IMBONGI SPEARHEADS SA'S ZABEEL MILE CHALLENGE

Imbongi
(Photo : Hong Kong Jockey Club / Summerhill Stud)

$250,000 ZABEEL MILE (GR2)
5 MARCH 2010

The highlight of tonight’s final Meydan race meeting before the Dubai World Cup on 27 March 2010 is undoubtedly the $250,000 Zabeel Mile on turf.

South African trainer Mike de Kock is aiming for a hattrick in the Group 2 contest, having taken victory with Kapil in 2007 and Archipenko in 2009, and tonight spearheads the South African challenge with the Warrior, Imbongi, and Hunting Tower.

Ed Marnane reports from Dubai that the Summerhill-bred Imbongi, sporting the silks of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum is to be piloted by Christophe Soumillon who will be seeking compensation for a narrow defeat to Bankable in the Al Fahidi Fort over the same course and distance last month.

Hunting Tower looks out of sorts on the evidence of his four starts this year, so is hard to fancy.

Useful Snaafy, who is getting 1kg from Imbongi, rates a lively contender, now that his connections have switched him to turf. Snaafy stepped back to 1600m after a dull effort in Round Two of the Maktoum Challenge over 1900m on Tapeta although he put up a smart performance when landing a valuable mile handicap in his Meydan debut last month, running out a convincing winner from Yasoodd and 10 others.

Fourth-placed Calming Influence gave the form a boost when running out a facile winner in his next appearance.

It’s by no means a two-horse race though. Last year’s third-placed Kalahari Gold, trained by in-form Doug Watson, is worth considering at longer odds. The five-year-old, who will be ridden by Tadhg O’Shea, has been knocking on the door all season and is capable of a big run in ideal conditions.

Godolphin’s Rio De La Plata, a Group 1-winning juvenile who was runner-up in the 2008 French 2,000 Guineas, has a plum draw in stall one and if fully wound up in his comeback, can’t be overlooked. He has had his problems, but a close second behind progressive Confront in a Group 3 race at Newmarket in October suggests the five-year-old retains much of his ability. He’ll be well suited to the prevailing fast ground, while 1600m is probably his optimum distance.

Catch all the action at 20:45 (SA Time) on Tellytrack DSTV Channel 232.

What they have to say :

Mike de Kock, trainer of Hunting Tower and Imbongi
“Both are fit and well. Hunting Tower always runs a solid race but has ground to find with Snaafy. Imbongi has run two very good races so far and deserves a change of luck. He should go close.”

Saeed bin Suroor, trainer of Rio De La Plata
“He was a very good juvenile when winning in Group 1 company and then ran very well in the French Guineas. He had problems at the end of that year but returned at the end of last season. He is ready for a run and pleasing us at home but he will come on from the outing.”

Richard Hills, jockey of Snaafy
“He impressed most people with his course and distance victory and we are looking at the Dubai Duty Free on Dubai World Cup night with him so this is an obvious race for him. He will run well.”

Doug Watson, trainer of Echoes Rock and Kalahari Gold
“Echoes Rock is a new horse to us this season and we are learning as we go with him. Kalahari Gold is a horse we have always liked and ran a great race in this last year. We expect a similar bold showing.”

 Jim Crowley, jockey of Without A Prayer
“He ran very well first time and his best turf form would make him competitive in what looks a good race.”

Fawzi Nass, trainer of Purple Sage
“We were delighted with her first run and we were left in front last time. That probably did not suit her so she should fare better but this is a better contest.”

Luca Cumani, trainer of Summit Surge
“This is his third start for us and first on turf. He won at Nad Al Sheba on grass last year and was a Group winner in Ireland also. Hopefully the change of surface is very much in or favour and he should run well.”

Alan Munro, jockey of  Ocean’s Minstrel
“He has been highly tried since arriving in Dubai and his last run was probably his best. The return to turf will suit but it isa tough race.”

Dhruba Selvaratnam, trainer of Yasoodd
“The conditions will suit as he is a real turf horse and the mile is ideal but he has a very tough task to reverse form with Snaafy. He is fit and well though and should run a nice race.”

Ryan Moore, jockey of Dunelight
“He is a nice horse but has a bit to find with a few of these.”

