Corne Orffer is optimistic that Captain America can follow up his Rising Sun Gold Challenge win in Saturday’s World Sports Betting Champions Cup and he sees no problem with the extra furlong despite the evidence of the Sun Met.

In that 2 000m Kenilworth race Captain America made the running but started to hang to the right from over 400m out as if his stamina was coming to the end of its tether.

Captain America (Wayne Marks)

But Orffer, the one man really in a position to know, disagrees and explains: “I wish I could have ridden the Met over again because I feel he would have been closer had I let him go to the outside rail in the straight rather than trying to keep him in.

“Every now and again he has a tendency to hang to the right. He did it with me in the Queen’s Plate too.”

But was it lack of stamina? “No,” Orffer is adamant. “He was loving it out in front. He wasn’t using himself up, he was just cruising along and when Anton Marcus on Legal Eagle moved up my horse came right back at him. Indeed I felt he was looking for something to run with.

“He doesn’t have to be in front either. He is a free-striding horse, a galloper, and the important thing is not to get him stuck in behind horses. You need to sit second or somewhere where he is capable of using his action.

“In the Gold Challenge he took off in the straight and shot up like an arrow. The 1 800m will be no problem to him.”

But what about the draw, ten out of 12? Isn’t that going to pose problems?  Orffer shakes his head and grins. “In fact I’m ecstatic about that. I was very happy about his ten draw in the Met too because with what would be regarded as a semi-bad draw you have got time to play around.

“In the Drill Hall I was drawn four, I missed the break by a fraction and I was swamped. I was then stuck in a pocket and I couldn’t get out. Last time he was also drawn ten, he jumped nicely and I could choose my own time to get across.”

Does he see any dangers beyond Marinaresco? “I would say Bela-Bela. She is top of the game among the fillies and you’ve got to respect her on the way she won last time. I make the top three Captain America, Marinaresco and her.”

By Michael Clower