Durban – probably including a crack at the Daily News – is next on the agenda for Fred Crabbia’s It’s My Turn following his surprise win in Saturday’s Investec Cape Derby when hot favourite Black Arthur was beaten into fourth.
Justin Snaith, who also won the Derby with Russian Sage and Legislate, said: “He is definitely going to Durban – he has improved so much – but I think Black Arthur’s win in the Politician took too much out of him. Two weeks between the two races is too close.”
The favourite’s rider Bernard Fayd’Herbe echoed similar sentiments, saying: “He was very green, jumping shadows down the back straight, but I thought I had him in a winning position. However the Politician took a bit too much out of him. It was too close.”
With Investec seemingly locked in with CTS, the chances of its race being moved back to Met day are about on a par with the rand recovering its old levels. The answer, surely, is to run the Politician a week earlier and find another race on Queen’s Plate day for Cartier to sponsor.
It’s My Turn started at 16-1 and apparently Piere Strydom felt even that was overstating it. He said: “I thought I’d got the ride on Black Arthur only to be told I hadn’t and I was riding Prince Of Wales who was then scratched. It’s My Turn’s merit rating is not even near the top horses but at the 200m mark I thought ‘I can’t believe this – I’m going to win.’”
Brazuca, a fast-finishing two length-second, would have been even closer had he had a clear run but his writing was on the wall from the moment he dawdled out of the pens. “I was off the bit the whole way,” reported JP van der Merwe.
Rabada, who on the book would have won, stayed in his box nursing 28 stitches in his near hind. Mike Azzie explained: “He went for a spin at Milnerton on Thursday, got loose, cracked into the tyres at the end of the gallop and cut his leg open”
Inara could also go to Durban after wearing down Same Jurisdiction to take the Klawervlei Majorca for the second successive year and despite Grant van Niekerk re-iterating: “She never felt the same filly in Durban.”
But Candice Robinson said: “She might go – it depends on what stables we get. Those we had last year were very dusty.”
Mike Bass, winning the race for the fifth time in 11 seasons and given a great reception, paid tribute to his daughter, saying: “Candice has done a great job getting Inara ready for this and today the filly was probably at her best.”
The first three ran in Gaynor Rupert’s colours and, although the starter reported that Same Jurisdiction stumbled shortly after leaving the pens, Anton Marcus said: “She had every conceivable chance.”
By Michael Clower
Picture: It’s My Turn (Liesl King)
