Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship runner up Thunderstruck is the favourite for the Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes to be run on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadem cut up at declaration stage yesterday into a mere nine horses, but it is virtually of Gr 1 standard such is the quality of the runners.
There are two Gr 1 winners involved, former Equus Champion Sprinter Rio Querari and Thunderstruck.
Bereave won this last year and he is coming off a 1,40 length third in the Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship over 1000m.
Surjay has a Gr 1 runner up and Gr 1 third place finish to his name.
Cosmic Highway won this race two years ago and added a second career Gr 2 victory to his name when successful in the Cape Merchants over this course and distance in December.
Silver Falcon was beaten 1,75 lengths by Cosmic Highway in the Merchants and is now 5kg better off.
Surjay is even more well in with Cosmic Highway on Merchants form. He is 6.5kg better off with the latter for a mere 0,60 length beating.
However, it must be remembered Cosmic Highway has won this race before and looks to be coming back to his best.
Waterberry Lane is capable of producing scintillating finishing efforts if it pans out well for him and as one with potentially effortless acceleration off suitably fast paces he is interesting having just the fifth sprint race of his career.
Future Variety will find this tough at this stage, but he looks to be an exciting sprinter in the making.
Countdown has been the subject of rave reviews by his trainer Glen Kotzen this summer based on his homework and he has proved it on the race course. He was called the winner in the Merchants such was the deceiving nature of Cosmic Highway’s flying finish. However, he was actually beaten a neck and he is now half-a-kilogram better off. He comes in off a good preparation effort over course and distance.
We’re Jamming is full of ability and will prefer this trip to the Cape Flying 1000m, where he was beaten 4,95 lengths. He is not out of it.
It is an exciting renewal and will attract a lot of interest.
The final field for the Diadem and the betting is shown below:
1st R356250, 2nd R114000, 3rd R57000, 4th R28500, 5th R14250, RCIS R30000
KHAYA STABLES DIADEM STAKES (Grade 2)
Weight For Age plus Penalties
WFA: 3yrs-3kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 1 | Rio Querari | 59 | 118 | A | Daniel Muscutt | Justin Snaith | |
| 2 | 2 | Surjay | 59 | 119 | A | Luyolo Mxothwa | Brett Crawford | |
| 3 | 3 | Bereave | 60 | 122 | A | Corne Orffer | Adam Marcus | |
| 4 | 4 | Cosmic Highway | 60 | 117 | A | Craig Zackey | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 5 | 5 | Waterberry Lane | 59 | 112 | A | Sean Veale | Ricky Maingard | |
| 6 | 6 | We’re Jamming | 59 | 110 | A | Juan Paul v’d Merwe | Justin Snaith | |
| 7 | 7 | Countdown | 59 | 107 | A | Muzi Yeni | Glen Kotzen | |
| 8 | 8 | Silver Falcon | 59 | 116 | BA | Grant van Niekerk | Justin Snaith | |
| 9 | 9 | Thunderstruck | 59 | 124 | TBA | Richard Fourie | Sean Tarry | |
| 10 | 10 | Future Variety | 56 | 106 | A | Morne Winnaar | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (1,6,8) | ||||||||
Hollywoodbets Prices:
Thunderstruck 25/20
Bereave 25/4
Future Variety 25/4
Surjay 15/2
Rio Querari 8/1
Cosmic Highway 10/1
Silver Falcon 10/1
We’re Jamming 14/1
Countdown 17/1
Waterberry Lane 50/1
