J&B Met day
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J&B Met day
15 years 4 months ago
J&B Met
History awaits Pocket Power yet again in the J&B Met on Saturday at Kenilworth Racecourse as he bids to set an unprecedented equine record.
Before his career started no horse in South Africa had ever won a major race four times in succession.
Now, having won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate for the fourth time on the trot two weeks ago, he bids to achieve the feat for the second time in 21 days by also winning the Met for the fourth time in a row.
It is likely to be a world first.
When people remember greatness the record books help their argument.
For example, in spite of Usain Bolt recently defying the laws of human limitation, it could be argued that the greatest single athletics feat in recorded history belongs to the little known Bob Beamon.
Beamon lived in an era when the equivalent of the four minute mile for long jump was 28 foot, yet in one incredible leap in Mexico he cleared 29 foot, improving a record that had increased 0,22m in 33 years by 0,55m.
Like Beamon, Pocket Power could surpass the unbelievable on Saturday by achieving the unimaginable.
His supporters should hope he does it in order to strengthen their arguments in years to come that he is the greatest.
There was a season defining moment for the seven-year-old superstar at the 200m mark in the Queen’s Plate.
In days gone by the step up to another gear had come easily, but it was clear that this time he would have to draw on his courage to do it.
It is not only horses’ legs that wear out with age, but their will to win is usually dulled too.
But, not Pocket Power, for as Bernard Fayd’herbe drew the whip he dug down deep and found his customary surge, leaving his competitors fighting for the minor places.
The post race dissection was unusual in that his fans and pundits alike spent as much time eulogising the performance as they did wondering whether he could do it again.
Trainer Mike Bass said immediately that the Met would be harder.
On top of it all Pocket Power faces one of the strongest fields of his career!!!
Glen Kotzen said at the Betting World Cape Flying Championship racemeeting on Saturday that both of his J&B Met runners, Big City Life and Fabiani were “doing very well”.
The yard’s only concern in the build up to the big race is Big City Life’s wide draw of 14.
The yard cannot split the pair, although Kotzen said, “My heart is with Big City Life, but the little horse (Fabiani) is doing very well”.
This is interesting news for punters considering Big City Life is currently quoted at 7-1 while Fabiani is on 20-1.
Big City Life won three Grade 1 races last year as a three-year-old including the Investec Cape Derby over Saturday’s J&B Met 2000m course and distance, the Daily News 2000 at Greyville also over 2000m and the Vodacom Durban July over 2200m at Greyville.
“He has doubled in size since last year and his summer campaign has always been with the Met in mind,” said Kotzen.
Glen Kotzen says" the yard can not splits his pair"
Fabiani caused a 20-1 shock when winning the Grade 2 Ocean Basket Green Point Stakes over 1600m at Kenilworth, but then proved that was no fluke by dead-heating with Big City Life for third in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.
In between the Green Point and the Met the four-year-old gelding ran in the Midmar Premier Trophy over 1800m and finished a well beaten 4,85 length fourth behind Met contender Red Rake, albeit on 3kg worse weight terms than he faces him on Saturday.
Asked on whether that run implied Fabiani was better over a mile than further, Kotzen replied, “He’s finished a close second over 2400m before. In the Premier he was drawn 17 and was caught wide for most of the way.”
The yard felt that was an excellent run under the circumstances.
Fabiani was actually a touch unlucky in the Queen’s Plate too, being bumped by Pocket Power close home, and it probably cost him third place on his own.
He is 2,5kg better off with Pocket Power for a 1,25 length beating, while Big City Life is only 0,5kg better off with Pocket Power.
Furthermore he has a perfect draw of five from which to try and emulate his father, Model Man’s, victory in 1987.
However, Big City Life, a four-year-old gelding by Casey Tibbs, is thought to be better over 2000m than a mile and, after a bout of coughing had delayed his summer campaign, he might still have needed that run. Stable jockey Karis Teetan has stuck with him.
Kotzen’s charge, Thunder Key, finished a gallant third in the Cape Flying Championship on Saturday.
He related the story how his daughter, Kirra-Savannah, had actually been christened in the Cape Flying Championship trophy, which he held at the time due to the victory of Nobely Born. He acquired Nobely Born as a three-time winner shortly before she was due to be sent to stud.
She put Kotzen on the map, while Big City Life sky-rocketed him to a new level.
If Kotzen claims the J&B Met to add to his other big one, the July, he will further cement his current status as a national top ten trainer and would break into the top five.
Investec Cape Derby
This year’s Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby will be one of the highlights of J&B Met day for the racing purist as one of the strongest line-ups of three-year-olds seen in the country in recent times faces the starter.
The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Noordhoek Flyer, who won the Grade 1 Bloodstock S A Cape Guineas in his last start, is currently the 15-10 favourite, while his stable-mate Irish Flame, who has won his last three starts, is the 7-1 third favourite.
