No more preps for Power King

PUBLISHED: 28 May 2015

Dean Kannemeyer is thinking of sending Power King straight  into the Vodacom Durban July without another run following the four-year-old’s second in the Betting World 1900 12 days ago. He said: “Power King is a horse that I can bring out fresh and so I have my doubts that he will run again before the July. I was very impressed with his run in the 1900 and I would hope that he has done enough to get into the July on that. “He had never been to Greyville before, it was his first time under lights and he got lost. Turning for home he was two lengths behind the second last horse. His turn of foot from there was unbelievable and he was beaten less than a neck. “I’m not taking anything away from the winner, Dynastic Power, but my horse beat him in the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic, and was giving him 4kg in the 1900. If he gets in then Power King certainly should. Furthermore he has come through his race well and he will be a far better horse at Greyville next time.” Kannemeyer, who won the 2003 Durban July with Dynasty and repeated the feat with Eyeofthetiger three years later, also hopes to run last year’s Nokia Gold Vase winner Hot Ticket in the great race. He said: “Hot Ticket ran well behind Futura in the Pinnacle and I have entered him for the Track And Ball Derby on June 21. He won the corresponding race last year when it was run at Clairwood.” The Milnerton trainer’s 20-strong KZN team is in tremendous form and has won 16 races inside two months. He has a strike rate of 38% in Durban this season and, somewhat understandably, he is hugely impressed with the training tracks. He said: “Summerveld is what you call a proper training facility. You can bring horses back because you have all the different tracks, grass and sand, and those that climb, and you can really put work  into them. “They still need a race to bring them on but you don’t have to say to the owners ‘Your horse is going to be badly in need of a run.’” Kannemeyer intends using his now permanent satellite yard for his expansion plans and said: “I can bring more horses here to give owners more options and I can raid from here to Johannesburg.” Many of his recent winners have been ridden by Anthony Delpech  – “Anthony has been riding work for me every day as have Stuart Randolph and Donovan Dillon, and all three give me good feedback.” By Michael Clower Picture: Power King (Nkosi Hlophe)