J&B Met Log

David Thiselton – Gold Circle Publishing



Mike Bass said that the J&B Met on Saturday January 29 would probably be the great Pocket Power’s last run and almost certainly his last run at Kenilworth Racecourse.

Bass said that the horse’s future in racing had been left entirely up to him and he added that public opinion would not influence his decision.

“It’s a difficult situation, because he’s still very, very good. He’s eight-years-old but he’s still my best ‘A division’ horse and horses can race until they are ten. He might not have won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate but he would still be good enough to win Group 2 races. He’s still keen to work and his work is very good.”

Pocket Power as a gelding does not have a stud career ahead of him and would not be the first great horse to carry on racing to a good age.

In the 1960s and 1970s the Willie Kleb-trained William Penn was brought out of retirement as a ten-year-old.

His previous race had been as an early eight-year-old, winning the Grade 1 Champion Stakes at Greyville in August 1969. He had won six Grade 1s up until then, including the 1968 J&B Met with top weight. He had consistently proved himself superior to his half-brother Hawaii, who went on to become USA’s Champion Grass Horse as well as a successful sire, standing at Claiborne where he produced 25 stakes winners including Epsom Derby winner Henbit.

William Penn proved infertile at stud, siring only nine foals, although they included three stakes winners.

The first run of his comeback was in the J&B Met of January 1972.

He flew up for second, three lengths behind the winner Force Ten to whom he gave 18 pounds.

He went on to race successfully until he was eleven, the best performance of his final season being a 0,2 length second to the great In Full Flight in the Grade 1 Champions Stakes over 2000m at Greyville, beating another champion, Mazarin.

In America John Henry was Horse Of The Year as a nine-year-old, while the Australian sprinter Takeover Target recently won two Grade 1 races as a nine-year-old.

Like William Penn, another horse to come out of retirement at stud to win the J&B Met was Pas De Quoi.

This Geoff Woodruff-trained horse had won the Cape Derby as a three-year-old in brilliant fashion and had the world at his feet before a vindictive groom beat his forelegs with a blacksmith’s rasp.

Woodruff recalled, “He was a great horse, one of the best I’ve trained and would have been very competitive in the next two Julys at least. On that fateful day a stable employee saw a groom arguing with Pas De Quoi’s groom and then wagging his finger at him, saying he would get him. Sure enough he did get him. It was one of the saddest episodes of my career. The groom was never seen again. We thought the horse was okay at first, but x-rays showed a saucer fracture. It took an age to come right. In the third run of his comeback he finished fourth in the Queen’s Plate, but Muis Roberts reckoned he was still not striding out, so he was sent to the farm.”

Pas De Quoi made another short comeback a year later, but broke down in the Queen’s Plate, and was sent to the farm again where he covered a few mares, producing 17 foals.

He then joined the Peter Kannemeyer yard for his final comeback.

At first he didn’t set the world alight and Kannemeyer reckoned he was still “half-fit” for the Queen’s Plate of 1994. However, he then bounced back to his brilliant best in the J&B Met, flying up from last under Garth Puller to beat Waitara by a short-head. He was seven-years-old.

Dean Kannemeyer then took him to Durban, where he won the equivalent of today’s Grade 1 Gold Challenge. In his next race, the penultimate of his career, he was a very unlucky loser of the July, being badly baulked twice in the straight by Surfing Home, having quickened like a winner.

He was promoted from fifth to fourth after an objection and Peter Kannemeyer recalled, “The chief stipe told me that on the evidence of the replays he would have definitely won.”

Pas de Quoi had his final start as an early eight-year-old in August 1994 in the Grade 1 Champions Stakes over 2000m at Greyville and duly won under Puller at odds of 6-10.

Only bad luck can stop Mother Russia from taking this one. I think Rushing Wind will run a cracker especially with striker on the saddle. There's a lot to like about Pocket Power in this race, i think he stands a very good chance and at 10/1 is worth a bet. Flirtation will chase the trio to the wire though an mdk exacta is very much possible....

I can't believe Run for it is a second favorite should be in the double digits imho......

I'm struggling to see how the Pocket will run in the first 3, let alone win the Met. On the Queens Plate run he is worse off with Mother Russia, Tales of Bravery, Rushing Wind and Past Master. Throw Bravura and Run For It into the mix and Pocket's chances really look negligible.

Pocket might be beating all Bass's horses at the yard but on the racetrack he is simply not good enough anymore to win Grade 1's. I was of the opinion that he should be retired but if the owners feel he's got a few more runs in him then so be it. But lets not delude ourselves into thinking he can recapture former glories.

Anyone backing him to win the Met is throwing money straight down the toilet...