Noordhoek Flyer winning the Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas on 19 December 2009
Equine Edge /Gold Circle
Sandwiched in between them on the betting board is the very exciting unbeaten gelding from the Joey Ramsden yard, Bravura, who, despite his wide draw of 18, has been priced up as 7-2 second favourite, while Mike Bass’s top class Captain Al gelding, Captain’s Secret, is joint fourth-favourite at 8-1 with Basil Marcus’s Chindit.
Kannemeyer had a similar situation last year when sending Guineas winner Le Drakkar out as favourite for the Derby. Le Drakkar was beaten into third-place by Big City Life and Bluemambo.
“I don’t think Le Drakkar was a 10 furlong horse,” said Kannemeyer. “Noordhoek Flyer is by Pivotal. Pivotal was a sprinter but as a sire he’s throwing horses that stay. One of his progeny won the Oaks last year.”
Kannemeyer was referring to the brilliant filly, Sariska, who won the Epsom Oaks on a course where a horse must have everything, including stamina.
Noordhoek Flyer galloped last week Thursday at Kenilworth and will be kept to the sand this week.
The Milnerton whispers also have it that his very much in-form jockey, Karl Neisius, thinks he will be hard to beat.
Bravura, a gelding by the country’s current log-leading sire Silvano, is unbeaten in four starts and his facile maiden win on debut has provided possibly the strongest formline in the country with winner after winner coming out of it.
He is visually an extremely exciting horse too.
Ramsden said, “He seems special but we haven’t even really begun to get to the bottom of him yet, so don’t know quite how good he is. He is quite hard to gauge as he is quiet at home and we haven’t asked him for his best effort at work. His form is very good and he has had a very good preparation. He will stay too, so the only concern is his draw. Jumping from the widest draw even over the 2000m at Kenilworth is a distinct disadvantage. You are totally reliant on what the horses inside of you do. He does have one of the top three jockeys in the country in Anton Marcus aboard though.”
Kannemeyer recalled Irish Flame’s debut when beaten into fifth, 4,85 lengths behind Bravura, “He was left at the start and then looked completely lost running at the back. But he then suddenly caught on and flew in the closing stages. He is unbeaten since and is getting better and better.”
Kannemeyer also mentioned the Alan Higgins-trained Ancestral Fore as a danger in the race.
Mike Bass’ Captain’s Secret, who ran in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m on Saturday, was said by the yard to have been beaten by his wide draw when fancied in the Guineas and finishing fifth.
He has been very impressive up to 1400m, but has a stamina doubt over the Derby distance of 2000m.
Bass said, “I don’t know whether he will stay. At one stage I thought he’d be limited to sprints, but I’ve been encouraged by his performances over further. The 1000m on Saturday was too quick for him. I’d be happy with him over a mile, but there is a question mark over 2000m. He has stamina in his female line so we are hopeful.”
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
11h50 Race 1 Mango MR 88 Handicap - 1400m
12h05 Live entertainment - Main Stage in front of the Grandstand.
12h30 Race 2 GrandWest Casino & Entertainment World FM 88 Handicap - 1200m
12h40 Live entertainment - Main Stage in front of the Grandstand.
13h10 Race 3 Schweppes Summer Juvenile Stakes - Listed - 1000m
13h20 The presentation of trophies will take place in the Parade Ring
13h25 Pre-judging for the J&B Met Most Elegant Couple Competition presented by L’Oreal Paris
will take place alongside the Main Stage in front of the Grandstand.
13h50 Race 4 Gold Circle welcomes the World in 2010 Handicap - 1600m
14h00 Live entertainment - Main Stage in front of the Grandstand.
14h30 Race 5 Investec Cape Derby - Grade 1 - 2000m
14h40 The Investec Cape Derby presentation will take place in the Parade Ring
14h45 The J&B Met Most Elegant Couple Competition presented by L’Oreal Paris will take place on the Main Stage.
15h25 Race 6 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes (WFA) - Grade 1 - 1600m
15h35 The Klawervlei Majorca Stakes presentation will take place in the Parade Ring.
15h45 Introduction of J&B Met Jockeys in the Parade Ring.
16h00 J&B Met runners leave the Parade Ring.
16h20 Race 7 J&B MET – GRADE 1 – 2000m
16h30 Victory Canter in front of the Grandstand
16h40 The J&B Met presentation will take place on the Main Stage.
17h15 Race 8 tabGold FM 88 Handicap - 1400m
17h25 Best Dressed Marquee announcement.
18h00 Race 9 Soccer 6 MR 96 Handicap - 1200m
18h10 The draw for the WPOTA Raffle winner will take place in the Parade Ring.
18h45 Race 10 J&B Reserve Stayers - Grade 2 - 2800m
18h55 The presentation of trophies will take place in the Parade Ring.
