David Thiselton

THE Grade 2 Green Point Stakes was run at a good pace over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday and Vodacom Durban July winner Belgarion proved himself the real deal.

In the July he was carrying the minimum possible weight for a male and came from way back in a furiously fast run race to get up, but he was still going to have much to prove when stepping up to weight for age events this season.

On Saturday he showed he was up to it when coming from last to mow down Rainbow Bridge at level weights, beating him by 0,40 lengths with Cirillo a shorthead further back in third.

Rainbow Bridge won the weight for age Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m earlier this year and Cirillo has been a wfa Grade 1 runner up over this trip twice.

Belgarion and Rainbow Bridge were both giving Cirillo 1kg.

The worth of the form was also backed up by the champion mare Clouds Unfold, who was beaten 2,90 lengths in the Gold Challenge and 2,70 lengths on Saturday.

The Grade 1 Cape Guineas will now take on special significance as the crack three-year-old Malmoos, if he wins, might take his place in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate if it is concluded that a horse better suited to middle distances won the Green Point. However, Do It Again was also considered a specialist middle distance horse before winning the Queen’s Plate and so was Legal Eagle before the first of his three Queen’s Plate victories, so Belgarion might be following in their footsteps. 

The sectional times of Saturday’s Green Point also proved the win was no flash in the pan.

Statistician Jay August timed pacemaker Cirillo reaching the turn in 26.45 seconds compared to the 25.88 by La Favourari in the decently paced race last year won by Vardy and the 27.04 of 2018, a tactical affair in which Undercover Agent was a reluctant leader but was then able to dictate.   

The respective times at the 1000m pole were 37.16 seconds in 2018, 35.44 seconds last year and 36.85 seconds this year.

At the 800 metre mark the times were 51.30 seconds in 2018, 48.92 seconds last year and 48.30 this year.

They went through the 600m pole in 63.90 in 2018, 60.93 last year and 60.16 this year.

The times through the 400m mark were 75.23 in 2018, 73.80 last year and 72.37 this year.

The 200m mark times were 86.86 in 2018, 85.48 last year and 84.18 this year.

The respective final times were 98.92 in 2018, 97.60 last year and 96.89 this year, although these times differed from the official times which were 98.92 seconds, 97.46 seconds and 96.72 seconds respectively.       

This was the third fastest Green Point in the last 18 years behind the 95.84 seconds of Legislate in 2014 and the 96.70 seconds of Dynasty in 2003.

August concluded that the fast fractions set the race up for closers but Belgarion was the only one with the ability to close.

Other conclusions were that Cirillo, even with the aid of blinkers and an attempt to use a tactic which has been employed with success by pacemakers in Cape Town this season i.e accelerating the pace on the turn, proved yet gain to be just behind the best.

It was also noted that Rainbow Bridge was edged out in a close finish yet again.

Belgarion has subsequently shortened from 5/1 to joint 28/10 favourite for the Sun Met together with Summer Pudding.