Act Of War landed the almost unbelievably prohibitive odds of 2-17 in the Tekkie Town Winter Guineas at Kenilworth yesterday with a performance that owed far more to guts and determination than his natural brilliance but he is far from certain to be seen in Durban this year.
Markus Jooste’s racing manager Derek Brugman spelt out the provisos with unmistakeable clarity, saying: “I have learned over the years that it is not fair on a good horse to run from a bad draw if you can help it and if he doesn’t draw well in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge (June 6) he will stay in Cape Town and wait for next season.”
He was drawn badly in yesterday’s Grade 3 and Anton Marcus, typically, had him out of the pens better than any of his rivals. He then slowed the pace but, even so, he had most of the opposition in trouble as he turned into the straight.
A furlong later, though, the favourite was also having to be ridden and in a matter of seconds those bold enough (or rash enough) to have backed him went from winnings-calculating to something approaching heart failure. Three times Marcus was forced to give his mount a tap but, to the colt’s credit and to his backers’ considerable relief, the horse responded each time and at the line he had a length and a quarter to spare over 25-1 shot Sail For Gold with 33-1 chance Royal Dreamer less than half a length away third.
“Job done and I’m happy,” declared Joey Ramsden. “It was a pretty good effort and I wasn’t expecting any more.”
The Milnerton trainer, sending out his 75th winner of the season, then revealed just what he and the Cape Guineas winner have been going through with haemo-concentrating.
He said: “The red blood cells become very thick and the horse can’t get enough white cells to absorb the oxygen and this is why he pulled up slightly wobbly after the Cape Derby. What we do is hydrate him a lot by dripping him.”
Stable companion The Conglomerate, so convincing in Saturday’s KRA Guineas, is set to return to Greyville at the end of the month for the Daily News 2000.
Ramsden said: “I will speak to Derek but I would think he will run there next. He is a live contender for the Vodacom Durban July and that is his target.
“The idea is to get there with as low a penalty as possible. I don’t know what he will get for Saturday’s win but he had lower rated horses second, fourth and fifth.”
Ramsden is puzzled by King Of Pain’s disappointing effort when starting 4-1 second favourite for the Drill Hall and said: “We did a lung wash and found a little bit of muck but he didn’t want to gallop early on which is not like him.”
Title leader Gavin Lerena had to be content with one second from his flying visit to Cape Town and so he remains on 134, just three winners in front of S’Manga Khumalo, with Anthony Delpech and Greg Cheyne on 128. Piere Strydom is only four winners behind him.
– By Michael Clower
Picture: Act Of War (Liesl King)