Photography and Journalism supplied by Gold Circle
History awaits Pocket Power yet again in the J&B Met on Saturday at Kenilworth Racecourse as he bids to set an unprecedented equine record.
Before his career started no horse in South Africa had ever won a major race four times in succession.
Now, having won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate for the fourth time on the trot two weeks ago, he bids to achieve the feat for the second time in 21 days by also winning the Met for the fourth time in a row.
It is likely to be a world first.
When people remember greatness the record books help their argument.
For example, in spite of Usain Bolt recently defying the laws of human limitation, it could be argued that the greatest single athletics feat in recorded history belongs to the little known Bob Beamon.
Beamon lived in an era when the equivalent of the four minute mile for long jump was 28 foot, yet in one incredible leap in Mexico he cleared 29 foot, improving a record that had increased 0,22m in 33 years by 0,55m.
Like Beamon, Pocket Power could surpass the unbelievable on Saturday by achieving the unimaginable.
His supporters should hope he does it in order to strengthen their arguments in years to come that he is the greatest.
There was a season defining moment for the seven-year-old superstar at the 200m mark in the Queen’s Plate.
In days gone by the step up to another gear had come easily, but it was clear that this time he would have to draw on his courage to do it.
It is not only horses’ legs that wear out with age, but their will to win is usually dulled too.
But, not Pocket Power, for as Bernard Fayd’herbe drew the whip he dug down deep and found his customary surge, leaving his competitors fighting for the minor places.
The post race dissection was unusual in that his fans and pundits alike spent as much time eulogising the performance as they did wondering whether he could do it again.
Trainer Mike Bass said immediately that the Met would be harder.
On top of it all Pocket Power faces one of the strongest fields of his career!!!
Glen Kotzen said at the Betting World Cape Flying Championship racemeeting on Saturday that both of his J&B Met runners, Big City Life and Fabiani were “doing very well”.
The yard’s only concern in the build up to the big race is Big City Life’s wide draw of 14.
The yard cannot split the pair, although Kotzen said, “My heart is with Big City Life, but the little horse (Fabiani) is doing very well”.
This is interesting news for punters considering Big City Life is currently quoted at 7-1 while Fabiani is on 20-1.
Big City Life won three Grade 1 races last year as a three-year-old including the Investec Cape Derby over Saturday’s J&B Met 2000m course and distance, the Daily News 2000 at Greyville also over 2000m and the Vodacom Durban July over 2200m at Greyville.
“He has doubled in size since last year and his summer campaign has always been with the Met in mind,” said Kotzen.
Glen Kotzen says" the yard can not splits his pair"
Fabiani caused a 20-1 shock when winning the Grade 2 Ocean Basket Green Point Stakes over 1600m at Kenilworth, but then proved that was no fluke by dead-heating with Big City Life for third in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.
In between the Green Point and the Met the four-year-old gelding ran in the Midmar Premier Trophy over 1800m and finished a well beaten 4,85 length fourth behind Met contender Red Rake, albeit on 3kg worse weight terms than he faces him on Saturday.
Asked on whether that run implied Fabiani was better over a mile than further, Kotzen replied, “He’s finished a close second over 2400m before. In the Premier he was drawn 17 and was caught wide for most of the way.”
The yard felt that was an excellent run under the circumstances.
Fabiani was actually a touch unlucky in the Queen’s Plate too, being bumped by Pocket Power close home, and it probably cost him third place on his own.
He is 2,5kg better off with Pocket Power for a 1,25 length beating, while Big City Life is only 0,5kg better off with Pocket Power.
Furthermore he has a perfect draw of five from which to try and emulate his father, Model Man’s, victory in 1987.
However, Big City Life, a four-year-old gelding by Casey Tibbs, is thought to be better over 2000m than a mile and, after a bout of coughing had delayed his summer campaign, he might still have needed that run. Stable jockey Karis Teetan has stuck with him.
Kotzen’s charge, Thunder Key, finished a gallant third in the Cape Flying Championship on Saturday.
He related the story how his daughter, Kirra-Savannah, had actually been christened in the Cape Flying Championship trophy, which he held at the time due to the victory of Nobely Born. He acquired Nobely Born as a three-time winner shortly before she was due to be sent to stud.
She put Kotzen on the map, while Big City Life sky-rocketed him to a new level.
If Kotzen claims the J&B Met to add to his other big one, the July, he will further cement his current status as a national top ten trainer and would break into the top five.
Investec Cape Derby
This year’s Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby will be one of the highlights of J&B Met day for the racing purist as one of the strongest line-ups of three-year-olds seen in the country in recent times faces the starter.
The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Noordhoek Flyer, who won the Grade 1 Bloodstock S A Cape Guineas in his last start, is currently the 15-10 favourite, while his stable-mate Irish Flame, who has won his last three starts, is the 7-1 third favourite.
