He won the Vodacom Durban July in sensational fashion and was
the toast of South African racing, but a dismal performance
in the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate has left the strapping Brazilian-bred
colt friendless among the racing pundits.
The four-year-old son of Royal Academy, Eyeofthetiger, blotted
his copybook when fading in the straight of the prestigious
weight-for-age clash over 1 600m in which he started favourite
and his chances of capturing South Africa's second most famous
race, the R2-million J&B Met, looked impossible.
But class can never be ignored and according to trainer Dean
Kannemeyer the colt will bounce back and is not without a chance
of winning.
Dean saddles two runners in the 2 000m event, the second being
the hard-knocking Western Winter gelding Jagged Ice who flashed
through in the finish of the Green Point Stakes to beat Majestic
Sun.
At his Milnerton stables yesterday (Tuesday), Dean said both
horses were in top-class condition and said while he never liked
to make excuses for poor runs, he believed the reason for the
disappointing run by Eyeofthetiger was a combination of the
1 600m being too short and the fact that he raced too handy.
"I don't think he had a right to be favourite for that
race. The 1 600m is too short for him and he is far better over
2 000m.
"We checked him over thoroughly after the race and could
find nothing wrong so I can only feel that he raced too handy
when there was a strong pace and he did not kick on in the finish.
"But, he and Jagged Ice are stripped and very fit and
over 2 000m I expect them to run well."
He said his long-term ambition for both horses after leaving
Durban at the end of the Winter Season was the J&B Met.
He ran second with Icy Air in 2005 and second with Free My Heart
two years before. But a victory in this famous race has so far
eluded him.
There was a quiet air of eager anticipation for the race but
Dean said favourite Pocket Power, who won the L'Ormarins Queen's
Plate, as well as runner-up Silver Mist, commanded the utmost
respect.
"Lion Tamer and Likeithot are top horses and Hilgrove
has come to hand. Elusive Fort is also a top horse so it will
be a great race."
Dean runs the Fort Wood colt Wonder Lawn in the R500 000, Grade
1 Investec Cape Derby and there was a definite sense of excitement
when he talked about his chances.
"In the Selangor Cup he got going late but was forced
to switch at a crucial stage of the race when Jay Peg hung out.
Sure, he held me all the way to the line and is 2.5kg better
off in the weights but that was 1 600m and Saturday's 2 000m
is his game.
"There is a lot of stamina in his pedigree but he has
also got speed and if he gets beaten and is right up behind
them, then I look forward to the future.
"Jay Peg has done nothing wrong and Basil (Marcus, who
trains Jay Peg) knows what he is doing. But my horse has finally
got his act together and I'm expecting a very good run from
him.
"Pick Six (Charles Laird) has won very well and looks
a good sort so it is a strong Derby field and we are drawn wide.
People say over 2 000m being drawn wide is not a problem but
one would feel a lot happier if drawn six or seven."
Put in a nutshell, the Kannemeyer runners in the J&B Met,
Eyeofthetiger and Jaggged Ice, can definitely not be ignored
and Wonder Lawn, the most expensive horse ever sold at auction
in South Africa at R3.3-million, is a major contender for honours
in the Investec Cape Derby.