Sun Met-winning trainer Brett Crawford is still waiting to hear how many boxes he will be granted for the South African Champions Season, but has a good idea of which of his best horses will be on the float from Cape Town. They will include the Sun Met winner and third-placed horses respectively, Whisky Baron and Captain America.

Captain America did not travel to Durban last year and his unsuitability to Greyville was cited as the reason. The big six-year-old Captain Al gelding does not have that instant turn of foot normally associated with Vodacom Durban July winners. However, he is these days a thorough professional and there is no longer any sign of the headstrong antics which once affected his performance. He has since become an effective front runner.

Considering last year’s July was won from a handy position by The Conglomerate, who hardly ever looked in danger of defeat in the straight, Captain America is likely to have a shout in this year’s race if he is able to reproduce his front-running performance in the Met. He stayed on resolutely in the Met to finish third, despite it being the strongest field seen in this race for some time. The Conglomerate himself could not live with Captain America in the charge for home in the Met and faded out to finish 13,35 lengths behind the big horse, although he did admittedly have a tough task at the weights.

Captain America was used as the line horse in the Met, quite an accolade as it underlines his consistency. He remains on a 116 merit rating. However, with Legal Eagle now still in the country and merit rated 123, there is a good chance many of the runners in the July will end up under sufferance, like they were last year. This will further enhance the July credentials of Captain America.

Crawford said Whisky Baron, due to his new merit rating of 120, is not a certainty to line up in the July and might well go the weight-for-age route instead. If that is the case, the Gr 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes, the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m and the Gr 1 Champions Cup over 1800m will likely be on his agenda.

Crawford’s Investec Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes will “definitely be nominated” for the July, although it is a long way to go before a decision is made whether he will run. The options are to keep him in Cape Town for the winter series, with a possible raid of the July, or bring him to KZN for the SA Champions Season classic races like the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas and the Gr 1 Daily News 2000. Crawford said about the Count Du Bois colt, “Off just a 102 merit rating, he still has a few pounds on the other three-year-olds.”

Another big three-year-old in the yard, Craven, will not be coming to Durban as he might be off to Hong Kong soon.

One interesting horse on the float to Durban will be Bold Respect, a big an impressive two-year-old colt by Bold Silvano who won the R1 million Kuda Sprint over 1200m on Met day despite being one of only five horses carrying a 2kg penalty. The Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville will be his initial target. An assessment will then be made on his stamina before participation in the Gr 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m and the Gr 1 Premiers Champions Stakes over 1600m is decided. His full-brother Boldly Respectable, also trained by Crawford, has already won over 1400m.

The five-year-old mare Alexis will have been one of the first names on the Durban list as she absolutely loves Greyville. She will likely defend her crown in the Gr 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m and will thereafter hopefully have more luck than she did in last year’s Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m.

Gr 1-winning sprinter Gulf Storm will also be coming to Durban. Off a 108 merit rating, the conditions of the Gr 2 Post Merchants will suit him. The Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint, in which he was runner up two seasons ago, and the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint are other options.

Chevauchee will also be on the float and the yard have now decided to keep this talented Australian-bred daughter of High Chaparral to sprints. The Gr 1 South African Fillies Sprint will be her chief target.

The four-year-old Silvano gelding Nebula, winner of Port Elizabeth’s biggest race, the Gr 3 Algoa Cup over 2000m, will also be coming to Durban.

Crawford said there would likely be a couple of relatively unexposed three-year-olds on the float too.

Crawford cited Met day as likely the pinnacle of his career. He not only won both of Cape Town’s two probable biggest races, the Met and the Derby, but also won two other races. Crawford did the Gold Cup/ Champions Cup double three seasons ago with Wavin’ Flag and Futura and he said that was probably his previous best day.

He added about his new highlight, “It was great as a Capetonian to win the Met for the third time.”

Wayne and Belinda Kieswetter’s Ridgemont Stud, a family racing operation, are now big supporters of the Crawford yard. Wayne and Belinda’s sons, Ross and Craig, who are official owners of Whisky Baron, are now passionately involved in the Sport Of Kings and this is a particularly exciting reality for both Crawford and for SA racing.

David Thiselton
Picture: Whisky Baron (Liesl King)