Noordhoek Flyer winning the Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas on 19 December 2009
Equine Edge /Gold Circle
Sandwiched in between them on the betting board is the very exciting unbeaten gelding from the Joey Ramsden yard, Bravura, who, despite his wide draw of 18, has been priced up as 7-2 second favourite, while Mike Bass’s top class Captain Al gelding, Captain’s Secret, is joint fourth-favourite at 8-1 with Basil Marcus’s Chindit.
Kannemeyer had a similar situation last year when sending Guineas winner Le Drakkar out as favourite for the Derby. Le Drakkar was beaten into third-place by Big City Life and Bluemambo.
“I don’t think Le Drakkar was a 10 furlong horse,” said Kannemeyer. “Noordhoek Flyer is by Pivotal. Pivotal was a sprinter but as a sire he’s throwing horses that stay. One of his progeny won the Oaks last year.”
Kannemeyer was referring to the brilliant filly, Sariska, who won the Epsom Oaks on a course where a horse must have everything, including stamina.
Noordhoek Flyer galloped last week Thursday at Kenilworth and will be kept to the sand this week.
The Milnerton whispers also have it that his very much in-form jockey, Karl Neisius, thinks he will be hard to beat.
Bravura, a gelding by the country’s current log-leading sire Silvano, is unbeaten in four starts and his facile maiden win on debut has provided possibly the strongest formline in the country with winner after winner coming out of it.
He is visually an extremely exciting horse too.
Ramsden said, “He seems special but we haven’t even really begun to get to the bottom of him yet, so don’t know quite how good he is. He is quite hard to gauge as he is quiet at home and we haven’t asked him for his best effort at work. His form is very good and he has had a very good preparation. He will stay too, so the only concern is his draw. Jumping from the widest draw even over the 2000m at Kenilworth is a distinct disadvantage. You are totally reliant on what the horses inside of you do. He does have one of the top three jockeys in the country in Anton Marcus aboard though.”
Kannemeyer recalled Irish Flame’s debut when beaten into fifth, 4,85 lengths behind Bravura, “He was left at the start and then looked completely lost running at the back. But he then suddenly caught on and flew in the closing stages. He is unbeaten since and is getting better and better.”
Kannemeyer also mentioned the Alan Higgins-trained Ancestral Fore as a danger in the race.
Mike Bass’ Captain’s Secret, who ran in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m on Saturday, was said by the yard to have been beaten by his wide draw when fancied in the Guineas and finishing fifth.
He has been very impressive up to 1400m, but has a stamina doubt over the Derby distance of 2000m.
Bass said, “I don’t know whether he will stay. At one stage I thought he’d be limited to sprints, but I’ve been encouraged by his performances over further. The 1000m on Saturday was too quick for him. I’d be happy with him over a mile, but there is a question mark over 2000m. He has stamina in his female line so we are hopeful.”
PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
11h50 Race 1 Mango MR 88 Handicap - 1400m
12h05 Live entertainment - Main Stage in front of the Grandstand.
12h30 Race 2 GrandWest Casino & Entertainment World FM 88 Handicap - 1200m
12h40 Live entertainment - Main Stage in front of the Grandstand.
13h10 Race 3 Schweppes Summer Juvenile Stakes - Listed - 1000m
13h20 The presentation of trophies will take place in the Parade Ring
13h25 Pre-judging for the J&B Met Most Elegant Couple Competition presented by L’Oreal Paris
will take place alongside the Main Stage in front of the Grandstand.
13h50 Race 4 Gold Circle welcomes the World in 2010 Handicap - 1600m
14h00 Live entertainment - Main Stage in front of the Grandstand.
14h30 Race 5 Investec Cape Derby - Grade 1 - 2000m
14h40 The Investec Cape Derby presentation will take place in the Parade Ring
14h45 The J&B Met Most Elegant Couple Competition presented by L’Oreal Paris will take place on the Main Stage.
15h25 Race 6 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes (WFA) - Grade 1 - 1600m
15h35 The Klawervlei Majorca Stakes presentation will take place in the Parade Ring.
15h45 Introduction of J&B Met Jockeys in the Parade Ring.
16h00 J&B Met runners leave the Parade Ring.
16h20 Race 7 J&B MET – GRADE 1 – 2000m
16h30 Victory Canter in front of the Grandstand
16h40 The J&B Met presentation will take place on the Main Stage.
17h15 Race 8 tabGold FM 88 Handicap - 1400m
17h25 Best Dressed Marquee announcement.
18h00 Race 9 Soccer 6 MR 96 Handicap - 1200m
18h10 The draw for the WPOTA Raffle winner will take place in the Parade Ring.
18h45 Race 10 J&B Reserve Stayers - Grade 2 - 2800m
18h55 The presentation of trophies will take place in the Parade Ring.
Photography and Journalism supplied by Gold Circle
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