line still full of running in Saturday’s Grade 1 SplashOut Cape Derby (Wayne Marks).
Michael Roberts said winning his first Grade 1 as a trainer was made extra special by being able to share the moment with family.
Halfway down the straight of the Grade 1 SplashOut Cape Derby at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday Michael saw how well See It Again was travelling and turned to his daughter Caroline and said, “I think we’ve got him!”
Cape Town then got a taste of the high decibel encouragement Caroline is well know for in KZN.
Michael said, “The excitement of a win is what makes racing. It’s a game in which the highs are high and the lows can be very low so you have to enjoy it.”
He said having family there to enjoy the moment with him and then celebrate it had made it extra special.
Chuckling about Caroline turning up the volume, he quipped, “Cape Town knew we had arrived!”
Michael became the first KZN trainer to win the Cape Derby since Dennis Drier landed it with The Sheik in 2000.
It was in fact Michael’s fourth Cape Derby success, as he won three as a rider and all of them were aboard KZN-trained horses.
He won on the Fred Rickaby-trained Bold Tropic in 1979, with the Ricky Maingard-trained Impressive Style in 1987 and the Dave Goss-trained Comareen in 1994.
He said about See It Again being sent to him, “For a horse with that pedigree to come to us was very lucky. With good horses anything is possible.”
The Twice Over colt is a three-parts brother to his owner Nick Jonsson’s dual Durban July-winner Do It Again.
Michael said he had liked See It Again from day one.
He said he had been a bit weak at the start but added he had told Nick Jonsson after his first gallop, “I think we have something special here.”
He said training for Jonsson was a pleasure because Jonsson did not ever put any pressure on him and this enabled him to give the horse the time he needed.
He said he had earmarked a Cape campaign after he had won the Listed Model Man Mile and always had three races in mind, culminating in the Cape Derby, which he viewed as the chief target being a prestigious Grade l.
He said he he had followed the other Derby candidates and become quite bullish about See It Again’s chances until hearing Charles Dickens was entered.
However, there was always the chance Charles Dickens was not going to see out the trip, whereas he was always confident See It Again would do.
Roberts and Paddy Kruyer, who looked after See It Again at Milnerton, go back a long way.
Michael said, “I was his kit boy at the Academy and we’ve always got on well. He was assistant to Terrance Millard for a long time and I said to Nick Jonsson he was not somebody who would have any ulterior motives, he would be somebody we could trust.”
Nick was thrilled by the choice as he had recalled at a polo match many years ago Terrance Millard telling him what a fine horseman Paddy Kruyer was.
Michael was in contact with Paddy morning and afternoon and flew to Cape Gown for the important workouts.
He became increasingly confident with each visit, noticing how the colt was maturing.
Then just before the race his confidence reached a height when he looked into his box and saw a gleaming coat.
“His coast was so shiny he looked like gold,” said Michael.
He added, “Troy Finch came around to photograph him and as he saw him he immediately said, ‘Wow!!’”
I asked where he had just come from and he said he had been photographing the opposition, so his nice words about See It Again were then extra meaningful.
Michael said See It Again’s “beautiful” temperament had been another asset that had always impressed visitors.
Michael said no stone was left unturned before a Grade 1 and two changes made it See It Again’s case were the jockey and headgear.
Michael said, “See It Again did not help Rachel (Venniker) much in the Gold Rush and was left a bit far out of his ground. Nick suggested a more experienced rider – he is the one who pays the bills.”
Fortuitously the most experienced of them all then became available as Piere Strydom’s mount Itsrainingwilliam was scratched.
The connections were grateful to the Snaiths for immediately notifying them of Striker’s availability.
Kruyer suggest the blinkers and Michael was at first a bit sceptical, worried the horse would overrace.
However, they decided to try them out in work and when the rider returned saying he had gone very well in them, Michael decided to go ahead with half-cups.
Nick had looked a bit dubious on being given the news but Michael said he was an owner who never interfered.
In the end the only thing that really surprised Michael was how easily See It Again had won.
He said Piere Strydom had ridden him “beautifully”. The race had panned out exactly as he had envisaged and his chief instruction of “don’t press the button too soon” had been adhered to.
He is not a great one for times, but Michael did mention that somebody had pointed out to him that the time was just 0,11 seconds slower than the Met.
He envisaged the traditional route of WSB Guineas, Daily News 2000 and Hollywoodbets Durban July being the chief SA Champions Season targets for See It Again.
The horse has been given a 124 merit rating, meaning Strydom might be able to take the ride in the July, as long as the 133 rated Al Muthana is not a runner.
Roberts has an affinity with horses like few others and whatever happens See It Again’s needs will be put first.
Perhaps he will be the horse who kickstarts Roberts training career, which has had plenty of wins and enjoyment, but not a lot of involvement in big races.