ZABEEL MILE (GR2) FINAL FIELD
1600M MEYDAN TURF

#	HORSE	AGE	WEIGHT	RPR	JOCKEY	TRAINER
1	RIO DE LA PLATA (USA)	5	57.0	130	L Dettori	S bin Suroor
2	ECHOES ROCK (GER)	7	57.0	122	P Dobbs	Doug Watson
3	DUNELIGHT (IRE)	7	57.0	122	R Moore	Clive Cox
4	SNAAFY (USA)	6	57.0	131	R Hills	Musabah Al Muhairi
5	OCEAN’S MINSTREL (GB)	4	57.0	115	A Munro	John Ryan
6	HUNTING TOWER (SAF)	8	57.0	118	K Shea	Mike de Kock
7	YASOODD (GB)	7	57.0	114	W Buick	Dhruba Selvaratnam
8	KALAHARI GOLD (IRE)	5	57.0	118	T O’Shea	Doug Watson
9	SUMMIT SURGE (IRE)	6	58.0	124	K Fallon	Luca Cumani
10	IMBONGI (SAF)	6	58.0	130	C Soumillon	Mike de Kock
11	WITHOUT A PRAYER (IRE)	5	57.0	128	J Crowley	Ralph Beckett
12	PURPLE SAGE (IRE)	4	55.0	118	O Peslier	Fawzi Nass
13	WORLD RULER (GB)	8	57.0	105	Res	Doug Watson

THE J&B MET : FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

THE J&B MET
KENILWORTH RACECOURSE
30 JANUARY 2010

Cape Town is rife with talk that Pocket Power’s shot at a fourth consecutive J&B Met will witness his come-uppance. Mike Bass, genius horseman that he is, won’t hear of it. He says the 7-year-old has never been better, and expects him to whistle past the R10 million earnings mark.

We purposely postponed this posting so we could get the very latest thoughts from the innermost minds of the best of the opposition. Looking at the betting, there’s no better man to talk to than Champion trainer, Charles Laird, who’s been second to Pocket Power in two of his three victories to date. Laird’s view is typically simple.

In Dan De Lago and Oracy, he has a brace of horses he rates better than both his previous runners-up, if Pocket Power’s colours are to be lowered, he believes it is most likely to come from his charges.

Stan Elley’s Kapil, a contemporary of the favourite, has never been better, though 2000 metres at the weights could find him out, despite a 2kg “pull” in his L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate second. Pace will, as always, play a big role, so if “dark” horse, Red Rake (also quietly fancied at 12-1), doesn’t cut it, Bass will have the contingency of Blue Tiger to provide it. For sure, the “Pocket” will need a pace to be at his best.

And then, of course, you can never discount a “July” hero in a race like this. Big City Life hasn’t quite shown his sophomore form of late, but he’s now supposedly back at his peak, and if his wide draw costs him, Glen Kotzen will still have Fabiani in reserve.

The last J&B Met winner from the rank outside draw, as far as we can remember, was Summerhill-raised, Angus, but without a contender in 2010, we’ve left the event to the gods!

FINAL FIELD

#	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	POCKET POWER	58.0	119	2	B Fayd’Herbe	Mike Bass
2	SMART BANKER	58.8	110	16	F Coetzee	Charles Laird
3	STRATEGIC NEWS	58.0	107	11	P Cosgrave	Dylan Cunha
4	BIG CITY LIFE	57.5	111	14	*K Teetan	Glen Kotzen
5	FOREST PATH	57.5	107	13	G Schlechter	Stephen Page
6	KAPIL	56.0	115	3	M Byleveld	Stan Elley
7	SURFIN’ USA	56.0	111	12	W Kennedy	Jacques Strydom
8	BLUE TIGER	56.0	108	10	S Randolph	Mike Bass
9	RED RAKE	56.0	105	1	S Cormack	Basil Marcus
10	THUNDERING JET	56.0	101	15	M Yeni	Paul Lafferty
11	DIAMOND QUEST	56.0	98	7	K Jupp	Mike Bass
12	LION’S BLOOD	56.0	98	6	R Danielson	Herman Brown
13	ORACY (NZ)	55.5	110	17	P Strydom	Charles Laird
14	DAN DE LAGO (AUS)	55.5	108	8	A Marcus	Charles Laird
15	FABIANI	55.5	108	5	R Fourie	Glen Kotzen
16	FORT VOGUE	55.5	101	4	K Neisius	Mike Bass
17	MOTHER RUSSIA	55.0	106	18	A Delpech	Mike de Kock
18	RIVER JETEZ	53.5	104	9	G Hatt	Mike Bass

