Two yards dominate Cape Guineas

CAPE TOWN - The powerful stables of Dean Kannemeyer and Mike and Mathew de Kock face off in the headline event, the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (1,600m), at Kenilworth on Dec 13.

The Kannemeyer family have won the race 10 times and seek an 11th win with Gimmie Rules, a three-from-four son of Gimmethegreenlight.

Mike de Kock has won it five times and will be looking for another success with Jan Van Goyen, his first Guineas runner in partnership with his son.

Jockey Callan Murray said the Master Of My Fate colt’s last-start second in the Grade 2 Dingaans (1,600m) on Nov 29 was full of merit even if he could have used a better prep.

“He was in need of that run. Unfortunately, his prep run didn’t go to plan,” said Murray who rode with moderate success at Kranji in 2019.

“But we got him pretty close going into the Dingaans. We had a difficult draw to negotiate and I had to do a bit of work from that gate.

“In saying that a lot of respect for the horse (Trust) that beat me. He’s another proper horse but my horse did need the run and natural improvement was always to come out of that race.

“I’m very pleased to report he has travelled well and I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

Murray is happy with his mount, but still had the utmost respect for his adversaries.

“You can’t get past any of the horses who put their hands up to be in a race like this,” he said.

“Obviously, there is a lot of talk around a horse like Gimmie Rules. He should arguably be unbeaten as he was very unlucky that day (he got beaten).”

Both Jan Van Goyen and Gimmie Rules are the leading contenders, but it may prove wise to pay attention to jockey Andrew Fortune’s comment on Dec 11 about Justin Snaith’s Happy Verse.

“He is the horse to beat,” enthused Fortune who rode the Vercingetorix colt in work but will hand over the reins to Aldo Domeyer in the Cape Guineas.

The best potential banker of the day is Andre Nel’s capable grey gelding Zeitz, who lines up in Race 8, the Grade 3 Peninsula Handicap over 1,800m.

Many punters expected Zeitz to win his previous start (fourth to Legal Counsel), but Nel said this week that the Vercingetorix gelding was not fully tuned there because the Peninsula was his target.

Under only 54kg, he should give punters a big run for their money. 4RACING