The ever-consistent PP never runs a bad race even at his age, the exception would be the July last year where he was drawn 17/20. The Met is more of stamina test unlike the Queens Plate. He has won 3 of his four starts at the course and distance. In his last eight runs which were between Jan'10 and Jan'11 he's won twice and placed five times. PP MR just went down three points. I wouldn't write off PP for the Met. On paper Mother Russia has the race to herself but just as we all know nothing is ever guaranteed in this game and if anything goes wrong with her PP will be well positioned to take advantage.

If the Cape crawl is in place- Mother Russia to win
If the pace is on from the get go- nothing wil beat Run for it.

Will there be a horse in the race that wil make the pace a testing race?

I see the Pocket has now gone 7-1 for the Met and is even money a place on bettingworld. Christmas has come early for the bookies and the Met hasn't even been run yet!

I reckon the right price for a place should be closer to double digits, anyone backing him to win should really have their head examined! If anyone wants to have an even money bet with me on the Pocket to place I'd be happy to oblige...

David Thiselton: Gold Circle Publishing

Joey Ramsden was bullish about the chances of Bravura in Saturday's J&B Met over 2000m and this should boost jockey Glen Hatt’s hopes of riding the winner for the second year in succession.



This now four-year-old gelding by Silvano looked set for big things after going unbeaten in five starts in the last Cape Sizzling Summer Season, which culminated in a brilliant win from a wide draw in the Investec Cape Derby.



Unfortunately he was then forced out for ten months after suffering a hind leg injury.



Ramsden said, “He has come on from his run in the Premiers (where he finished a staying on third). He was supposed to have had another race before the J&B Met as Gold Circle kindly put on a Pinnacle Plate event. Unfortunately it fell through due to lack of support. But we set up our own mini race for him, with starting stalls and the works at Kenilworth, against some of our better handicappers. He performed impressively.”



Asked on whether he had won the race, Ramsden quipped, “Well yes, he had to didn’t he, even I am not a good enough handicapper to beat him!”



Bravura is a lazy workhorse, so it is difficult to tell how good he is before a race, but Ramsden, asked on whether he reckoned the horse had recaptured his former brilliance, said, “I have worked him on the treadmill, as that forces him to do some work, and as a specimen I would say he is looking fantastic, the best I’ve ever had him.”



Bravura will have another wide draw to overcome, stall gate 13, but he has both early speed as well as looking the type that can be switched off, so it is not too much of a concern.



Owner Markus Jooste, who recently turned 50, will be hoping to land the J&B Met for the first time.



Ramsden also runs Lion In Winter, who won the Grade 2 Peninsula in his last start over the Kenilworth 1800m.



He said, “He is doing fine. We have gone quiet on him since his last run.”



Asked whether he had the class to win a Grade 1, he said, “Well he has won a Grade 2. The handicapper has him at 105 and there’s not much else you can aim at.



Ramsden also contests one of the other two Grade 1 races on the day, the Investec Cape Derby.



He said, “We are considering putting half-cups on Il Saggiatore. He worked very well before today’s meeting (Saturday) and will relish the trip.”



Ramsden reckoned his other three in the race all had place chances.



One of them, Lucky Moon, finished an excellent second to Tales Of Bravery in the Matchem Stakes at the beginning of the Sizzling Summer, but has been quite expensive to follow since.



Ramsden said, “Lucky Moon ran very well in a Novice Plate last time over 1400m. I’ve been guilty of running him incorrectly as I’ve realised now that he’s actually wanting a trip.”



Orchard House ran a very good second to older horses over the course and distance in a Graduation Plate last time, beaten narrowly by the useful Golden Parachute. Ramsden said, “ Orchard House is better than rated.”



He concluded, “Make My Grey was poorly ridden last time over course and distance, running wide all the way. I’m not sure whether he stays 2000m.”

David Thiselton: Gold Circle Publishing


Mother Russia looks hard to beat in the J&B Met next Saturday and the two most likely candidates to do it are the old man and the young upstart.



Mother Russia looked as if she had been thrown into the race at the top of the straight in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate such was the ease with how she won.



Anton Marcus added afterwards that had he not been forced to go early, she would have won even easier.



The only nagging doubt is whether she truly stays 2000m, but Mike de Kock has allayed those fears, pointing out that she wasted energy in a false start before being caught late in last year’s J&B Met and was not fully fit when stopping late in the Sansui Summer Cup. She also beat River Jetez when winning a Grade 2 Weight For Age event over this trip at Greyville when still with Joey Ramsden.



She has a decent draw of eight and looked eager in the Met gallops.



The public’s beloved Pocket Power has been friendless in the ante-post market, but Mike Bass has admitted that he might not have had him at his best for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.



Bass said “Pocket” would prefer 2000m these days, as horses of his age lose speed but gain stamina. Pocket Power has the perfect draw of three and Bernard Fayd’herbe, who was pleased with his L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate run, believed he would definitely have come on from that run.



The masterful Bass is sure to have the great champion at his absolute peak for what is likely to be his swansong.