BETTING

#	Horse	Current	Opening
1	POCKET POWER	16/10	18/10
14	DAN DE LAGO	4/1	4/1
13	ORACY	7/1	11/2
4	BIG CITY LIFE	12/1	7/1
6	KAPIL	12/1	16/1
9	RED RAKE	12/1	16/1
18	RIVER JETEZ	12/1	16/1
15	FABIANI	16/1	20/1
17	MOTHER RUSSIA	20/1	12/1
2	SMART BANKER	33/1	33/1
16	FORT VOGUE	50/1	33/1
5	FOREST PATH	66/1	50/1
3	STRATEGIC NEWS	66/1	50/1
7	SURFIN’ USA	66/1	50/1
8	BLUE TIGER	100/1	100/1
11	DIAMOND QUEST	125/1	50/1
10	THUNDERING JET	125/1	100/1
12	LION’S BLOOD	150/1	66/1

BETTING COURTESY OF BETTING WORLD AS AT 5AM 30 JANUARY 2010

POCKET POWER GUNNING FOR L'ORMARINS NUMBER FOUR

Pocket Power
(Photo : Gold Circle)

L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (GRADE 1) 1600m
KENILWORTH 9 JANUARY 2009

The Mother City’s social scene will awaken Saturday to South Africa’s most prestigious annual horseracing event, the 149th renewal of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, an event which is set to transform Kenilworth racecourse into a setting where haute couture fashion, vintage cars, fine wine and the country’s greatest thoroughbreds take centre stage.

The tongues are already wagging in anticipation of Pocket Power shattering the history books once again by scoring a fourth consecutive victory in the R1million showdown.

Nicci Garner writes for Tab Online that trainer Mike Bass believes without a doubt that Pocket Power is a Champion and that puts him in a different league to the other nine runners in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.

Mike Bass explains, “There’s a difference between really good horses, like Big City Life, and Champions. Pocket Power is in the Champions league.’’ He continues, “I don’t knock Big City Life. I respect him. He’s a very good horse and will mature. But in the July, without taking anything away from him, he beat the filly, Zirconeum (a 55-1 shot), and Forest Path (100-1) - and Pocket Power (who finished fifth) raced at the back of the field and was desperately unlucky.’’

Although Pocket Power has not had the same kind of preparation that saw him win the last three L’Ormarins Queen’s Plates, Mike Bass believes his supporters will not be disappointed with his star’s wellbeing.

Pocket Power has had just one run since getting beaten on the line by fast-finishing Ivory Trail in the Champions Challenge at the end of July. He was deep in the red for the 1500m Pinnacle Plate at Kenilworth last month and awed even his trainer in scoring in facile fashion by 0.75 lengths from Big City Life.

“I’m very happy with the progress he’s made. He’s done very well. Physically he looks great. He was quite fit in that 1500 preparatory run and has had one gallop since. I didn’t run him again because he was ahead of schedule and didn’t need another race. I gave him a good gallop instead and think he’s pretty much at his best. He’s come well and I’m happy that he’ll do his very best. No matter what happens on Saturday, there will be no excuses. Now it’s up to him. I’m quietly confident that Pocket Power is very hard to beat.’’

Pocket Power is unbeaten beyond 1400m at Kenilworth and many believe, while he is a star anywhere else in the country, he reserves his very best efforts for Kenilworth. Mike Bass still disputes that view, saying that, if the KwaZulu-Natal season was switched to the summer, we’d all see a different Pocket Power in Durban. “He doesn’t winter that well. He benefits from the summer climate during the Cape season. You should see his coat now!’’

Bass does not even want to contemplate the fact that Pocket Power is bidding to win the Grade 1 race for the fourth year running. “Only when it’s all done can you think it’s possible to win a race - especially one of this stature - four times in a row. Dare we hope?’’

FINAL FIELD

#	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	POCKET POWER	58	119	1	B Fayd’Herbe	Mike Bass
2	KAPIL	58	115	3	M Byleveld	Stan Elley
3	BIG CITY LIFE	58	111	10	K Teetan	Glen Kotzen
4	IVORY TRAIL	58	111	5	R Danielson	Joey Ramsden
5	BLUE TIGER	58	109	9	K Neisius	Mike Bass
6	FOREST PATH	58	107	7	G Schlechter	Stephen Page
7	GAULTIER	58	107	6	G Hatt	Mike Bass
8	STRATEGIC NEWS	58	107	8	P Cosgrave	Dylan Cunha
9	THUNDER KEY	58	106	4	S Cormack	Glen Kotzen
10	FABIANI	58	103	2	R Fourie	Glen Kotzen

THUNDER KEY STRIKES IN DIADEM STAKES

Click above to watch Thunder Key in the Diadem Stakes (Grade 2)
(Footage : Tellytrack)

THUNDER KEY
DIADEM STAKES (GRADE 2) 2009

Saturday saw lightening strike at Kenilworth when the son of Muhtafal, Thunder Key, stormed home to steal victory in the Grade 2 Diadem Stakes over 1200m.

