The second feature on Saturday's card at Kenilworth is the R1 million, Grade 1 TBA Paddock Stakes over 1800m.
Photo by Gold Circle
As its name suggests, it is a weight for age race for fillies and mares. Horse of the Year in 2011, the mighty Igugu was scheduled to run and with few trainers brave enough to take her on, only six other horses accepted.
But racing is never straight forward and the racing gods decided to rain on Mike de Kock's parade. Igugu pulled up coughing after a routine gallop on Monday morning and was scratched the same day with a respiratory infection.
And suddenly there were six. From a dead cert, to a wide open race, well it is not quite that simple. It may not be the Igugu show, but it is very likely to be the Beach Beauty show now.
Trainer Dennis Drier last brought a string down for the Cape season six years ago. This year the Durban trainer decided that he had a string good enough to tackle the locals and tackle them indeed he has.
Drier has racked up a string of victories including the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes in which Equus Champion sprinter, Val De Ra, showed the Cape horses just how it is done.
Saturday should see his classy Dynasty filly, Beach Beauty on her way to collecting her first Grade 1 trophy and there are few in the field who could stop her. With six wins and three places from ten starts, the filly is rightly the reigning favourite (12/10).
The only ladies that could possibly ruin her day are the Piet Steyn trained Super Elegant, the Justin Snaith trained Emerald Cove and Brett Crawford's Thunder Dance. Beach Beauty, however, has beaten Emerald Cove each time they have met and the tables are unlikely to be turned.
Photo by Liesl King
Super Elegant is four kilos worse off than when she beat the Beauty in her last start and while Thunder Dance is improving in leaps and bounds she is unlikely to spoil the party.
The other supporting race is the R125 000, Listed Politician Stakes(1800m) where the Mike de Kock trained Mushreq(AUS) is all the rage. De Kock certainly did not travel all this way to give his colt a grass gallop, but readily admits that it will be hard for the son of Flying Spur as he is giving weight all round.
Mushreq's ultimate aim is the Grade 1 Investec Derby on Met day (28th of Jan) and it may therefore be the turn of talented Jackson(Dynasty) from the Crawford yard to collect the spoils.
Photo by Liesl King
Another who can derail the De Kock steam train is another Dynasty colt, Taipan, from the Kannemeyer yard. Taipan is unbeaten in his last three starts, but takes a step up in class here and could be looking for further.
