An unexpected early matchup this Saturday by Leon Setaro

An unexpected early matchup! Pocket Power vs Big City Life this Saturday
by Leon Setaro




Around this time last year.. (22nd Nov) Pocket Power (pictured) wins the 2008 Greenpoint Stakes with Big City Life 2.25 lengths behind him. They have met again since in the Vodacom Durban July where the result was reversed to level the score 1-1. On both occasions Pocket Power gave Big City Life 7kgs and in the July he blew his chances at the jump whereas Big City Life had a dream race with all going his way. On Saturday they race at level weights in a 7 horse field and Pocket should have no problems disposing of Big City Life. Time is marching on though and Big City Life has the 'scope for improvement' factor in his favour vs Pocket Power who has done it all for years now. There's also the fitness/soundness aspect to consider, a big discrepancy will be a deciding factor in itself. Welcome to the Cape Summer Season and it's happening right here right now!!!

- A bumper card awaits racing fans this Saturday at Kenilworth with 2x graded features on offer - The R750k Grade 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas for 3 year-old fillies at set weights over 1600m, and the R200k Grade 2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes for Fillies and Mares weight-for-age over 1000m.

..but are these the headliners? Pocket Power slips in under the black-type radar much like he did here in KZN when making his winter season debut this year. It's a prestigiousless Pinnacle Plate for MR70s and higher with a paltry R88k in stakes but Pocket Power is not here for the earnings, he's here to get a prep run under his girth before his ultra-historic attempt at the Queen's Plate-Met double for an astounding 4 years in succession.

What makes his return even more interesting is that he bumps into his partner-in-fame here, Big City Life, winner of the 2009 Vodacom July and touted by many as the youngblood to dethrone the mighty champion Pocket Power this season. A match up like this is a spectacle one would expect to see as a season highlight grade-1, but with both horses having suffered minor setbacks and changes to their warm-up programs, they now find themselves head-to-head early on. Although it's a given that the two camps will disseminate a 'prep run will need it' comment and we're some way off the legitimate 'decision-maker' clash of champions on Met day and beyond, this is still reigning horse of the year Pocket Power vs his principal rival Big City Life after all!

..and the action doesn't end there; also on the cards is the Luna De Miel Handicap where leading Cape 3yr old Captain's Secret takes on an accomplished field of black-type older horses for the first time. As good a test as any to gauge the emerging 3yr old crop against open company and yet another reason to get fixated on CPT racing this weekend.


Captain's Secret seen here winning the Grade 3 Cape Classic as he likes

---

Sarabande Pinnacle Plate 1500m (MR70 and higher)
No.- Horse - Draw - Weight - MR - Jockey
1 - POCKET POWER 3 61 (119) - B. Fayd'Herbe
2 - BIG CITY LIFE 1 61 (111) - S. Cormack
3 - AIR COMBAT 2 61 (101) - K. Neisius
4 - THUNDERING JET 5 61 (101) - K. Jupp
5 - VINCINTORE (BRZ) 4 56.5 (85) - R. Fourie
6 - LOUIE'S PRIDE 6 55 (81) - P. Botha
7 - FACING FEDERER 7 53.5 (78) - R. Khathi
Coupled (1,3,4,7) (2,5)

---

Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas 1600m (Grade 1)
No.- Horse - Draw - Weight - MR - Jockey
1 - LAVERNA 18 57 - 104(92) A K Shea
2 - MY KAZZIE 6 57 - 97(85) F. Coetzee
3 - TOWNSEND 15 57 - 94(82) MJ. Byleveld
4 - SECRET PLEASURE 14 57 - 93 (81) R. Hill
5 - GLUWEIN 5 57 - 90(78) A. Delpech
6 - STRAWBERRY ICE 4 57 - 90(78) K. Neisius
7 - POSSIBLE DREAM 12 57 - 89(77) K. Jupp
8 - PLAY NICE 16 57 - 87(75) F. Anthony
9 - TICK TOCK 2 57 - 87(75) G. Behr
10 - JET TRAIL 17 57 - 86(74) J. Geroudis
11 - OPERA DIVA 7 - 57 85(73) S. Cormack
12 - CELTIC CROSS 13 57 84(72) R. Fourie
13 - CROC VALLEY 1 57 - 84(72) B. Fayd'Herbe
14 - FIELD FLOWER 10 57 - 82(70) G. Schlechter
15 - MISS PINK 8 57 - 82(70) P. Botha
16 - CHAMPS ELYSEES 11 57 - 79(67) B. Morgenrood
Reserve Runners :
17 CHECK IT 9 57 - 79(67) Reserve 1
18 COMEBACKANDDANCE 3 57 - 77(65) Reserve 2
Coupled (1,5) (3,16) (8,18) (11,12)
---

Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes 1000m (Grade 2)
No.- Horse - Draw - Weight - (MR) - Jockey
1 - FAVOURITE ISLAND 9 58 (103) - MJ. Byleveld
2 - MOCHACHINO 10 58 (102) - S. Cormack
3 - DANCE WITH AL 2 58 (97) - F. Coetzee
4 - SERVILIA 7 58 (92) - K. Neisius
5 - PROMISES TO KEEP 6 58 (90) - R. Fourie
6 - GIANT'S JEWEL (AUS) 12 58 (87) - P. Botha
7 - LENTON GROVE 8 58 (85) - G. Schlechter
8 - TOUCH OF TUSCAN 5 58 (85) - B. Fayd'Herbe
9 - SCINTILLA 1 58 (81) - R. Hill
10 - FLYING BOOTS 11 58 (78) - F. Anthony
11 - ISABELLA'S PRINCESS 4 58 (77) - L. Coleman
12 - SEMINOLE 3 54 (87) - A.Delpech
Coupled : (3,9) (6,11) (7,
----

Luna De Miel Handicap 1100m
No.- Horse - Draw - Weight - (MR) - Jockey
1 - GAULTIER 9 62 (108) - B. Fayd'Herbe
2 - SOMETHING ELSE 10 59 (102) - Kelvin Jupp
3 - THUNDER KEY 2 58.5 (101) - S. Cormack
4 - ALVARO (AUS) 4 56.5 (97) - F. Coetzee
5 - CASEY COOL 1 56.5 (97) - G. Schlechter
6 - CAPTAIN'S SECRET 6 56 (104) - K. Neisius
7 - CRUSO 5 56 (96) - M. Latorre
8 - MAINBRACE 7 56 (96) - R. Fourie
9 - RELINYANE 3 56 (96) - J. Geroudis
10 - WETHREEKINGS 8 56 (96) - MJ. Byleveld
Coupled: (1,6) (4,9) (7,10)
----

On www.interbet.co.za you can bet direct into SA Tote pools as well as trade on the Interbet Bookmakers' exchange for the undisputed best fixed odds prices in SA! Do it all from ONE betting account on Interbet either from your computer www.interbet.co.za or your cellphone interbetsa.mobi

Cheers again Leon, this should pull a crowd
Lets get the betting going lads

Cheers Buddy, Pocket Power should be right up your Bookie board alley.

The way Mike Bass is building it up as a match race at level weights,makes me think Pocket Power is ready to rumble?

I still believe that at these weights PP doesn't need to be fully wound up to give BCL a klap!

I'm really keen to see this race as it is going to be a cracker either way!!!

must agree Tommy, a cracker for xmas

If these two actually show up, the connections of both horses are to be congratulated for their sportsmanship.

Barry, thats actually quite an astute comment.

When River Jetez ran the other day, only 2 horses from a possible 70 ish took up the chance to race against her, even though it was her first run back since the July and v short of her ideal distance.

Now that PP and BCL meet, only 1 other yard accepted to run, making it the required 7 horse field again.

There was a time when some would take up the chance to run against champions in their warm ups.

There is no danger of getting a MR increase as only the winner can go up, and only by a max of 6 points if warranted. Do we say 'well done' to the stable companions for stepping up or 'ha ha' you fools?

It would still be a race I want to see even if only the 2 of them ran.

How they going to price up Pocket Power and BCL?

5/10 PP
2/1 BCL

I think that may be a little short for PP, even though I can't see him being beaten at the weights.

9/20 PP
22/10 BCL