Anton Marcus, Joey Ramsden and Markus Jooste bid to win the Drakenstein Vet Clinic Cape Classic for the third time in four years at Kenilworth tomorrow and Table Bay is a class act.

He has still to prove that he is in the same league as Red Ray and Act Of War but he is officially the best horse in the race. True, he has a huge task at the weights but the just-as-relevant question is whether he is fit enough.

He wasn’t at Durbanville four weeks ago and that has been the story with many of the stable’s other runners this term.

“We didn’t bustle them after their injections but now I have got the horses where I want them,” says Ramsden who was also hindered by one of his treadmills going wrong (it has since been repaired at considerable cost).

“Table Bay has a hell of a tough task but he has come on an awful lot since that Durbanville run.”

Just how tough a task can be gauged from Our Mate Art who was only a head behind in the Langerman and is now 3kg better. But he too ran below expectations on his return, admittedly over a distance too short for him. He has 2.5kg in hand on adjusted merit ratings but all his running so far has suggested that even this 1 400m could be on the short side.

“Possibly,” says Candice Bass-Robinson.

“But he needed that first run back, he will be better over this trip and he has come on.”

Elevated will be a big price for a horse who comes out second best on adjusted ratings. “He wasn’t quite ready in his last two runs but now he is fit,” enthuses Riaan van Reenen.  “We will give them a go.”

Donovan Dillon’s mount has been declared to run without shoes. Zola Budd got away with it but this is a racehorse up against class opposition and it’s hardly a plus.

Le Harve has to prove he can get this trip and Edict Of Nantes, despite winning his last three, still has something to find. Table Bay should be able to give him a kilo.

The Secret Is Out puts her unbeaten record on the line in the Choice Carriers Championship, a race her trainer won with the filly’s full sister All Is Secret four years ago, but she has to give weight to everything. Vaughan Marshall , reporting that her prep has gone well, adds: “I’m not worried about the weight – it’s just the draw.”

MJ Byleveld could have his work cut out from pen 12 although his mount is the forecast favourite and favourites have won five of the last six runnings.

Final Judgement, rated the equal of The Secret Is Out, significantly receives a kilo and has a much better draw.

However it is Sail who gets a tentative vote. She was beaten barely a length when third in both the two top Greyville two-year-old fillies races and Dennis Drier says that she is in good shape, has had a gallop on the course and will not be in need of the run.

But the biggest name of the lot runs without any black type or potential stud value in the Drakenstein Pinnacle. This is the first outing of the season for Marinaresco, winner of the Champions Cup and second in the July. “This is a gallop,” says his trainer.

“We have decided to go 1 200m, a mile and a mile rather than 1 400m and then a mile. The sprint will bring him on.”

Michael Clower