Latecomers join the Derby party

Five extra entries were rustled up for the Splashout Cape Derby, to be run at Kenilworth on 22 February, after the deadline for first entries was pushed out by 24 hours this week.

Only seven names had been received by 11am on Monday – albeit including hotshots One Stripe and Eight On Eighteen – so Cape Racing extended the cutoff time and appealed to trainers to support the historic race.

Shrinking entry lists are never good news, but are especially sad after operator Cape Racing has gone to great lengths to boost field sizes.

It’s not as if there’s no incentive to contest the Cape Derby: it’s a prestigious Grade 1 event for three-year-olds with prize money of R1.5-million.

Seasons overlap

One reason for the dismal support is the intimidatory presence of the two aforementioned superstars – at level weights. Yet, the truth is, one of those has no record of getting the 2000m trip while the other might well be vulnerable after a demanding summer season for a young horse.

You’d imagine connections with competitive spirit and ambition would be keen to have a go.

Programming might be another deterrent. It has been mentioned that the late summer Western Cape season overlaps a bit with the early autumn term on the Highveld.

And, of course, there’s the declining numbers of stamina horses coming into racing these days – though 2000m is watered down from the 2450m of a classic Derby. (More on this subject elsewhere.)

Four trainers responded to the call to arms.

Champion conditioner Justin Snaith, who had three of the initial seven entries, offered up two more potential runners. His first choice of Eight On Eighteen, Sail The Seas and Express Yourself was joined by Dawn Till Dusk and Native Ruler.

Candice Bass-Robinson, who had Major Master in, added the unfashionably bred filly Scarlet Macaw – a shock runner-up in the Cape Fillies Guineas. The daughter of Horizon comes in with the third-highest merit rating.

The powerful Crawford stable nominated Commander Green, while Paddy Kruyer entered Tenpenny.

Gimme A Prince

Appreciation for these horses coming to the party will have a few true-blue racing fans hoping one of them upsets the Cape Derby applecart.

There were no such problems for the supporting feature on Derby day, the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes, a Grade 2 contest over 1200m.

Interestingly, the country’s top-rated racehorse, Gimme A Prince, is among the 16 first entries for the Diadem but hasn’t scared off a bunch of good sprinters of all ages that ply their trade in Cape Town.

Supplementary entries close on Friday 13 February, while declarations are due by 11am on Monday 17 February.

FIRST ENTRIES:
(draw, name, [status], age&sex, weight, MR, equipment, trainer)

SPLASHOUT CAPE DERBY (Grade 1), R1.5m, 2000m, 3YO

0 One Stripe (3C) 0 132 A Vaughan Marshall
0 Eight On Eighteen (3C) 0 127 A Justin Snaith
0 Scarlet Macaw (3F) 0 111 A Candice Bass-Robinson
0 Sail The Seas (3C) 0 103 A Justin Snaith
0 Garrix (3C) 0 97 A Piet Steyn
0 Zeitz (3C) 0 97 BA Andre Nel
0 Dawn Till Dusk (3G) 0 93 A Justin Snaith
0 Native Ruler (3G) 0 91 A Justin Snaith
0 Major Master (3C) 0 88 A Candice Bass-Robinson
0 Express Yourself (3G) 0 86 AT Justin Snaith
0 Tenpenny (3G) 0 84 A Patrick Kruyer
0 Commander Green (3G) 0 83 A BJ Crawford/JI Crawford

KHAYA STABLES DIADEM STAKES (Grade 2), R600,000, 1200m, WFA plus penalties

8 Gimme A Prince (6G) 60 134 A Dean Kannemeyer
5 Surjay (6G) 60 124 CA BJ Crawford/JI Crawford
2 Royal Aussie Accepted 59 124 BA Justin Snaith
6 Cafe Culture (5G) 59 114 BA Lucinda Woodruff
16 Outlaw King (4G) 59 110 A Dean Kannemeyer
1 Questioning (4G) 58 124 BA Vaughan Marshall
4 At My Command (5G) 58 118 A BJ Crawford/JI Crawford
7 Hluhluwe Scratched 58 118 A Justin Snaith
14 Seeking The Stars (7G) 58 118 BA Vaughan Marshall
11 Bereave (7G) 58 114 A Adam Marcus
9 Future Variety (4G) 58 114 AT Candice Bass-Robinson
12 Meu Capitano (4G) 58 110 A Piet Steyn
10 Waterberry Lane (6G) 58 108 A Ricky Maingard
3 The Real Prince (4G) 58 107 A Dean Kannemeyer
15 Tenango (4G) 58 104 A Candice Bass-Robinson
13 Gem King (6G) 58 101 A Piet Steyn