Jackson will attempt to put his disappointing J & B Met performance behind him in the KZN summer season but may give the Vodacom Durban July a miss despite the record prizemoney.
Photo by Liesl King
Trainer Brett Crawford said: “Jackson is now having a break and we will then discuss his options but at the moment I would think he will have a Durban campaign.
"However I’m not sure about the July as we may just look for suitable weight-for-age races.”
The four-year-old started favourite in last year’s July but dropped out tamely in the straight and finished with only three behind him.
No reason has ever been found for that flop, but Crawford now more than ever believes that the colt managing only fifth when favourite for last month's J & B Met lies in the heat exhaustion he suffered in the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate three weeks earlier when he ran on strongly to beat all except Variety Club.
Crawford said: “He had the hardest race of any horse in the Queen’s Plate and unfortunately you never know just how much these things take out of a horse until you run him again.”
Consideration is being given to sending the Dynasty stallion to stud at the end of the season.
“Going to stud is definitely an option and obviously we would like to get him back on a winning track before then and I am sure we will," Crawford said.
Prizemoney for the Durban July, South Africa's most famous G1 race, has gone to a record R3.5 million under a new three-year sponsorship deal with Vodacom and racing operator Gold Circle.
Stable companion Frequent Flyer, a strong-finishing second to Blueridge Mountain in the Klawervlei Majorca, is one of several big names in the Lektron Prix du Cap at Kenilworth on Saturday. Others include Cape Fillies Guineas runner-up and Majorca third Hammie’s Hooker.
Crawford said: “I wasn’t surprised Frequent Flyer ran so well in the Majorca. After all she was also second in last year’s race and in the Paddock Stakes she ran a bit flat.
“I have still to speak to owner Andreas Jacobs about the Prix du Cap and after that I would think she will go to Durban for what will be a last throw of the dice as she is then to go to stud.”
Hammie's Hooker, who finished strongly for third in the Majorca and runner-up to Rumya in the Cape Fillies Guineas, is Durban-bound but trainer Mike Bass has doubts about her stamina and may keep her to races up to 1600m.
Stable companion Ze Kaiser, who disappointed in the Cape Derby after going close in the Politician Stakes, is to stay in Cape Town for the Winter Series.
Bass has an outstanding record in the Series, winning all three legs with Pocket Power in 2006, five of the last 13 runnings of the Winter Guineas and four of the last ten Winter Classics.
