KENILWORTH RACING PRESS RELEASE
11 DECEMBER 2014
SUPER STRONG FIELD ANNOUNCED FOR GRAND PARADE CAPE GUINEAS
The Gr 1 Grand Parade Guineas final field was announced live on TellyTrack and the overall class of the 15 horses that will line up on December 20 at Kenilworth is as high as this most prestigious of three-year-old classics has ever contained.
The most eagerly awaited aspect of the declarations was the riding arrangements for the brilliant Joey Ramsden-trained Act Of War because Piere Strydom, who partnered him to victory in the Selangor Cup, had announced over the weekend that he would remain loyal to the Paul Lafferty-trained Harry’s Son.
Strydom will be replaced on Act Of War by the former Cape champion jockey, Bernard Fayd’Herbe.
Equus champion Harry’s Son is the highest merit rated male in the land on 114, one ahead of Act Of War, and is one of three out of province entries in the field.
The other two, Zambezi River and Imperial Gold, are trained by Gauteng’s Sean Tarry and have been in Cape Town for a few weeks already, unlike Harry’s Son who will fly in from Durban on the morning of the race.
Zambezi River is unbeaten in three starts, including an impressive victory in the R2 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m at Kenilworth on November 22. He is the most unexposed horse in the field, having faced none of the best three-year-olds, and will attract plenty of support. National champion jockey S’manga Khumalo will ride him, but he does have wide draw of 10 to overcome, while Act Of War is drawn perfectly in barrier 2 and Harry’s Son is drawn 6.
Imperial Gold is drawn in pole position, but needs to find 3, 75 lengths on Zambezi River on the Ready To Run Stakes form.
The Glen Kotzen-trained Light The Lights has avoided the best three-year-olds this season, but is improving rapidly and could be a threat from draw 3 with Greg Cheyne aboard.
The top class Kingvoldt had a welcome return to form when running second to his stablemate Act Of War in the Selangor Cup and will be a factor from draw 8 with the experienced big race rider Anthony Delpech aboard.
The third Ramsden entry Brutal Force is the most expensively purchased horse in South African public auction history and is coming off a runner up finish in the Ready To Run Stakes. He will enjoy this trip and Sean Cormack gets the ride, although they have a tough draw of 11.
The Vaughan Marshall-trained MLJet has proven himself up with the best and has been waiting for racing to be switched to the Kenilworth New Couse, as the longer straight will suit his style. However, he has a wide draw of 14 to overcome.
Dean Kannemeyer’s highly regarded charge Balance Sheet, who finished fifth in the Selangor, has been chosen by veteran jockey Karl Neisius above stablemate Captain Alfredo. The latter won his first two races, including a dead-heat over 1300m with the Justin Snaith-trained contestant Parachute Man.
The Snaith-trained Charles Lytton will provide the biggest fairy-tale story if he wins as he is the son of a teaser stallion. He has won three out of his five starts and will be ridden by stable jockey Richard Fourie from draw 9.
Snaith’s hard knockers Arniston and Alpha Pegasi have earned their places in the field but will all need significant improvement to win.
Many-times Cape champion trainer Mike Bass has only one entry, Sheer Trouble, and he looks well held by Act Of War and MLJet on previous form, but Bass-trained horses usually improve significantly throughout the season.
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