Trainer Comments Queens plate by David Thiselton

Mike Bass lamented the wide draws his two Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate candidates What A Winter and Castlethorpe had received and feared there might be no other option than to drop them out and hope for a reasonable pace.



He said, “Neither What A Winter or Castlethorpe are natural front runners and need to find cover. If we try to bring What A Winter around them to the front he will think he is in a 1000m race and won’t settle. I was hoping he would draw in the first four so we could tuck him in immediately. The Kenilworth track runs very fast these days which makes it difficult to come from off the pace. If they go slowly up front then Variety Club should win easily.”



He concluded by saying that both of his horses were in fine form, having finished first and second in the Grade 2 Diadem Stakes over 1200m, but he added that they would need a lot of luck on Saturday.



Bass was also unhappy with the draw of his Grade 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes runner Hammie’s Hooker, who drew eight.



“From there you still have seven horses inside of you trying to get into good positions and risk being caught wide. If you are caught wide it is the end of your chances.”



On the upside the Mike de Kock-trained out and out front-running galloper Viva Maria is likely to ensure a reasonable pace.



She is drawn two inside of Hammie’s Hooker in barrier six.



Hammie’s Hooker entered her last start in the Grade 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas under a cloud having suffered bouts of the respiratory virus that had been prevalent in the Milnerton training centre.



However, she ran on well to finish just 0,4 lengths behind the top class De Kock-trained Rumya.



Bass hoped she was now over the virus.



She will go into this race off the back of a better build up than she had for the Guineas.



That makes her a huge danger.



However, Bass made Beach Beauty the one to beat.



Bass has also drawn wide with all three of his runners in the Listed Politician Stakes, whom he said were hard to separate.



His three-year-old Trippi colt Abercrombie, who will be ridden by Aldo Domeyer, has never been this trip before, but Bass had no doubts he would stay and said, “The further the better for him. But from that draw it’s very tough.”



His other pair are the Trippi colt Mussourie, who will be ridden by Glen Hatt, and the Silvano gelding Ze Kaiser, who will be ridden by Karl Neisius.



They both have hard-knocking form and should have no problem with the trip.

The Mike de Kock-trained Grade 1 Woolavington winner Viva Maria arrived in Cape Town yesterday morning (Tuesday) ahead of her attempt at the Grade 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday.



Nathan Kotzen, De Kock’s Summerveld assistant trainer, is down there with her and said that the out and out galloper had appeared to travel well.



He added that running from the front was the style she enjoyed, so she was likely to run that way on Saturday.



This should ensure a good gallop for a race that was run at a farcically slow pace last year, as she really had them strung out in the Woolavington and won her last start over 1600m at Clairwood in similar fashion.



The four-year-old Jet Master filly had a holiday at the farm of her owner’s and breeder’s, Lammerskraal Stud, after her Woolavington win.



She has had two comeback runs and Kotzen said, “She is now spot on.”

Glen Kotzen was bullish about the chances of his two Grade 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes contenders Jet Aglow and Beloved Betty ahead of Saturday’s big race.



His old campaigner Fabiani will be tried in first time blinkers in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.



He said, “Jet Aglow had the fastest 400 to finish time when third in the Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas last time. She has been working well, she has a good draw, is fit and has had a great prep.”



Jet Aglow has recent history on her side as like last year’s winner, Thunder Dance, she is a three-year-old filly by Jet Master.



She jumps from draw seven with Grant van Niekerk up.



Beloved Betty, a four-year-old Spectrum filly, jumps from draw three with Chris Puller aboard.



Puller rode her to a fine 0,2 length second in the Grade 3 Victress Stakes over the Paddock Stakes course and distance last time out.



Kotzen said, “The formline of her last start has stood up well and she has been working exceptionally well. Before that in the Algoa Cup she came from 18 lengths back to finish fifth.”



Kotzen made the Mike Bass-trained three-year-old Hammie’s Hooker the horse to beat.



Fabiani, a seven-year-old Model Man gelding, will wear blinkers for the first time.



“He doesn’t like horses around him, so we will try the blinkers. This will be his last run in the Queen’s Plate as we will retire him at the end of this season. He faces a high quality field.”



Kotzen’s Champion filly Princess Victoria runs in a conditions event over 1400m.



“This is a prep for the Majorca. She has to give a lot of weight all around, but she is the best filly over this trip in the country.”



Bernard Fayd’herbe will be aboard for the first time having asked for the ride after Princess Victoria’s fierce rival Ebony Flyer was retired.



Kotzen rates all three of the two-year-old he runs on the day and said that he intended to run all three of them in the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes on J&B Met day.

Start-To-Finish King Striker!..................will show Jackson and VC a clean pair of heels........... -D

The Saint Wrote:

---

> Start-To-Finish King
> Striker!..................will show Jackson and VC
> a clean pair of heels........... -D


That good be interesting - POMODORO front running tactics!!

Mac Wrote:

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> Einstein "If you continue to do the same thing
> then you will continue to get the same result".
>
> Variety Club, gatespeed again, will lead them
> turning into the bend again, will open up by a
> length and a half into the straight again, will
> run them into the ground at the post again.
>
> Help yourself to the current price. Dont waste yr
> hard earned money trying to get "value".

Its nice when a plan comes together.