High flying trainer Brett Crawford said his Graded feature runners for Saturday at Greyville, Captain America, Sail South, Nebula and Chevauchee, have all been doing very well at Summerveld.
Callie-Jo Bouman, Chante Holloway & Captain America
Captain America has proven in the past to not need a lot of racing to reach his peak so should be in prime condition for the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge following his running on 0,4 length fifth in the Gr 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m. He did not jump well in that race either. His best efforts lately have been either from the front or second in the running, but more importantly he settles wherever he is positioned these days, which allows his resolute finish to have its maximum impact. His last four Grade 1 weight for age (wfa) mile appearances have netted a facile win in the Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein in 2015 and three placed runs behind the current Equus Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle. In the last of those runs Captain America finished second in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate, so on form is the horse to beat on Saturday. However, he does have a tough draw of ten, but Crawford does not believe he needs to lead. Regular rider Corné Orffer rides Captain America.
Gold Challenge contender Sail South has always had talent but has tended to over race. In this year’s Queen’s Plate he was dropped out to last and was duly seen to fight for his head on at least a couple of occasions. It was therefore a phenomenal effort to see him run on for a three length third to Legal Eagle, 0,75 lengths behind Captain America and 0,3 lengths ahead of Saturday’s favourite Marinaresco. In the Drill Hall he was no given the opportunity to fight for his head as he was taken to the front and set a good pace. He was only caught late and finished a 0,45 length sixth. Richard Fourie rides the improved six-year-old Sail From Seattle gelding for the fifth time in succession and they jump from a tricky draw of ten.
Nebula (Nkosi Hlope)
Nebula will need a big run in the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m to book a Vodacom Durban July berth as he was on the outside looking in on the last July log. He won his KZN pipe opener hands and heels over 1600m on the poly, where he showed a fine turn of foot. The Algoa Cup winner will relish the step up in trip and is drawn in pole with leading jockey Greg Cheyne aboard. Cheyne had a bad fall on this horse in the Calulo Mile at Kenilworth in February. It was neither the horse nor jockey’s fault, but Cheyne was side-lined for three weeks. Nebula will need to improve on his run in the Gr 2 Peninsula over 1800m at Kenilworth in December, where he finished a 3,8 length seventh carrying 55kg and receiving 4kg from the winner. However, the winner was Whisky Baron, who of course went on to win the Sun Met. Furthermore, Nebula’s last start proved you can never write off a Silvano, they just get better and better with age. Silvano’s progeny have also proved themselves to have a liking for Greyville. Nebula himself has had four starts at Greyville, all over 1600m, for two wins, a third and a fourth and the third was in a Listed event.
Chevauchee has always been brimful of talent and races in the Gr 2 Tibouchina over 1400m. The lightly raced four-year-old High Chaparral filly has won two Listed events, over 1200m and 1600m respectively, so the 1400m trip should be right down her alley. Crawford said she had not handled Scottsville in her SA Champions Season pipe-opener in the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes so a line can likely be drawn through that unplaced run. The only other time she has finished out of the top three in a ten race career was in this year’s Gr 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m where she moved up well but then found no extra, so she likely didn’t see out the trip. Before that she gave each of the useful males Fifty Cents and Horizon 3,5kg in the Listed Jet Master Stakes over 1600m at Kenilworth and ran a 1,75 length third behind them. She jumps from a tricky draw of eight in the 14 horse field on Saturday and Cheyne is aboard.
By David Thiselton
