The Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby is a race with a truly illustrious history but one that frequently throws up a conundrum for punters: a fair number of Cape Guineas winners have entered the race over the years, trying the 2000m trip for the first time, and their backers have had to take their stamina on trust - or hope that sheer class carries them through.

The history books are not much help in this regard - for every Politician or Jay Peg who gets the job done, there's a Le Drakkar or Noordhoek Flyer who proves to be a top miler but not quite get the extra two furlongs.

It is against this background that Variety Club's attempt to complete this most prestigious classic double must be assessed. Joey Ramsden's charge has done his connections proud this season, completing a superb treble that saw him capture the Matchem Stakes and Selangor Cup en route to crushing the opposition in the Cape Guineas. He then came agonisingly close landing an even bigger prize in the Queens Plate, only to be nailed on the line by the flying Gimmethegreenlight. Ironically, both these runners now face an identical test - Gimmethegreenlight will be in action in the J & B Met over the same trip later in the day and will also be venturing beyond a mile for the first time.

In terms of exposed form, Variety Club stands head and shoulders above his Derby rivals - his Queens Plate defeat alone is a cut above anything his opponents can muster - and it seems that only a lack of stamina can undo him here.

Those looking for clues from his pedigree are unlikely to get much joy. True, his maternal line is packed with speed, but sire Var - while being a 1000m specialist on the track - is proving to be a sensation in terms of his ability to get winners over a range of distances. He's already produced an Oaks winner so the relatively kind Kenilworth 2000m could well prove to be within the range of his classic-winning son.

If Variety Club does come unstuck, then the consensus out there seems to be that the upwardly mobile Jackson will be best placed to take advantage. Brett Crawford and Karis Teetan are in hot form at the moment and the son of Dynasty could well add to an already memorable summer campaign for them.

Jackson is also attempting the trip for the first time but in his case, everything about him suggests that he is crying out for the distance. He couldn't have been more impressive when mowing down his opposition in the Politician Stakes over 1800m earlier this month and it was as eye-catching a Derby trial as one could have hoped for. That was his third win on the trot and, although taking a step up in class, he still looks to have even more scope for improvement, given that he's only run four times to date - a significant factor when one considers that Variety Club has already had a very tough season and was flat out at the end of the Queens Plate. Jackson had a number of these runners behind him in the Politician Stakes and, with the exception of Mushreq, it's hard to see any of them reversing the form here.

Mushreq has been tackling tough opposition for most of his short career and has Gr 1 form to his name, having been touched off in the Golden Horseshoe last season. Trainer Mike de Kock has always maintained that the son of Flying Spur was looking for more ground and he duly cantered home in his attempt beyond a mile in a Graduation Plate over 1800m two runs back. He was comfortably beaten into fourth in the Politician Stakes but he was lugging 58kg and conceding plenty of weight down the field, in addition to which he also raced a bit too keenly for his own good early on. He's now 3kg better off with Jackson and that is not a weight turnaround that can be ignored, especially for a horse that has proven that he can compete at this level. He's entitled to plenty of respect here.

Potala Palace has been the subject of plenty of hype and looked well set to justify it when scoring a brilliant start-to-finish win in the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes at the end of last season, but his three efforts this term have been rather underwhelming. He was particularly disappointing when fading out in the Dingaans after again trying front-running tactics and failed to bounce back when beaten into third in ordinary handicap company next time out.

Despite these setbacks, it would be foolish to write off the son of Singspiel. Trainer Mike Azzie has consistently maintained that we would only really see the best of him when he went over 2000m, and even further, and he now finally gets the trip that he's been looking for. In fact, if one looks at his Gr 1 success, he literally galloped his opposition into the ground in very wet conditions that day and that run already signalled that he was looking for extra. He may well redeem himself here and cannot be ignored by any means.

Looking at the rest, they would appear to have their work cut out. Solar Captain and Tribal Dance ran respectable races when second and third respectively in the Politician Stakes, but they now find themselves 3kg and 2.5kg worse off with Jackson. They're in an even worse position relative to Mushreq who was just behind them on that occasion, as there is a further 3kg turnaround to be tacked on, and they will both need to improve further to challenge the main contenders here.

Silver Haven has been bumping strong company this season and didn't run the worst race when sixth in the Guineas. He was subsequently disappointing in the Politician Stakes but he shared top weight that day and was rather poorly drawn. Apart from Mushreq, he is now significantly better off with all the runners who finished ahead of him that day and he could sneak into a minor placing.
Alula Borealis was slightly disappointing when failing to take advantage of a light weight and being run out of it late in a handicap over 1800m last time out but he was not disgraced prior to that when less than five lengths behind Bravura and Tales Of Bravery at weight-for-age in the Green Point Stakes. That was a decent effort for a horse who, at that stage, had only four runs under his belt and was taking a huge step up in class. He's relatively unexposed and, given further improvement - which he seems well capable of - he is another one who could make the frame.

This is a race that will probably determine how Variety Club's future career is mapped out, as victory here would open up a whole range of options for the winter season, while a below-par effort will probably see him confined to a mile for a foreseeable future. He's given the benefit of the doubt to get the trip, especially as he's well drawn and it's unlikely that they will go off at lightning pace early on. Jackson, Mushreq and Potala Palace would appear to be the closest challengers and it will be no surprise to see this combination make up the quartet.