It was reminiscent of his effort in last season’s Queen’s Plate when his J & B Met price tumbled from 20-1 to 7-1. This time it occasioned only a ripple in the market – 50-1 to 33-1 with Betting World – but seemingly there is a lot more to come.
“I am amazed he can run second because it’s been a long comeback – he had to be box-rested for two months – and he is still only half the horse,” said Justin Snaith. “Maybe the Queen’s Plate next. It could be a nice race before the Met.”
Vanessa Harrison’s Jet Aglow, who led over a furlong out, held on by a diminishing half length and will now attempt to step up on last season’s third in the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes on January 10.
Coltrane (Liesl King)
But Sean Cormack and Dennis Drier were every bit as excited about Seventh Plain who made a winning debut in the Polar Ice Cream Maiden Juvenile and will go for the Listed race on Met day.
Cormack said: “I haven’t ridden a two-year-old like this for a very long time. He has class written all over him and he is a classic horse in the making.”
Lanner Falcon ran out a convincing winner under a hands-and-heels Grant van Niekerk in the Racing.It’s A Rush Conditions Plate but Mike Bass promptly ruled out Paddock Stakes suggestions for Gaynor Rupert’s homebred.
He explained: “She doesn’t really get that far. She is a sprinter-miler and I think I will go for the Freightmore Sceptre Stakes (Jan 17) and the Klawervlei Majorca a fortnight later.”
But Jet Belle, who ran on well into fifth, will go for the Paddock Stakes. She has been marked out from 66-1 to 100-1 for the Met.
Glen Kotzen said: “She pulled up distressed after her last run in Jo’burg and we have only had her back three weeks. We wanted to give her a nice soft run here to see where we are going with her.”
Coltrane goes for the J & Jet Stayers after running out a shock 25-1 winner of the Grandwest Cape Summer Stayers under Anthony Delpech. The five-year-old finished tailed off on his last start and the stipes held a lengthy inquiry into the improved form.
Ramsden said: “We spent a lot of money and found a couple of little things but nothing that was either conclusive or definitive. I gave him a week or two off but I was still in two minds about running him and I told Anthony to drop him out and let him have fun. The Met day race is too far for him but he has to run in it after this.”
Despite the best efforts of his trainers Hassen Adams failed to get a winner. But, in truth, the man who an increasing proportion of the population now calls Burger King was the winner. His efforts, and those of his various teams, attracted a whole new and highly cosmopolitan crowd. Many of them went home realising that racing has a lot more to offer than simply a free hamburger.
