Last year's winner Tevez completed a Cape Merchants double as he stormed home late to win the Gr 2 headliner, over 1200m, at Kenilworth on Saturday. Daring Dave (SAF) ran a cracker to finish second while Hammie's Hooker (SAF) and Lanner Falcon (SAF), stablemates to the winner, ensured a dominant finish for trainer Mike Bass (pictured).
Predictably enough, the large field of 18 split into two groups, with Happy Forever showing good pace up the inside ahead of Shishangeni, Daring Dave, Villa Del Largo and Capetown Noir.
The other grouping was led, rather surprisingly, by Blarney Bay, whose best form had been over further, with Silver Bluff right up there with him and The Which Doctor also prominent. The West Is Wide was further back ahead of Cap Alright who, for once, was not up with the early speed. Lanner Falcon sat further back in the pack with Tevez and Hammie's Hooker not on the scene at this stage.
Happy Forever and Blarney Bay started to feel the heat entering the last 300m and it was Daring Dave who quickened up nicely to grab the lead. Lanner Falcon and Copper Parade both emerged as threats from off the pace but they were merely setting the stage for Tevez, who took off late and powered past the gallant Daring Dave to win going away by nearly a length.
Tevez had been rather quiet since winning the 2013 edition of this event but he hadn't been far off the action in four of his last five starts and looked as good a bet as any in a very wide-open event. He was quite well-handicapped in the context of his best form and was given an excellent ride by Aldo Domeyer.
Daring Dave lived up to his name with a brave effort. He was up in class and needed to prove his credentials over this trip, having looked very much a 1000m specialist coming into the race. He responded with a bold performance and came out of the race with his reputation enhanced.
Bass would probably have been just as pleased with Hammie's Hooker and Lanner Falcon as he was with the winner. Their best efforts had come in female company and they were facing a stiff task against the males here, especially over a trip that is just on the sharp side for them in this sort of company. They can now look forward to some of the big fillies' features coming up this summer with some confidence, especially Hammie's Hooker whose run was particularly meritorious at the weights..
5 b g Caesour (USA) - Minelli by Elliodor (FR)
Owners: Messrs N M Shirtliff, M J Jooste, Bryn Ressell & Mrs I Jooste
Bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm
Winning trainer: Mike Bass
Race 7 - R400K - CAPE MERCHANTS (Grade 2)
Merit Rated Handicap - 1200m |
| No |
Horse |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Al/Bl |
Kg |
Dr |
Fin |
Dist |
Time |
OP |
SP |
| 6 |
TEVEZ |
Aldo Domeyer |
M W Bass |
A |
56.5 |
6 |
1 |
0.00 |
72.24 |
8/1 |
8/1 |
| 7 |
DARING DAVE |
Sean Cormack |
S J Snaith |
A |
55.0 |
4 |
2 |
0.75 |
72.38 |
7/1 |
7/1 |
| 4 |
HAMMIE'S HOOKER |
Bernard Fayd'Herbe |
M W Bass |
A |
59.0 |
7 |
3 |
0.85 |
72.40 |
7/1 |
7/1 |
| 10 |
LANNER FALCON |
Grant Van Niekerk |
M W Bass |
A |
53.5 |
15 |
4 |
1.35 |
72.49 |
16/1 |
11/1 |
| 17 |
VILLA DEL LARGO |
Muzi Yeni |
S J Snaith |
A |
52.0 |
2 |
5 |
2.60 |
72.72 |
33/1 |
33/1 |
| 1 |
COPPER PARADE |
Piere Strydom |
Y Bremner |
A B |
62.0 |
16 |
6 |
3.35 |
72.86 |
4/1 |
15/1 |
| 5 |
HAPPY FOREVER |
James Doyle |
J Ramsden |
A |
57.5 |
5 |
7 |
3.45 |
72.88 |
14/1 |
14/1 |
| 2 |
CAPETOWN NOIR |
Karl Neisius |
D Kannemeyer |
A |
60.0 |
3 |
8 |
3.75 |
72.93 |
5/1 |
7/1 |
| 13 |
CAP ALRIGHT |
Richard Fourie |
S J Snaith |
A |
52.5 |
13 |
9 |
6.00 |
73.36 |
16/1 |
33/1 |
| 12 |
BLARNEY BAY |
Anthony Andrews |
M J Robinson |
A |
53.0 |
11 |
10 |
6.30 |
73.41 |
25/1 |
66/1 |
| 14 |
SILVER BLUFF |
Gerrit Schlechter |
JMT Stewart |
A |
52.5 |
12 |
11 |
7.80 |
73.70 |
33/1 |
55/1 |
| 15 |
ASSTAR |
Christopher Puller |
G R Puller |
A |
52.0 |
14 |
12 |
8.00 |
73.74 |
7/1 |
15/2 |
| 18 |
SHISHANGENI |
Xavier Carstens *2.5 |
Ri Van Reenen |
A |
52.0 |
1 |
13 |
8.40 |
73.81 |
50/1 |
100/1 |
| 9 |
DE KOCK |
Corne Orffer |
B Crawford |
A |
53.5 |
8 |
14 |
9.15 |
73.96 |
5/1 |
5/1 |
| 8 |
THE WEST IS WIDE |
M J Byleveld |
V H Marshall |
A |
54.0 |
9 |
15 |
9.25 |
73.98 |
25/1 |
33/1 |
| 3 |
HOT TICKET |
Grant Behr |
D Kannemeyer |
A B |
60.0 |
18 |
16 |
12.50 |
74.61 |
40/1 |
75/1 |
| 16 |
TIGER TIGER |
Devin Ashby |
P D Reeves |
A |
52.0 |
17 |
17 |
13.00 |
74.71 |
50/1 |
75/1 |
| 11 |
THE WHICH DOCTOR |
Greg Cheyne |
G S Kotzen |
A |
53.5 |
10 |
18 |
14.25 |
74.95 |
33/1 |
33/1 |
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