Brendan Pather
There’s nothing spectacular about the form of stable companions Gaultier and Blue Tiger but it was seldom last season that either went missing in a big race sprint in the Western Cape.
Both were rewarded for consistency, Gaultier just edging out Blue Tiger in the Grade 2 Matchem Stakes and the latter going on to win the Grade 2 Diadem Stakes.
The Mike Bass-trained pair are back again this season, both lining up in the Gr 2 Betting World Merchants, to be run over 1 200m at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Both showed up well in their respective seasonal debuts but Gaultier seems to have the better credentials going into this race.
Whilst Bass was flexible with Blue Tiger last season, eventually running him with some success over a mile and even 1 800m in the Champions Cup, Gaultier was restricted to sprints. It proved to be a sound decision as the Jallad gelding was extremely consistent, almost always in the first three in his races. He caught the eye in his comeback effort last month, doing his best late over 1 000m in soft conditions behind Cruso and should be better for the effort. There were quite a few others doing the same in the race but none with the same credentials over this course and distance and Gaultier has every chance of defending his Merchants crown.
Others to impress in the Cruso race were Thunder Key, Something Else and Casey Cool, with the latter in particular, well weighted here if repeating that effort. Casey Cool has had four starts already this season, all equally impressive and suggestive of a big run on Saturday.
The concern with Casey Cool is that his last two wins have been over 1 000m and, in fact, only one of his six wins to date have been over this 1 200m trip. He did run on strongly, however, over this track and trip in heavy going three starts back and it would be foolish to ignore his chances.
Thunder Key was a head in front of Gaultier when the pair last met and is now a further 3,5kgs better off. He looks the main danger to Gaultier.
Glen Kotzen’s six-year-old is likely to
have been in need of that run having just returned from KZN and he forms a must-include exotic coupling with the classy Lady Windermere.
The multiple Grade 1 winner is likely to use this as a pipe-opener but it will be interesting to see how far off the boys she finishes. Something Else is 2,5kg better off with Gaultier and is always a danger in soft going but the eight-year-old seems to be at his best over the minimum trip these days and could struggle to repeat that effort.
Blue Tiger did win his comeback effort over 1 000m when run round the turn at Kenilworth but he was weighted to do so and he will need to step it up a few gears. Even though his sprint form at the end of last season was deteriorating, he proved with close-up efforts in both the Gr1 Gold Challenge and the Gr1 Champions Cup that he is never one to be ignored no matter the class or trip, and the expected soft conditions and a strong pace will assist his chances.
The only three-year-old in the race is
last season’s Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Villandry. The Var gelding was not disgraced behind Blue Tiger in his seasonal debut and should strip fitter.
Vaughn Marshall’s youngster could still have more to come and is a must inclusion in the exotics. Kapil should enjoy the soft conditions and it would be no surprise to see the classy Jallad gelding feature prominently fresh off a rest. It’s a race with a bit of everything, consistent graded stakes performers, an improving youngster, a past champion and a classy filly and it’s probably best to go wide in the exotics. Gaultier’s consistency at this level gives him the edge but all of Thunder Key, Casey Cool and Blue Tiger are likely to be hot on his trail.
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