One Stripe is an easy winner of the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The annual debate on how good the three-year-od crop is and how the best of them compare to the best of the past starts intensifying around now, but after One Stripe’s impressive performance in the Gr 2 Punters Cup over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday the signs are good.
Luck plays a big part in horseracing and only the really good ones can extract themselves from bad luck in running.
The way the Vaughan Marshall-trained colt finsihed his race off on Saturday, somebody who had just tuned in would have believed he must have had the run of the race.
However, that was far from the truth and in fact he raced without cover throughout.
On the downside, although showing a good racing temperament, he had been unruly after being saddled and permission had to be sought for him to avoid the pre-race parade and proceed ditrectly to the canter past.
One Stripe jumped from draw five and as his stablemate All Out For Six ensured a good pace out in front Gavin Lerena found himself one out and one back with no cover.
This would have been a concern for some, but Marshall would likely not have been one of them as he would have remembered One Stripe’s father One World enjoying being in front and always finding a good kick.
Gavin Lerena is a top professional and was not concerned either as he did not waste any time and energy looking for cover but accepted his fate and allowed One Stripe to settle into a rhythm.
One Stripe still had a lot to do at the top of the straight to catch All Out For Six, who is also by One World.
By the 300m mark he had crept up but time was running out.
However, nobody needed have worried as he then took off and caught his stablemate readily and won easing up 1,75 lengths.
His time was only 0,31 seconds slower than Double Grand Slam’s time earlier in the Summer Bowl. Double Grand Slam was admittedly carrying 62kg, 2kg more than One Stripe, but she is a year older and is not only the probable best older female in the country but was in a highly competitive field of nine. One Stripe was in a decent field of five, but none of them were proven top class in the same vein as the like of Red Palace and Rascova that Double Grand Slam was up against, so there is the feeling that One Stripe can lift his game.
However, nobody is getting carried away and there will be concerns about his antics at saddling time.
Renowned racing analyst of vast experience, Karel Miedema, only gave One Stripe an ability rating of 101 for the performance. He gave him a higher rating of 103 for his previous start when giving the year older Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot 1kg and losing by only a length. Snow Pilot went on to prove that to be a fine performance by One Stripe because in his next start he won in dominating style and looks to have improved as a four-year-old.
One Stripe’s next step is to prove himself better than the best from the Highveld and KZN.
This year’s Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas is thus full on interest with the like of Heather’s Boy, Greaterix, Fire Attack, Bjorn Ironside, The Specialist and Artist’s Model still among the out of province entries who are standing their ground.
