Variety Club: has an extra two furlongs to travel in Saturday's Cape Derby
PICTURE: Liesl King/ThoroughbredNEWSVariety Club out to quash stamina doubts
Preview: South Africa, Saturday 12.50pm GMT
Kenilworth: Investec Cape Derby (Grade 1) 1m2f, turf, 3yo
VARIETY CLUB, who scotched stamina doubts when winning the Cape Guineas over a mile, has another two furlongs to travel in the Cape Derby.
Runner-up in L'Ormarins Queen's Plate - also run over a mile - Variety Club's trainer Joey Ramsden admitted he was unsure whether his Anton Marcus's mount would stay the extra distance.
He said: "We are going into unknown territory but he is in very good form, better form than he was for the Queen's Plate. I have no opinion about whether he will stay the trip. I will just wait and see."
However many punters have already made up their minds, allowing him to be headed in the market by the progressive Jackson (Brett Crawford/Karis Teetan).
Crawford said: "If the handicapper is right, and Variety Club stays the trip, none of us have a chance. This is a step up for Jackson and his first time against big horses, but he's done nothing wrong and he will get the trip."
Potala Palace (Mike Azzie/Weichong Marwing) has yet to reproduce his top two-year-old form but Azzie is optimistic that he will do so while Mushreq (Mike de Kock/Anthony Delpech) is nearly 7lb better for the four and a half lengths he finished behind Jackson last time.
Also on Saturday
Kenilworth: Klawervlei Majorca Stakes (Grade 1) 1m, turf, 3yo+, fillies and mares (1.35pm GMT)
Covenant (Mike Bass/ Karl Neisius) bids to repeat last year's win and is on song after winning a second successive Sceptre Stakes.
However, her trainer has reservations this time around and said: "She doesn't stay a true mile and everything went right for her in the race last year which enabled her to get it."
Ante-post favourite is Welwitschia (Mike de Kock/Anthony Delpech), who has won three of her last five and was impressive last time out.
However, they may struggle to contain Ebony Flyer (Justin Snaith/Felix Coetzee), who could be a tough nut to crack even though she ran below her best in the Queen's Plate.
Snaith said: "We have freshened her up and she is doing well. She will take some beating."
Trinity House (Joey Ramsden/Anton Marcus) twice chased home Princes Victoria before taking second to Covenant and on that form comes into the reckoning.
Ramsden said: "With her outside draw it's going to be a little bit tricky but there looks plenty of speed in the race."
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