Kwazulu-Natal trainers will have a strong hand in the Grade 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championships over 1000m at Kenilworth on Saturday as they have five runners including the ultra quick three-year-old Var filly Via Africa.
Via Africa’s trainer Duncan Howells reckons Via Africa is good enough to follow in the footsteps of the Dennis Drier-trained Val De Ra, the superstar daughter of Var who won this race last year.
Drier himself will be trying to recapture the crown, but this time with a male, the classy three-year-old Chave De Oura, and another man who will be attempting to get his hands on the trophy for the second year in succession is Alec Forbes, who rode Val De Ra and is now aboard Via Africa.
Howells was very pleased with a gallop Via Africa had at Kenilworth last Wednesday.
He said, “She was still green when she won her last start (the weight for age Grade 2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes for fillies and mares over the Cape Flying course and distance.) I think she is good enough to win and if she doesn’t it will be no disgrace to finish second to What A Winter, so I’d rather be taking this route than sticking to the fillies races.”
Via Africa jumped from a difficult low draw of two in the Southern Cross.
The low drawn horses are generally at a disadvantage down the Kenilworth straight as they have to run into the teeth of the prevailing South Easterly wind.
However, it didn’t bother her one bit.
She simply outpaced them until she was clear and then Forbes brought her over to the outside rail in the closing stages.
He gave her a couple of back handers to keep her mind on the job and the 1,75 length winning margin probably flattered her rivals.
That was her fourth win in succession.
Her only defeat was on debut to another Var filly, Schiffer, who was rated by the Drier yard as the successor to Val De Ra before being sidelined with a knee chip.
Via Africa will have her toughest task to date on Saturday and it could be a slight concern that the other potential front-runner in the field, Cap Alright, is drawn two outside of her, meaning she might have to stick to her station towards the inside from her low draw of four.
Via Africa is out of the speedy Qui Danzig mare, Bump ‘N Grind, who won three times and was placed five times over 1000m in just 13 career starts.
Her father Var was the European Champion sprinter, so on pedigree she has everything in her favour.
Drier’s colt is by Jet Master and also has a speedy female line.
His dam Wonderful World by Complete Warrior won the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint as well as the Southern Cross Stakes, so has a lot in common with Val De Ra, who also won both of those races.
Chave De Oura showed tremendous speed in his second start over 1200m at Scottsville when overcoming his tough high draw at Scottsville with ease.
He followed up with another facile win over 1200m at Clairwood and then journeyed to Cape Town, where he opened his campaign with an impressive win the Grade 3 Cape Classic over 1400m at Kenilworth.
He then set the pace in the Grade 2 Selangor Cup over 1600m, but over raced and finished unplaced.
However, he made amends in the Grade 1 Cape Premier Yearling Sales Guineas when finishing a 3,25 length second to the impressive Capetown Noir.
He appeared to run on well in that race, so it was a surprise when Drier reported that his regular pilot Sean Cormack had reached the conclusion that he doesn’t stay the mile.
Drier vowed to never run him over that distance again.
He said yesterday, “I think he is an out and out sprinter, although the 1000m might be a touch sharp. This race might be a bit too much to ask, but he is way above average. I think Via Africa is the one to beat, but if she fluffs her lines he will be right there.”
Drier reported Chave De Oura to be in good shape and Cormack rides from a plum draw of seven in the nine horse field.
Drier also runs the Australian-bred mare Torra Bay, who is by Cape Cross.
The lightly raced five-year-old has won five times in nine starts, including four times over the 1000m trip.
She is merit rated only 96 and has 8,15 lengths to find on Via Africa from the Southern Cross but she is better than that effort as she beat the Southern Cross third-placed Reflective Image in her previous start over the course distance despite having faced her on 2,5kg worse terms than in the Southern Cross.
If reproducing that effort she has an outside place chance, although she does have the tough number one draw to overcome.
MJ Byleveld will ride Torra Bay.
Drier added that Beach Beauty had been doing “unbelievably” well ahead of her big date in the J&B Met.
“It will be tough, but she will be ready,” he said.
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