Vapour Trail wins the Gr 3 Cape Classic easily, although runner up Good For You is another to take out of the race because he gave the winner 4kg and was beaten by just two lengths (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Drakenstein Stud-bred Hollywood Racing and Rikesh Sewgoolam-owned One World colt One Stripe’s participation in the Breeders Cup Mile had been eagerly anticipated among the racing community, but turned out to be bitterly disappointing as he trailed in last.
The presenters had spoken about the lack of pace in the race and the opportunity for one of the contenders to get an easy lead and perhaps that is why Juan Hernandez decided to take One Stripe to the front from pole position.
However, he was swamped at the top of the straight and could only be nursed home thereafter.
He has put in his best performances by closing in devastating fashion in the final stages, so the front-running tactic was clearly not to his liking.
A line can be drawn through that run.
His next run will be his third after his journey to the USA and he should bounce back.
The winner of the Breeders Cup Mile was Notable Speech, whom One Stripe was beaten by in the Woodbine Mile too, and the form of the latter race, in which One Stripe was unlucky in the running before running on well also suggests the tactics were all wrong on Saturday.
On Sunday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth One Stripe’s Drakenstein Stud-bred half-brother and former stablemate Vapour Trail won the Gr 3 Cape Classic over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth by two lengths.
This Vaughan Marshall-trained Rikesh Sewgoolam-owned Erik The Red colt looks set to follow in One Stripe’s footsteps.
He did receive 4kg from Gr 1 winner, the Glen Kotzen-trained Good For You, and the latter caught the eye running on well for a two length second despite being a headstrong at some stages in the running.
Mark van der Venter wrote the below report on Sunday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting:
Vapour Trail, a laid-back but talented young son of Erik the Red, took out the Cape Classic Gr 3 over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, stretching clear of Good for You, who hung badly across the track, with Randolph Hearst making late progress to clock in third.
Alert race caller Brandon Bailey described the race as a “stop/start” affair. Pay the Palace, Count of Ruen and Chapbook strolled along early on before Aversator suddenly rushed by around the turn. None were to be factors when it mattered. Once Vapour Trail, positioned perfectly in fifth spot, was given his head by Richard Fourie and accelerated from the top of the short straight, it was all over as a contest.
Vapour Trail was punted from 10s into 9/2, rewarding savvy punters who have the utmost respect for trainer Vaughan Marshall’s astute handling of 3YOs with Classic aspirations.
“He completely switched off, really relaxed — not even sure he knows he’s a racehorse,” remarked Marshall.
Vapour Trail was bred at Drakenstein Stud. He is totally different in temperament to his flashy and bold half-brother One Stripe (a high-class winner at three of the Punters Cup, G1 Cape Guineas and G1 King’s Plate), who ran out of the money in the Breeders’ Cup Mile over the weekend at Del Mar.
Vapour Trail’s time for the 1400m trip on the Old Course was 87.29 seconds — on the slow side when factoring in a quick track variant on a dry, sunny afternoon. But he could only do what he could under the given circumstances and was a fully deserving victor, freewheeling in two lengths ahead of jinking rival Good for You.
Connections of The US of A saw cleverly conceived plans come together as he clicked swiftly through the gears to prove much the best in the Southeaster Sprint (Listed) over 1100m.
This handsome five-year-old son of The United States, trained by Paddy Kruyer, was unleashed down the centre of the straight course by Richard Fourie and streaked 1.75 lengths clear of defending champ Dance Variety (40/1 SP), with speed horse Un Bel Di holding third from staying-on grey Dumbledore.
Extolled Kruyer afterwards: “The US of A is a wonderful horse — he just gets under your skin. And Richard Fourie and he have such a good rapport.”
After landing the odds here (backed staunchly from 11/2 into 28/10 favourite to inflict further damage on the bookies), the Cape Merchants is next on The US of A’s campaign trail.
A winner of five races from 16 starts, and only now hitting his peak thanks to shrewd horseman Kruyer’s diligence, The US of A will be mighty dangerous in that contest, coming in with around 53.5 kg and given the turn of foot he possesses.
