One Stripe can say farewell to South Africa with a big money win in Sunday’s R5 million Big Cap (Picture: Wayne Marks).
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle)
South Africa’s Champion three-year-old, One Stripe, is set for the biggest payday of his career when he lines up for the final time on South African soil against nine rivals in the R5-million HSH Princess Charlene Big Cap over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday. One Stripe has won six races, including the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (Gr1) and the L’Ormarins King’s Plate (Gr 1), from only eight starts to date for career earnings of close on R4,2-million. Victory on Sunday would add another R3-million to his bank balance and provide for a fitting “bon voyage” as the Drakenstein-bred son of One World jets off to further his career in the USA.
Now owned by Betting Entertainment Technologies International (Pty) Ltd in partnership with Rikesh Sewgoolam, One Stripe will join the stable of Graham Motion who already has Isivunguvungu, Beach Bomb and Gimme A Nother in his care, all of which have performed admirably since relocating to the States. Hollywood Racing’s Isivunguvungu, a Narrow Creek-bred son of What A Winter, is likely to fly South Africa’s flag at the Dubai World Cup race meeting over the first weekend of April but One Stripe’s main mission will surely be the Breeders Cup race meeting later this year.
As was the case with Eight On Eighteen and Gimme A Prince on SplashOut Cape Derby day three weeks ago, there is no logical case to be made for any of One Stripe’s rivals to knock him off his perch. Perhaps Great Plains comes closest if you isolate the Cape Guineas (Gr1) form. Great Plains finished third nearly three lengths behind One Stripe and is 2kgs better off but, more than that, the Guineas is run over 1600m, and Great Plains has proven to be something of a 1400m specialist with all four of his victories having been recorded over the “Big Cap” trip. Hypothetically, if the Guineas was run over 1400m, would Great Plains have been a lot closer to One Stripe? Perhaps, but brilliant horses – and there can hardly be any doubt that One Stripe fits that description – are equally versatile and I doubt the step back in distance, nor the weight turnaround with Great Plains, will prove enough to stop One Stripe from closing out his South African campaign on a high!
It’s going to be an emotional afternoon for trainer Vaughan Marshall and jockey Gavin Lerena. One can only imagine what will be going through Vaughan’s mind as he walks towards his Champ to saddle him for the final time. And then to give Gavin Lerena his final leg-up and then to watch him canter down. Experience has taught Vaughan that however much the odds are stacked in your favour, victory in racing cannot be taken for granted and his emotions will no doubt give way to anxiety as the gates are sprung! As true horse racing fans we can only hope that everything goes according to plan for One Stripe and Gavin Lerena, and that at the winning post Vaughan’s anxiety will transform into exhilaration and champagne-popping celebration for him, the Owners and his legion of fans and supporters in the grandstand and around the country.
The R1,5-million Cape Racing Sales Slipper for juveniles over 1200m, a race restricted to graduates of the Sponsor, sees a rematch between Clair de Lune and Black Cheetah, both from the stable of Champion Trainer Justin Snaith. Black Cheetah is unbeaten from two starts and Clair de Lune has yet to win from three starts but there was only a neck between the pair when they met on King’s Plate day. That was over 1000m, and I believe that over the extra 200m on Sunday Clair de Lune will have every chance of reversing the order with Black Cheetah, but that is certainly no foregone conclusion.
Dreamworld scored in workmanlike fashion on debut when strongly supported in the market and the son of One World appears to have plenty of scope for further improvement. Military Command was a dominant winner of his second start and should go well here for Craig Zackey and trainer Peter Muscutt and, while two-year-olds can improve rapidly from one run to the next, I do believe the winner should emerge from amongst this quartet.
The R200 000 Monaco Sport of Kings Kenilworth Cup (Listed) over 2400m has attracted a small but competitive 7-horse field with five of the runners coming from the stables of Justin Snaith and Glen Kotzen. Holding Thumbs is in very good form and goes well for Sean Veale and he could record back-to-back victories, but he is rising in the handicap, and he may not have matters all his own way. Triple Time looks ready to produce his best and should give a good account of himself, but he must concede 4,5kgs to Holding Thumbs and only the race will show whether the eye-catching grey is up to the task.
Nebraas showed signs of life when third behind Holding Thumbs last time and is now 1kg better off with Kotzen’s runner. Otto Luyken recently joined the back-in-form Brett & James Crawford team, and the son of Flower Alley is weighted to turn the tables on Triple Time. Bombers In The Sky and Groovejet are interesting off bottom weight of just 50kgs, although both race under sufferance in terms of official ratings. That said, Groovejet is bred on strong staying lines and could relish the trip which he tackles for the first time. Blackberry Malt makes up the field but will need to step up on his recent showings.
Not an easy race and the pace, or lack thereof, will as always play a role in the outcome, but preference is for Holding Thumbs who is still on the improve as he matures into his large frame.
