Andrew Fortune will be out to land a second Gr 1 win on Wish List as he rides the Cartier Paddock Stakes winner in the Lucky Fish Cape Derby (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby first entries stage is only on Monday 16 February, but the Justin Snaith team have already revealed their contenders and jockey bookings.
The yard will have a strong hand with three classy runners, the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes winner Wish List (Legislate), the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas runner up Happy Verse (Vercingetorix) and the highly promising twice-winning Futura gelding Note To Self.
Andrew Fortune will be aboard Wish List, Richard Fourie will be on Note To Self and Gavin Lerena will ride Happy Verse.
Fortune is the yard’s chief jockey at present.
He rode Wish List to victory in the Paddock Stakes and was also aboard Note To Self when he cantered to an ultra impressive victory on WSB Met day in a C Stakes event over 2000m. Fortune also rode Happy Verse in his first two career starts over 1200m and 1400m as a juvenile, both victories, and he rode him in his last start on WSB Met day, a 0,40 lengths second in the Gr 3 HKJC World Pool Politician Stakes over 1800m.
Jonathan Snaith said the veteran rider had been working very hard for the yard.
He is riding work seven days a week and as an example of his commitment he was at Futura Park as usual on Monday morning, but that afternoon was at Summerveld offloading a truck of Justin’s ten raiders.
Wish List will be attempting to become the ninth filly to win the Cape Derby.
Previous fillies to win it have been Desert Born (1925 – inaugural running), Decoration (1929), Windlass (1930), Anthea (1935), Fringilla (1936), Green Lass (1951), Taima Bluff (Arg) (1980) and Dog Wood (1999).
The last filly to run in the Cape Derby was the Candice Bass-trained Beach Bomb who finished second to Green With Envy two years ago.
Wish List relaxes well in the running and has a fine turn of foot. Being by July winner Legislate out of Silvano SA Oaks winner Wind Chill, she will relish the step up in trip.
Note To Self relaxed beautifully on Met day in the 2000m C Stakes event and turned it on effortlessly in the straight before using his huge stride to pull away from the opposition, winning by three lengths with Andrew Fortune pointing to the crowd. He is being nurtured slowly but could become a top horse.
Happy Verse has a fine turn of foot and will be particularly dangerous in a slow run race. He is by Vercingetorix out of a Giant’s Causeway mare who won second time out over 1700m and was subsequently placed over 2000m and 2400m in just seven career starts. Happy Verse should not have a problem seeing out the trip on pedigree.
