An unexpected early matchup this Saturday by Leon Setaro

Clash of titans on Cape Fillies Guineas card

Preview: South Africa, Saturday 2.45pm GMT

Kenilworth: Sarabande Pinnacle Plate 7½f turf

THE Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas is Saturday's scheduled highlight - but the supporting card features an unexpected clash of the titans between triple horse of the year Pocket Power and fellow Durban July winner Big City Life.

Both are having their first outing of the season in the Sarabande Pinnacle Plate - a race that was not on the original agenda for either horse.

Big City Life was due to reappear in the Green Point Stakes a fortnight ago but was withdrawn as he had not fully recovered from an outbreak of coughing.

Trainer Glen Kotzen said: "Heis over that little setback and completed his course of antibiotics. He looks fabulous and has done enough to be competitive but this is part of his prep to get him ready for next month's Queen's Plate with the J & B Met his main target."

Pocket Power was so uninterested in his early-season home work that trainer Mike Bass felt compelled to send him to Kenilworth last month for a gallop with the former Andrew Balding-trained Diamond Quest.

That woke him up to such an extent that Bass has brought him back a fortnight earlier than planned.

Bass's son Mark said: "Although we have had to push him somewhat to get him ready, he has freshened up nicely this week and we are quietly confident that he will give a good account of himself."

Also on Saturday

Kenilworth: Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas (Grade 1) 1m, turf, 3yo fillies2.10pm GMT

Justin Snaith, who has won the last two runnings of the Cape Fillies Guineas with Captain's Lover and Sparkling Gem, is optimistic that Townsend can complete thehat-trick.

MJ Byleveld's mount has a poor draw but last time she beat Secret Pleasure and Strawberry Ice in the Odessa Stud Fillies Championship, a race that often proves a significant trial.

Snaith said: "Townsend has come on since then. There is only one horse in the race that I'm worried about and that's Strawberry Ice."

According to official ratings, the Mike de Kock-trained Laverna is rated 5lb clear of the next best, My Kazzie, and 8lb in front of Townsend but her last two runs have been disappointing and her trainer is dismissive of the high rating.

"They'vegot it so wrong with her merit rating that it's not true," said De Kock.

"I have been behind with her fitness and not quite getting her there yet. But there is only one Cape Fillies Guineas so we are going to take our chance."

Laverna is drawn widest of all and My Kazzie has not raced since July when she was second in two Grade 1 races.

Good win from PP, BCL looked as if it was going the better, what a champ

I think BCL ran a good race without Sean being too hard on him.........But let me tel you, they are going to have to bring the BEST from Joburg and BCL will have to be at his best to take down the big horse come the Queens plate and J&B Met!!!


Did you guys see his "fan" running around the parade ring in the shirtlif silks and the flag??

That guy is there EVERY time PP runs. We were at the Met at the beginning of the year and he was there shouting his lungs out!

Thats what we need. More fans like him!!!

well said Tommy!!

Business as usual great to see him back..

Field springs shock in Cape Fillies Guineas

Report: South Africa, Saturday

Kenilworth: Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas (Grade 1) 1m, turf, 3yo, fillies

Field Flower finished with a tremendous surge in the closing stages to spring a 50-1 shock in the Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Her chance in this Avontuur-sponsored Classic looked forlorn after she managed only seventh in the Odessa Stud Fillies Championship last time and jockey Gerrit Schlechter admitted that he had tried to ride two of the other runners.

But the Silvano filly slipped into another gear when he pressed the button, and she went from halfway down the 17-runner field into the lead in less than a furlong.

Tick Tock, a 33-1 chance who had run even worse in the Odessa, was beaten by three-quarters of a length into second. Jet Trail, who sweated up badly and suffered from her poor draw, was a length and a quarter back in third, while the Mike de Kock-trained 11-2 favourite Laverna dead-heated for fourth with CrocValley.

Schlechter said: "I've been on seconds and thirds in this race but never the winner. I bounced out and settled into a mid-field position. I thought I was going to be in the places again until I asked her to quicken."

Trainer Stephen Page,who did not have his first Grade 1 winner until August, added: "I know she didn't run that great in the Odessa but that race is only seven furlongs and so it's not a true reflection. She had won her previous two and she is now likely to gofor the Paddock Stakes and the Majorca."

Kenilworth: Sarabande Pinnacle Plate 7½f, turf

The legendary Pocket Power showed that he as good as ever when cutting down Big City Life in the Sarabande Pinnacle Plate.

Both horses were running for the first time this season but each looked as if they had done a fair bit of work, and Big City Life's rider Sean Cormack decided to serve it up to Pocket Power by sweeping his mount into the lead over a furlong from home.

Pocket Power, who was being ridden along well before this, responded almost immediately and charged home impressively for a three-quarter length verdict.

Winning trainer Mike Bass said: "I was going to give him another run before the Queen's Plate on January 9 but he won so well today that I'm not sure I want to risk him."

Pocket Power has won the last three runnings of both the Queen's Plate and the J &B Met but Big City Life's trainer Glen Kotzen still believes the son of Casey Tibbs has a real chance of preventing the champion making it four.

He said: "I was delighted with Big City Life and I am very happy where I am with him at the moment. My plan was not to run again before the Queen's Plate so maybe he won't appear until then."

Met contenders do the business
by Leon Setaro

Saturday saw four J&B Met contenders step out as part of their prep for the big one and all have come through with flying colours.

In Cape Town Pocket Power and Big City Life (pictured) went head to head at level weights and as expected, finished in that order. These are the two likely to top the bookies’ boards when betting opens and look well on their way to justifying the price up.

In Johannesburg short priced favourites Dan De Lago and Mother Russia were also out to do the Met prep biz and both went on to win their respective races with ease.

The showdown has begun..


Once in a lifetime champion Pocket Power the undefeatable!!! pictured here accounting for Vodacom Durban July winner Big City Life by the usual clinically calculated margin of around 1 length. Pocket Power has never been beaten around the Kenilworth turn and yesterday made it an incredible 13 wins from 13 starts at the Cape Town race track. Bril-liant!!!

Dan De largo will jump as favorite....

no chance of that happening unless the champ's prep picks up a wobble.

dan who

Mike Bass:

“Considering the amount of work I have given him in a short amount of time, he has exceeded my expectations at this stage as I have had to rush his preparation considerably this time around. The manner in which he won this race leaves me feeling a lot more confident going into the upcoming features than I originally anticipated”

Pocket Power pulled up neatly after his race and will next return to the track to defend his title in the Queens Plate for the fourth time consecutively.

Big City Life’s run was full of merit, beaten only by three quarters of a length at level weights, and trainer Glen Kotzen will be pleased with his Champion’s first outing of the season.

The pair will next meet in the Queens Plate.