A most formidable field of big name performers, including Kapil, Villandry, Warm White Night, Gaultier and Blue Tiger to mention but a few, took their places in the starting gates. But it was the Glen Kotzen-trained 6-year-old speedster, under jockey Karis Teetan, who ignited the afterburners to win by a half length from Blue Tiger with Dance With Al trailing a further length and a quarter.

(Please watch the video above for all the race action and post-race interviews.)

Thunder Key had been knocking on the door in 2009 season with runner-up placings in the Southeatser Sprint (L), Golden Horse Casino Sprint (Gr1) and Umngeni Handicap (L).

Congratulations to trainer Glen Kotzen, owner Jean Van Heerden and Thunder Key’s breeder Cecil Baitz.

So who will win the Vodacom Durban July

 

“David Thiselton lays down his Vodacom Durban July selections”

With July Fever building to what promises to be a massive crescendo come Vodacom Durban July Raceday tomorrow; trainers, jockey and owners alike will be feeling the “butterflies”.

Top turf writer David Thiselton reports that Mike Bass, the experienced three-time July winning trainer of the great Pocket Power, who is ruling favourite, would probably have slept well, knowing he has done all he can, while the Fayd’Herbe brothers, jockey Bernard and assistant trainer Robert, will be united in spirit as they approach the final hurdle of the mighty horse’s winter campaign.

The Bass yard has two strings to its bow this July as Pocket Power’s full-sister, River Jetez, is said by the trainer to be twice the horse she was last year.

Pocket Power has had a better preparation than ever for this year’s big race and seems to be as good as ever despite his age. He and his sister could well fight out the finish, although River Jetez’s draw of 15 is a concern for supporters.

Big City Life has been described by his trainer Glen Kotzen as a “freak”, who gets better and better all the time.

Big City Life is a three-year-old and is 1,5kg under sufferance, but the form of his only meeting with Pocket Power suggests he has a great chance.

Kapil can beat Pocket Power too if the form of their last meeting is taken literally, although there is a question mark over whether he will stay the 2 200m. It should also be borne in mind that Pocket Power usually does just enough to win no matter the weight he’s carrying.

Our Giant also has a stamina doubt, but with that doubt in mind could not have asked for a better draw than two.

Tropical Empire is trained by Duncan Howells, whose knowledge of big race preparations was influenced by the great trainer, David Payne.

Duncan Howells has won two Grade 1 races with similarly priced horses and Tropical Empire’s draw of one is ideal for his style of running, which is to come with a flying finish.

Thandolwami is a similar type of horse to Tropical Empire and has also drawn well, so he should be running on strongly at the finish.

However, with both Tropical Empire and Thandolwami, it should be borne in mind that only the top six numbered horses are in the handicap i.e. fairly weighted according to their merit rating. The rest are under sufferance.

Smart Banker showed at the July gallops that he will be suited to Greyville. He has improved tremendously this season and is a definite contender, although Charles Laird’s stable jockey, Anton Marcus, switched to Our Giant after Smart Banker was allocated a wide draw.

Ruling champion trainer Mike De Kock has three youngsters in the race.

Zirconeum and Forest Path have stamina doubts and their very wide draws won’t help. Bouquet-Garni will need a strong pace as he is a big, galloping type and might not have the turn of foot required off a slower pace.

Outcome has won ten times at Greyville. Any rainfall will be bad news for her. She looks capable of staying the distance and her form makes her one of the best outsiders.

Likeithot has popped up at big prices in big races before and his July gallop last week suggested he should peak at the right time for this race.

Buy And Sell is loaded with ability but is not too reliable and his form appears to be declining slightly.

Catmandu is capable of producing a devastating finish so could be an outside contender if close enough at the top of the straight.

London Guest enjoys this track and does just enough when he wins, so there is some hope for him in his first attempt in this company.

Aluminium has been supported in the betting but as a resolute galloper does not look suited to Greyville.

The rest can’t be fancied on form.

The selection is Pocket Power to beat home Big City Life and River Jetez, with Kapil and Our Giant next best.