The Fort Wood colt Elusive Fort, winner of five of his nine
starts including the South African Derby and the Daily News
2200, will once again have to contend with a bad outside draw
when he runs in the R2-million, Grade 1 J&B Met over 2 000m
at Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday, January 27.
Trained by Geoff Woodruff, Elusive Fort has drawn badly in
eight of his nine races and even in his last race, the Bosworth
Superior Plate over 1 300m at Newmarket in mid-October, he drew
four in a six-horse field. On that occasion, his first run since
July and after recovering from a virus that set the Woodruff
yard back considerably, he cruised home by nearly seven lengths.
But even that “improvement” did not change his luck and he
drew 14 of 16 runners for the R1.5-million Steinhoff International
Summer Cup. Then bad luck struck again and he was withdrawn
when favourite to win the race after sustaining a slight leg
injury in training.
But he is back to do battle again and if the quiet confidence
detected in Woodruff’s voice is anything to go by, then the
classy colt will be a big runner in South Africa’s biggest summer
racing event.
“He has recovered well and has galloped twice. He put up a
very good gallop last week and I’d say he is pretty fit.”
When asked about the draw for the J&B Met with the colt
again drawing the short straw to jump from stall 15, Geoff was
obviously very disappointed.
“He has drawn badly in all his races and one has to ask how
can one horse draw badly every time. It’s the story of his life
but we will have to deal with it.”
He said it was strange how his horses never seemed to get a
good draw. “How can one trainer’s horses always get bad draws
in the big races? Maybe the system needs to be looked at.”
Woodruff, who is one of the country’s leading conditioners
having trained more than 1 200 winners and about 120 graded
and listed race winners, said Elusive Fort was a “very quiet
little horse who was good natured and well behaved.”
“Not that he lacks character. He’s just a good little boy who
does what he’s told.”
Elusive Fort will travel to the Cape next week where he will
join up with the fillies Soft Landing and Festive Occasion who
both run in the R400 000, Grade 1 Fancourt Majorca Stakes.
“They have both had a run down there and are both top class
horses. They too have drawn wide and we will have to hope for
luck in the running.
“They are two smart fillies and have been working well. They
galloped together this morning and did very well. They are thriving
down in the Cape and I expect both of them to run well.”