With the withdrawal of early race favorite Legislate (Dynasty) just three
days before the race, Saturday’s J&B Met (SAf-G1) was billed as a showdown
between Queen’s Plate (SAf-G1) winner Futura (Dynasty) and South African Triple
Crown hero Louis the King (Black Minnaloushe). While that duel never truly
materialized, Futura nonetheless provided the thrilling finish the large and
vibrant Kenilworth crowd had been waiting for.
Traveling midpack in the two path behind a docile pace, Futura and jockey
Bernard Fayd’Herbe opted for an inside route as the field swung into the
straight. Futura burst to the lead between runners in deep stretch as Louis the
King began to toil under pressure, and the bay drew clear to a decisive 2
1/4-length score over the seven-year-old Gold Onyx (Black Minnaloushe), with the
pacesetting Helderberg Blue (Jet Master) sticking on for third. Louis the King
checked in sixth.
“This horse has just done everything right,” trainer Brett Crawford, who was
winning his second Met, told SportingPost.co.za. “It is his third Grade 1 win in
11 starts. Those horses don’t come by often in our lifetimes. Thanks to the
owners and the team. A great effort.”
The winner of five of his seven starts through the end of his three-year-old
campaign last year, Futura was third in his group-race debut in the Cup Trial
(SAf-G3) at Clairwood in June. Third behind Legislate when trying Group 1
company for the first time in the Durban July, Futura bounced back to take the
Champions Cup (SAf-G1) at Greyville July 26. Put away for a winter holiday,
Futura checked in third behind Legislate in his four-year-old debut in the
Green Point S. (SAf-G2) here November 22, and was coming into this prestigious
event after picking up his second Group 1 in the Queen’s Plate over Louis the
King three weeks ago.
Earlier on J&B Met Day, Ertijaal (Hard Spun) slammed the odds-on Act of War
(Dynasty) in the Cape Derby (SAf-G1). Ertijaal, an Australian homebred for
Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud, has faced a number of hurdles in his short career
but has overcome each one, and in just 65 days he has made four starts, going
from maiden to Group 1 winner.
Prior to any of that, however, Ertijaal had to endure colic surgery shortly
after arriving from Australia. The chestnut therefore lost time and was put on
the fast track to make this summer feature. A smart 7 3/4-length winner on debut
over the Polytrack at Greyville November 28, Ertijaal widened the margin to 8
1/4 lengths when taking a Turffontein handicap over this about 1 1/4-mile trip
December 21. The decision was only a half-length when Ertijaal was dropped back
to about 1 1/8 miles for the Sea Cottage S. at Turffontein January 11, but he
left no doubts about his authority Saturday.
Ertijaal was allowed to bowl along on an uncontested lead with Cape Guineas
(SAf-G1) winner Act of War on his heels on the rail. Act of War looked briefly
as if he would deliver a threat as the field straightened for home, but
Ertijaal’s stamina saw out, and he promptly drew away from that rival and the
rest to a facile score.
While trainer Mike de Kock was still in Dubai two days after saddling
Vercingetorix (Silvano) to win the Al Rashidiya (UAE-G2), Shadwell’s Angus Gold
was on hand at Kenilworth, and he paid credit to the trainer’s team.
“The de Kock team deserve a huge credit for bringing him back only 18 months
after being so ill,” Gold told SportingPost.co.za.
Ertijaal is a half to another Shadwell Australia homebred in Mushreq (Flying
Spur), who campaigned in South Africa prior to shipping to Dubai to win the 2013
Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2). It is no secret that Sheikh Hamdan likes to see his
best South African runners race in Dubai, so it would not be a surprise to see
Ertijaal carnival-bound next year.
Inara (Trippi), victorious when facing elders for the first time in the
Paddock S. (SAf-G1) going about 1 1/8 miles here January 10, was up just in time
to make it a Group 1 double in the Majorca. Midpack while racing on the fence
early, she worked her way through an opening on the rail as the field turned
into the straight. She was forced to call on all her reserves when Cold As Ice
(Western Winter) drew even, but Inara prevailed in a photo finish.
The Mike Bass filly finished third at about six furlongs over this course on
debut last May, and the homebred put it all together in her second and final
start as a juvenile when graduating over the same course and distance June 3.
Inara failed to fire, checking in sixth, when stepped up to allowance company in
her sophomore debut here September 6, but she put in a much-improved effort when
second when stepped up to this trip at Durbanville October 11. Fourth when
dropped back to about seven furlongs for the Choice Carriers Championship
(SAf-G2) November 8, Inara was second only to the highly regarded
Majmu(Redoute’s Choice) over this track and trip December 6.
Australia
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Vancouver (Medaglia d’Oro) assumed favoritism for
the March 21 Golden Slipper (Aus-G1) after running his unbeaten record to two in
the Canonbury S. (Aus-G3) at Rosehill Saturday.
Vancouver earned “TDN Rising Star” status when winning the listed Breeders’
Plate, the spring’s most important event for juvenile colts, on debut October 4,
and he is now the $7 (6-1) Slipper choice on Sportsbet.com.au. Second in the
betting at $9 (8-1) is another “TDN Rising Star,” the Godolphin homebred filly
Ottoman (Exceed and Excel), who won on debut at Rosehill December 20.
Outpaced at the start of Saturday’s 1,200-meter event, Vancouver was about
five lengths off the lead in the early stages but gradually made up ground while
wide approaching the turn. Swinging four wide in the six-horse field at the top
of the lane, Vancouver responded to left-handed encouragement from Tommy Berry
with an explosive kick. He outgunned the front-running Outreach (Exceed and
Excel), a full-brother to 2013 Golden Slipper winner Overreach, by a
three-quarters of a length despite racing a bit green in the closing stages.
It was later revealed that Outreach suffered a fractured pelvis.
After the race, Waterhouse was drawing comparisons between Vancouver and her
2012 Slipper winner and two-year-old Triple Crown victor Pierro.
“You just can’t beat the spring form and he showed in the Breeders Plate how
good he is,” Waterhouse told RacingNetwork.com.au. “He is the most exciting colt
since Pierro, and he actually looks a bit like him too.”
Berry was not aboard Vancouver for his debut win, but he was the pilot when
the dark bay finished fourth in a Randwick trial January 15.
“He works as good as any horse that Gai has and when he trialed poor I was
starting to doubt myself,” Berry told RacingNetwork.com.au. “But then I went
back and looked at his tapes and he only does what he has too. I didn’t hit him
in the trial and today when I did he really responded.”
An A$185,000 purchase by Gai Waterhouse and agent James Harron from Coolmore
Stud at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Vancouver is out of
the Danehill mare Skates, and was bred by John Camilleri’s Fairway
Thoroughbreds.
Camilleri enjoyed a banner day Saturday, with his homebred two-year-old filly
Fireworks (Snitzel) taking the Widden S. (Aus-G3) later on the card for trainer
Gerald Ryan. The Widden has produced the last two Slipper winners.
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