Saturday’s Grand Parade Cape Guineas, carded as the seventh race at Kenilworth on Saturday, is one of South Africa’s oldest and most prestigious Group One races.
A 1600m classic, the Cape Guineas has been won by some of South Africa’s greatest racehorses.
A full field of 16 three-year-olds are set to face the starter this year with leading owners Mayfair Speculators strongly represented with no fewer than five of the 16 runners racing in their famous silks.
Their leading contender must be the brilliant G3 Cape Classic winner Table Bay (Redoute’s Choice) even if he was beaten over two and a half lengths by fellow Guineas runners Gold Standard (Trippi) and Edict Of Nantes (Count Dubois) in the G2 Selangor Cup.Jockey arrangements confirm Table Bay to be the pick of the Mayfair runners. The impeccably bred Australian colt has a merit rating of 108 and is rated 7lbs clear of his rivals.
Fellow Mayfair owned runner Edict Of Nantes (Count Dubois) has done nothing wrong thus far and was beaten less than half a length by Gold Standard in the G2 Selangor Cup last time out, a run which would make him a strong contender here but is drawn widest of all.The well bred William Longsword, a Captain Al half-brother to G1 winning sprinter Real Princess, had excuses when sixth in the Selangor Cup and won a good race last time out. Unfortunately a bad draw of 15 won’t make things easy.
The other Mayfair runners Elusive Path (Pathfork) and A New Dawn (New Approach) need to improve to feature here but the latter is likely to adopt a front running role.Gold Standard (Trippi) made it three wins on the bounce when accounting for Edict Of Nantes and Table Bay last time out in the Selangor Cup.
Visiting trainers look to have a strong hand, with Geoff Woodruff, Mike De Kock, Paul Gadsby, Dennis Drier, Yvette Bremner and Sean Tarry all saddling a runner in this year’s Cape Guineas.
Recent G2 Investec Dingaans winner Singapore Sling (Philanthropist) represents the Woodruff yard. He beat De Kock’s Guineas hope Heavenly Blue (Snitzel) by 1.1 lengths when the pair met in the Dingaans.Regally bred Craven, by Dynasty out of the Cape Fillies Guineas winner Sport’s Chestnut, has long been something of a talking horse.
A lightly raced colt, who has won two of his four outings to date, Craven was hugely impressive when striding home to beat talented Horizon last time out and he could well be better than his rating suggests. He is well drawn and will be ridden by top jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe.Last season’s leading first crop sire Gimmethegreenlight has two runners - the Paul Gadsby trained Gunner and Dennis Drier’s representative Hack Green.
The latter, who is trying 1600m for a first time on Saturday, was beaten just under four lengths last time in the G2 World Sports Betting Merchants.An upset winner of last season’s G1 Premiers Champion Stakes, Gunner has been well beaten in his two subsequent outings and needs to recapture his best juvenile form to feature here.
Champion trainer Sean Tarry has had his yard in deadly form, and his runner Africa Rising has already attracted early betting support.Nicely drawn in two, Africa Rising has ground to find with the likes of Gunner, Elusive Path and Bishop’s Bounty and needs to improve to account for the big guns here.
Zodiac Ruler (Zoffany), who was second to Gunner in the Premiers Champion Stakes, has ground to make up with Guineas contenders Africa Rising (Visionaire) and Bishop’s Bounty (Western Winter) on their last meeting, and a poor draw of 13 won’t make things easy.He is one of two in the race for former champion trainer Justin Snaith, who also saddles Bishop’s Bounty.
Nicely drawn in 3, the strapping son of Western Winter tries the 1600m trip for the first time but was not beaten far last time out in the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m.• Recognised as a potential Sun Met prep, Saturday’s G2 Sun International Premier Trophy looks to be a competitive affair with most interest in promising three-year-old Bold Rex to run here rather than the G1 Cape Guineas.
With just 52kg on his back and from the yard of a former champion trainer, Bold Rex has won over the 1800m previously but does face some tough older rivals.Justin Snaith saddles four of the eight runners – Ovidio, Dynamic, Krambambuli and Prince Of Wales.
Ovidio has been competing over much further and is asked to concede from 1kg to 8kg to his rivals but gets the services of top jockey Piere Strydom.Krambambuli, who has long threatened to win a decent prize, was well beaten last time out when last of six behind Met hope Whiskey Baron. He has not won in over a year but was not disgraced when beaten under two lengths in the G3 Algoa Cup two starts back.
Prince Of Wales takes a jump in class but has done nothing wrong recently having won or finished second in his last four outings.He was second behind fellow Premier Trophy contender Icy Trail whom he meets on 4kg better terms for their last meeting and looks to hold that rival at the weights.
Dynamic won this race in 2014 but needs to improve on current form to feature here.Temperamental gelding Helderberg Blue is a difficult but talented runner who was beaten into third in this race by stable mate Paterfamilias last year.
The gelding was second two starts back in the G2 Gold Cup over 3200m and is a class act who finished third to subsequent Horse Of The Year Futura in the 2015 G1 J&B Met.Former G3 East Cape Derby winner St Tropez drops in class having competed in the G1 Sansui Summer Cup last time out.