By Mark van Deventer
Red-hot 5/10 favourite, EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN, got the job done but was made to fight by his Justin Snaith-trained stable mate, Sail the Seas, in the 2000m SplashOut Cape Derby Gr 1.
The margin of victory for the high-class Lancaster Bomber colt was just over a length, with Garrix wilting late into 3rd after being in contention with 200m to go.
EXPRESS YOURSELF and NATIVE RULER ensured a fast pace. The first three past the finishing post were at the back of the field at the top of the stretch before their class and stamina kicked in down the testing Hollywoodbets Kenilworth straight.
EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN, owned by Nick Jonsson and Johan Rupert, recorded a quick Gr 1 double, having scored in the World Sports Betting Cape Town MET a month ago over the same course and distance. Said winning rider, Richard Fourie, “he is a special horse that has done nothing wrong his whole career.”
Trainer Snaith was complimentary too: “EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN is still immature – just a big baby, but with the nicest nature.” That combination of natural ability, a calm temperament, strong constitution and the ability to quicken in true run, middle distance races promises an exciting future for the 3YO bred at Drakenstein Stud.
The final time for the SplashOut Cape Derby was 126.1 seconds; EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN’s final 400m segment was completed in 24 seconds.
SAIL THE SEAS ran his heart out, fighting all the way and only faltering late in the piece. Garrix, likely to be a better horse after gelding, also emerged with credit.
GIMME A PRINCE flashed a spectacular turn of foot to swoop and score in the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes Gr 2 over 1200m, in 70.14 seconds. CAFÉ CULTURE was a length in arrears, followed by QUESTIONING and SEEKING THE STARS.
The victor is sired by Gimethegreenlight out of the truly awesome producer, Real Princess, and is owned and bred by Lady Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables.
“They went slower than I thought early, and I had to go down the centre, but I never panicked. He was going best nearing the line,” summarized Craig Zackey who stated with quiet conviction, “GIMME A PRINCE is as good as they get!”
GIMME A PRINCE
That opinion was born out by an emotional but deeply satisfied trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s appraisal of the six-year-old that has won eight of 17 starts despite dodgy knees. ‘He’s the best sprinter I’ve ever had…”
CAFÉ CULTURE ran bravely back in second in yet another honest performance. QUESTIONING suffered some interference in third but could not live with GIMME A PRINCE’s turbo-boosted (22.5 second) finish.
DIRECT HIT at 28/10 was striding energetically up front and duly went all the way in the richly endowed SplashOut Cape of Good Hope Nursery Gr 3 over 1200m. The Eastern Cape invader, trained by Alan Greeff and ridden by Richard Fourie who quipped, “we had to come here and take a chance for the prize money,” proved much the best.
DIRECT HIT, a speedy daughter of Canford Cliffs out of Wrecking Ball was bred at Ridgemont Highlands. Her final time of 69,47 seconds, combined with a come-home sectional of 23.2 seconds, gave the off-pace runners no chance of making any inroads.
WINTER SNAP chased in vain down the inside with WILD WILD GREEN further back in 3rd place.
SIDDELEY (12/1) took the SplashOut Prix du Cap Gr 3 over 1400m in an upset result, followed in by PRINCESS IZZY (40/1), MON PETIT CHERIE (8/1) and MIA MOO (25/1).
9/10 favourites ROCCAPINA (blocked on the rail approaching the 400m) and second choice GIMMIES COUNTESS (unsettled, switched) missed the frame.
SIDDELEY is a gutsy daughter of Lancaster Bomber, bred and owned by Lammerskraal Stud. Trainer Justin Snaith complimented Gavin Lerena on a fantastic ride and said that SIDDELEY will make a fine broodmare if her progeny inherit even a fraction of her heart and determination.
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On Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth undercard – Dean Kannemeyer’s rapidly improving filly, GIVE ME EVERYTHING – completed a three-peat when she won the Schweppes Cape Fillies Classic Lover 1800m.
She swept clear, relishing the extra furlong after two recent wins over 1600m. The winner, who completed the course in 112.88 with a final sectional in 24 seconds is a progressive 3YO Gimmethegreenlight filly, owned and bred at Varsfontein Stud.
KINDA WONDERFUL tried to run her down but fell short by one and a half lengths. GOODNESSGRACIOUSME rounded out the trifecta.
The betting market foretold an ominous story in the City of Cape Town Jet Master Stakes over 1600m. Originally deep in the red at 4/10, SEE IT AGAIN blew like a gale out to 2’s, and after showing early toe from a wide gate, folded out the money. The same fate befell other on-pace runners, COASTAL COMMANDER, ZAPATILLAS and SUGAR MOUNTAIN.
Instead, patiently piloted THE REAL PRINCE punted with purpose from 8’s into 5/2 vindicated the market move to make a slashing rails run from well back to spreadeagle the field by five lengths. Jockey, Craig Zackey, predicts that “bigger and better things await” the late-developing gelding, by Gimmethegreenlight ex Real Princess (there’s that name again!) who has been bought along steadily by accomplished trainer, Dean Kannemeyer.
The winner’s time was 98.74 seconds, while the 400m – finish segment passed in 23.3 seconds. RAPIDASH kept on for second, just ahead of MEU CAPITANO, who clunked up from last and may have found it a touch too far.
