About half of Sunday’s Pick pool of R3.5 million was carried over after a succession of rough results bamboozled most punters at Scottsville. Handshakes to the geniuses who found 75/1 spook Gallic Fire (merit rating of 42) in the final leg and outsider Witchcraft in the Oaks. She ambled around the circuit untroubled in the front and was able to keep going for an upset victory at 25/1 from another handily placed longshot, Flying Ice. Hot favourite Nightingale never looked likely racing way off the early pace, eventually stuttering in to a tame fourth spot behind Deputy Ryder.
The only favourite to arrive in the P6 sequence was Cape Speed for the formidable Dean Kannemyer/Anthony Delpech combination. They are winning at a 30% clip with about 60% of their runners being placed, and faithful KZN punters are accustomed to them repeatedly getting the job done. Cape Speed out duelled Deputy Jud for a narrow win in the Derby, a fifth career triumph for this patiently campaigned son of Ideal World.
Earlier in the program, Our Destiny (speed score 97+) confirmed her appreciation for the drop in distance and a brisk early pace, accelerating smartly to bomb past Victoria Lavelle in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1100m. A similar pace set up aided Kangaroo Jack (s/s 94 +) when he closed from off the speed to win the Merchants at Greyville on Friday night. He is a rapidly improving sprinter and worth following either at the coast or when he returns to home base in Jozi.
The winter rains have finally arrived in the Cape and the ground was softer than officially recorded. Firm or yielding going makes no difference to Rodney (s/s 103) and Search Party (s/s 103) though – these adaptable geldings are really talented and will hold their own in tougher contests as they develop with maturity. They fought out a Pinnacle Stakes over 1200m with Rodney getting it on the nod in an exciting tussle at Kenilworth.