Whisky Baron takes on fellow Sun Met entry Brazuca in a fascinating clash in the Allowance Plate at Kenilworth today when four of the six runners are in next month’s R5 million showpiece.
Brazuca, second in last season’s Cape Guineas, Cape Derby and SA Classic plus third in the Premiers Champions Challenge, is a class act and the obvious choice yet he is a bigger price for the Met (22-1) than the Baron who is a short as 12-1 with some layers after being backed in the last few days.
Brazuca (Nkosi Hlophe)
Johan Janse van Vuuren has followed a similar procedure to last season when he sent the colt to Brett Crawford to complete his big race preparation and this time Brazuca travelled from Johannesburg shortly after making a winning reappearance at the Vaal last month. The plan is the Queen’s Plate as well as the Met.
Crawford trains Whisky Baron who was second to Marinaresco in both the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic. Of course it’s who you beat that counts – something has got to finish second –but Greg Cheyne’s mount has won both his starts this term in good style even though he is not favoured by the conditions here.
“It’s a big ask and I am sure it will be tough for him,” Crawford admits. “Brazuca is rated 11 points better but, that said, it will be a good test for Whisky Baron.”
The gelding opened at 14-10 with World Sports Betting who have Brazuca favourite at 17-20. It looks a two-horse race although Mambo Mime has been nibbled at (8-1 to 7-1) despite finishing well down the field in the Cape Merchants, his first run since the Durban July. He is 100-1 for the Met.
“He was to have run in the Champions Cup after the July but he developed a thrombosis and he was in hospital in Durban for a month,” says Dean Kannemeyer. “He was badly in need of his run in the Merchants and he still not 100% but you can’t leave him out.”
You can get 500-1 about Macduff for the Met and he is a 14-1 chance here. He went close in an 1 800m handicap here a week ago but he has a lot to do at the weights.
Tahini (8-1) was third in the Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge over a mile but also has it to do on these terms which are the equivalent of her not getting the sex allowance. Waiting For Rain (14-1) is a useful handicapper but has hardly a prayer at these weights.
Some of Andre Nel’s newcomers have proved worth backing in recent weeks and the money came for Head Honcho in the first in no uncertain manner mid-morning yesterday. One minute he was a 7-1 chance and the next he was favourite at 22-10. It wasn’t the trainer’s money – Nel doesn’t bet – but he describes the Querari colt as “a very nice horse.”
Border Control has been backed in the last and could well go off favourite for the third time on the trot. His last run, though, suggests he could be vulnerable and it is significant that Adam Marcus, who took last Saturday’s Cape Summer Stayers with 22-1 shot Royal Badge, is putting blinkers on the consistent Verdier.
That said, I have been waiting for Loadshedder to go over a mile and he is taken to repay this column’s recent losses with interest.
By Michael Clower
