Golden Horseshoe winner Zodiac Ruler is being aimed at the Grand Parade Cape Guineas on December 17 and could be better than his 100 rating would suggest.
He started odds-on for the Premiers Champion and, although beaten half a length by 25-1 shot Gunner, Piere Strydom came back reporting that his mount did not act in the soft.
Justin Snaith, who won the 2010 Cape Guineas with Solo Traveller, believes there is more to it than just the ground and said: “What counted against him that day was that he was standing in the pens for so long (several minutes while they settled Misty Birnam) that Piere actually had to wake him up. He is a very smart horse and he will be much better suited by the longer straight at Kenilworth.”
Snaith confirmed that Jet Explorer will continue to campaign in Port Elizabeth where the eight-year-old continues to defy the horrific injuries he suffered in the 2014 Rising Sun Gold Challenge. His win in last Friday’s Founders Trophy was his fourth in six starts.
“There is nothing for him in Cape Town but there is a race for him every few weeks at Fairview,” reasoned the trainer.
Snaith Racing’s Port Elizabeth satellite is enjoying a particularly good run at Fairview – Monday’s four-timer followed a treble on Friday – and is being run by Des McLachlan who trained Ethno Centric to win the 2001 Cape Guineas but is perhaps best known for his handling of Hear The Drums.
McLachlan, together with almost everybody else in racing, believed that this prolific scorer had broken the South African record when winning for the 33rd time at Arlington in July 2010.
It was only when Aiden Lithgow recalled reading a paragraph in Jean Jaffee’s great book They Raced To Win that it was realised that the record was set almost 90 years ago by Darius who won 42 races.
Michael Clower