Run For It is a son of Dynasty, whose best progeny ooze class and improve all the time.



They appear to inherit their father’s turn of foot as well as his stamina reserves so considering Run For It has finished like a train in his last two starts in the Grade 1 Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas over 1600m and the Grade 2 Peninsula over 1800m, he has to be a big runner over the extra 200m.



Run For It has Felix Coetzee, a five-time J&B Met winner, in the irons, an obvious bonus, while trainer Justin Snaith is having a halcyon season.



The pundits have begun questioning the three-year-old form on the basis of Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas winner Solo Traveller finishing only third in the Politician Stakes over 1800m, albeit while giving the front two 3kg.



It might be too early to make a judgement and Run For It’s J&B Met run could give a better clue.



Flirtation, a four-year-old Silvano filly from the Mike de Kock yard, has proved she enjoys this trip by winning the Sansui Summer Cup over the tough Turffontein 2000m, although she did earn a 2kg Grade 1 penalty in the process.



She has only ever won at Turffontein, but Kenilworth is also a galloping track and she produced her now trademark strong finish to finish runner up in the Grade 1 TBA Paddock Stakes two weeks ago, despite returning coughing.



She has a fine draw of five and top big race rider Anthony Delpech now takes over the ride.



Rudra, the third de Kock horse in the race, takes a lot of work to get right. However, when he is right he can produce performances of top class quality.



His last start when waltzing away with a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1450m at Turffontein last weekend, was the first time he had produced such a display for a long time, which makes him a very interesting runner. He is drawn well in two.



The Vaughan Marshall-trained Tales Of Bravery finished a 2,25 length second in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and is now 2,5kg better off with Mother Russia.



That was his first run since recovering from a respiratory infection, which had explained his below par Ocean Basket Green Point Stakes run.



He has won easily over 1800m before, albeit in lesser company, so should stay the trip.



Against him is his wide draw of 16, but we might not have seen the best of this ever improving Kahal four-year-old gelding yet.



The Darryl Hodgson-trained Past Master, a four-year-old gelding by Jet Master, lost his action at the junction in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and never recovered, but he did pull up sound and might bounce back.



He won the Selangor over 1600m as a three-year-old before being out with a suspensory ligament injury for almost a year. The connections have targeted this former Selangor (1600m) winner at the Met, so they must believe he stays, although his scintillating win in the Diadem Stakes over 1200m and his speedy female line give some stamina concerns.



Whether he is completely sound is another concern, but he does have the class.



The Joey Ramsden trained Bravura stamped himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the country at last year’s Met meeting when winning the Cape Derby in brilliant style from a wide draw.



However, he was then forced out with a hind leg injury for ten months.



He stayed on very well for third in the Grade 2 Midmar Premiers over 1800m last time.



He’s not a good workhorse, but is reported as being very well and looks to be a big runner.



Paddy O’Reilly finished fourth, just 3,1 lengths behind Bravura in last season’s Derby despite losing ground at the start. Glen Kotzen believed a joint chip could have explained his habit of starting slowly, due to the pain it caused, and now that it has been sorted out he could be a place contender, especially considering his good running-on second in the Grade 2 Peninsula over 1800m last time out.



In Writing probably needed his last few runs after a year long rest and should be cherry ripe, so considering he has recently shown glimpses of his early promise he could earn a place over his ideal distance.



The Bass-trained Rushing Wind ran on very well for fifth in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and this honest, versatile type could also earn.



Fort Vogue has the ability to earn as does Lion In Winter, who hasn’t tried this trip before, but flew up to win the Peninsula over 1800m.



Cask, comfortable winner of the Midmar Premiers over 1800m, looks ideally course and distance suited and the same could be said for Super Storm, who does, however, have the widest draw of all to overcome.



Last Regal ran on very well, albeit too late, in the Peninsula and this trip should also be ideal.



Celtic Fire has good Port Elizabeth form but was outclassed in the Queen’s Plate.



The provisional selection is Mother Russia to beat home Run For It, with Pocket Power, Bravura and Flirtation next best.

J&B have been good for the Met (tu)


J&B was introduced to the Met 34 years ago in 1977.

They offered a stake of R40 000 for the first running of the race in 1978.

Today the J&B Met offers a R2,5million stake.

kobus Wrote:

---

> If the Cape crawl is in place- Mother Russia to
> win
> If the pace is on from the get go- nothing wil
> beat Run for it.
>
> Will there be a horse in the race that wil make
> the pace a testing race?

If there is a "rabbit" in the field I can't find it. I'm going with a sedate pace and Mother Russia to skip and win, but such a scenario would possibly also suit Tales Of Bravery if his jockey (whoever that may be) can get a decent position from a wide draw.

Magic why is mj byleveld not riding?

MJ suffered an injury - he fell during the last race on Saturday - broken Collar Bone and Scapula