The Gr 1 R1 million Betting World Cape Flying Championship to be run over 1000m at Kenilworth on January 24 will have tremendous strength in depth and one of the biggest and most competitive fields seen in this race for many a year looks likely to line up.
The Gr 1 R1 million Betting World Cape Flying Championship
The prestigious weight for age event will not only bring together horses of all ages and both genders, but also from all provinces. Of the 18 horses still standing their ground three are females and three are three-year-olds, while four are from Gauteng, two are from KZN and one is from Port Elizabeth.
Three of the six Gr 1 winners in the field are female, the mare Fly By Night and the three-year-old Gauteng fillies Carry On Alice and Alboran Sea. Both Fly By Night and Carry On Alice beat the boys when winning their respective Gr 1s so won’t feel intimidated by their presence. The other Gr 1 winners are the speedy KZN pair Normanz and Captain Of All and the evergreen Port Elizabeth seven-year-old Copper Parade. Captain Of All and Copper Parade will be coming off first and second respectively in the Gr 2 weight for age Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over the Kenilworth 1200m. Piere Strydom rode Copper Parade to a brilliant win in last season’s Gr 1 Computaform Sprint and has been declared to ride him in the Cape Flying Championship already.
Champion trainer Justin Snaith has four entries, including Daring Dave who has been targeted at this race from day one of the season.
Mike Bass, who has won the race four times this century already, including twice with the world class sprinter What A Winter, has three entries including the tough seven-year-old gelding Castlethorpe, who was a late supplementary entry. His other two runners are Fly By Night, who is one of the likely favourites, and Tevez, who finished third last year.
Gauteng trainer Sean Tarry, who won it with the champion sprinter Mythical Flight in 2007, has entered the exciting SA Nursery winner Carry On Alice and she is sure to make her presence felt.
Charles Laird has won the race four times this century and will travel from KZN with Normanz. He has already declared Anton Marcus to ride him, exciting news for punters who have missed the great champion since he was sidelined with a thumb injury.
Laird’s cousin Dennis Drier, who won it with the brilliant filly Val De Ra in 2012, will also attempt to take the trophy back to KZN with Captain Of All.
The Cape Flying Championship, which used to be known as the Jack Stubbs Memorial, has a rich history and the trophy is littered with the names of great sprinting champions. It is always an enjoyable meeting to attend and this year should be especially so due to the highly competitive nature of the field.
Furthermore, the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales Stakes over 1200m, a well subscribed restricted sales race, will add intrigue to the day’s racing.
Reserve a table in the Somerset Room for a 3 course buffet lunch at R220 per person. For bookings contact Micaela (021)700 1600.
