Bookmakers have priced up Cape Speed as the 9-2 favourite to win the R1.25 million eLan Gold Cup (Grade 2) over 3 200m at Greyville on Saturday 30 July.
Three-year-olds do not have a particularly good record in the Gold Cup but this son of Ideal World won the Grade 3 Derby at Scottsville which, under its new format, is now also not suited to three-year-olds. Trained by Dean Kannemeyer, Cape Speed has only raced nine times but has won five of those. He is also unbeaten in KwaZulu-Natal this season.
Cape Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)
However, he will be trying 3 200m for the first time and has not won over further than 2 400m which was in the Derby where he beat Deputy Judd by a neck. He carried 55kg on that occasion and is only up 0.5kg in the Gold Cup. In-form Anthony Delpech takes the ride again and they will jump from barrier No 8. Kannemeyer also saddles Balance Sheet and Solar Star.
Geoff Woodruff has two runners and they are Arch Rival, who is joint second favourite with Mike Bass-trained Helderberg Blue at 8-1, and 9-1 shot Master Sabina.
Master Sabina won the SANSUI Summer Cup and is a class performer but he will be trying this distance for the first time and will carry 60kg. Arch Rival won the Grade 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m at Turffontein so he will get every inch of the journey. He went on to win a Pinnacle Stakes, beating Enaad who franked the form with a win in the Grade 3 Gold Vase over 300m at Greyville on Durban July day, by 0.40 lengths and will meet his rival on 2kg better terms.
Enaad, who is at 10-1, is one of five runners from the Mike de Kock stable and the former champion trainer is quite happy about the state of his runners. “I think he’s very well handicapped,” said De Kock. “He put up a very good performance in the Gold Vase and the only reason I wasn’t more confident was because I did feel he was suspect over the distance.
“He is now stronger, better and more mature and I would say he is the best of the five. However, he is drawn wide is a problem. I know the race is over 3200m and barrier positions are less relevant but for me, a bad draw is a bad draw.
“If you are well drawn you can often get a position for nothing but off a wide draw you always have to work to get a position.
“But a lot can happen over two miles (3200m).”
S’manga Khumalo, who rode him in the Gold Vase, takes the ride.
However, do not write off New Zealand-bred filly The Centenary, warns De Kock. “She is out of a Montjeu mare and I believe will get the trip. Richard Fourie got off last time when she ran second to Punta Arenas and was very impressed with her. She’s a game filly and she looks like a stayer. I’m quite confident she will run well.” TABnews
Betting for the Gr2 eLan Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville on Saturday 30 July:
9-2 Cape Speed
8-1 Helderberg Blue, Arch Rival
9-1 Master Sabina, Ovidio
10-1 Enaad
11-1 The Centenary
12-1 Balance Sheet, Kingston Mines, Solar Star, Zafira
14-1 Coltrane, Smart Mart
18-1 Stebbins, Kinaan
35-1 Fortune Fella
