David Thiselton

THE three-year-old male crop was at one stage looking to be  vintage but a star or two will need to emerge from tomorrow’s Grade 1 Cape Guineas as the fizz is starting to go a bit flat.

The unbeaten Malmoos is from the yard of four-times Cape Guineas-winning trainer Mike de Kock and is by Captain Al who won this race from draw 16 of 16 and who has produced two winners of the prestigious classic. Jockey Luke Ferraris said Malmoos was still green last time when winning the Grade 2 Avontuur Estate Concorde Cup over this trip so he has the potential to be a champion. He has a tough draw of ten so it won’t be easy for Ferraris to find cover. However, Malmoos strikes as one of those horses who would throw himself over the line if he had to so he is sure to make a bold bid even if he doesn’t get a good passage. The race does look more wide open than the betting suggests and Malmoos is likely to drift out from his current Track And Ball odds of 17-10.

Seeking The Stars is one of five runners from the yard of five-times Cape Guineas-winning trainer Vaughan Marshall and he also has the potential to be something special. This Vercingetorix colt did not get the best of breaks in the De Grendel CTS Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m but once he had reached the front he imposed himself and never looked like letting up his relentless gallop. He won by 5,50 lengths to prove his front-running Grade 3 Cape Classic victory over the same trip was no fluke. The detractor is that second-placed Lemon Delight was well beaten in the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and four other horses who have come out of the race have also run unplaced. However, he did win easily and the Cape Classic form puts him on a par with Malmoos at least, if not ahead. Vercingetorix is throwing them more speedy than his sire Silvano, so the question is whether Seeking The Stars will be able to keep going from the front in a Grade 1 mile. He could well do as his dam, who is by Count Du Bois, won a Listed race over 2200m. Seeking The Stars’ speed will enable him to get to the front, but his draw of nine means he won’t be able to afford a tardy start this time. Luyulo Mxothwa has given him two fine rides in his last two starts and he stays aboard.

Stablemate Linebacker was beaten into second by Seeking The Stars in the Cape Classic and followed up with another second to Malmoos in the Concorde. The impressive part of the latter run was he had to overcome a wide draw of nine and then ran without cover one out and one back yet still found plenty in the straight to be beaten just half-a-length. He is a big, scopey horse so will still be improving and his big action will carry him close, especially if he manages to find cover under Donavan Dillon, who rides him for the first time.  

The third Marshall runner Rascallion is 5-1 compared to Linebacker’s odds of 18/1. Rascallion gave Linebacker 2kg in the Cape Classic and finished 2,25 lengths behind him and in the Concorde at level weights he was 1,25 lengths behind. However, Rascallion ended up near the back in both races before running on well. He now has a plum draw of two and will appreciate the longer straight of the new course. However, Linebacker is a rangy type who should also enjoy tomorrow’s course and distance so the price disparity can only be justified by the draw and should not be as big.

Marshall’s Contact Zone couldn’t win a handicap over this trip off a 92 rating last time and looks held by The Gatekeeper too.

Marshall’s other runner Look For Hounds has to reverse a 8,75 length defeat by Seeking The Stars from the Cape Classic and could subsequently only manage forurth in the Listed RA Stakes over this trip on the Fairview poly.

Justin Snaith has three runners in his attempt to win the Cape Guineas for a second time ten years after succeeding with Solo Traveller.

Piere Strydom will be wanting to go out with a bang in his last full season of riding and could do it for Snaith with the 16-1 shot Hoedspruit. This Legislate gelding could give owners Suzette and Basie Viljoen a Guineas double, just a week after landing their first Grade 1 with Captain’s Ransom in the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas. He is a big gelding with a big action and has still looked immature in his last two starts. In his penultimate start he had to come around them from last to win over this trip at Durbanville. Last time out in the Concorde he was dropped out to the back from a wide draw and did not get a clear run. However, he still managed to stay on well for a three length fifth. He now gets a good draw of five in the 16 horse field and with improvement and the advantage of Piere Strydom up it would not be a major surprise if he reversed form with Malmoos, Linebacker, Rascallion and Silvano’s Timer.

However, stable jockey Richard Fourie is aboard Gatekeeper, who has shortened into 14/1 with Track and Ball, while Hoedspruit remains at 16/1. This Dynasty colt is a full brother to the course record holder over a mile, Legislate, and he has a fluent action so it is little surprise that Fourie has chosen him. In his penultimate start he ran on the wrong leg around the turn and was beaten 0,30 lengths by Guineas candidate Contact Zone. However, he is now 4kg better off and he also showed more maturity next time out when beating the top class Golden Ducat over this trip when receiving 7kg. However, that race was a canter-sprint affair so not much can be read into it. Nevertheless, The Gatekeeper is one of the horses who could prove himself a leader of the crop.

Snaith’s other runner is Jet Dark who understandably faded in the Cape Classic after being used up early to overcome a wide draw. He won going away next time out in a handicap over 1500m but was running off a 94 so will need a lot of improvement to be a threat.  

Dean Kannemeyer has won the Cape Guineas five times and his charge Silvano’s Timer comes in under the radar at 18/1 odds. He stayed on for fourth in the Concorde, a good preparation, and it is well known that the Silvano’s improve continuously. Furthermore, he is out of a Captain Al mare, Tick Tock, who finished a narrow second in the Cape Fillies Guineas and who has proved her worth at stud already by producing the SA Nursery winner William The Silent (Var) and Listed-placed over 1400m Stopalltheclocks (Trippi). Silvano’s Timer has a tricky draw of eight but will be staying on if dropped out.  

Kanemeyer’s other runner Russian Rock has overraced in his last two starts over 1400m and 1200m respectively so the step up in trip does not augur well and he is also rated only 95.

Querari colt Invincabelle easily beat Jet Dark over 1200m as a juvenile and is one of the dark horses as he has never been further than 1200m but has good cruising speed and a good turn of foot. His trainer-jockey combination Brett Crawford and Anton Marcus  have both won the Cape Guineas twice respectively. On the downside Invincabelle’s full brother Immortelle has never won beyond 1200m. However, his dam Varsity Belle, who is by Var out of a Sadler’s Wells mare, did win over 1600m so he might stay the trip. He is well drawn and has the speed to lead so might spoil the likely race plan of Seeking The Stars.

Last season’s champion two-year-old male Tempting Fate from the Dennis Drier yard ran well below par over 1200m in his seasonal reappearance. In his only attempt at this trip in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes he went to the front from a wide draw in a slow run race and could only manage a two length sixth. The form of that race has overall not worked out too well, although Tempting Fate did finish ahead of subsequent Dingaans winner Catch Twentytwo.  

The Sean Tarry-trained Willow Express is drawn in pole but has to reverse five length and 6,25 length defeats by Malmoos and Seeking The Stars respectively over 1400m and he was well beaten in last season’s Premiers Champion Stakes too.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Fast Love was beaten nearly 20 lengths in the Ready To Run Stakes after being caught wide and overracing and earlier he could only manage eighth from pole position in the Premiers Champion Stakes. He is the lowest rated runner too.

Most of the leading contenders are drawn wide on a course which favours low draws, so it is a difficult race to assess.

However, Seeking The Stars, of those, has the best chance of overcoming a wide draw as he is a natural front runner and he is taken to beat Malmoos with Linebacker next best ahead of The Gatekeeper, Hoedspruit and Rascallion.