Igugu: is hot favourite to land coveted Durban July-J & B Met double
PICTURE: www.goldcircle.co.zaIgugu favourite to give De Kock a third J & B
Preview: South Africa, Saturday 2.30pm GMT
Kenilworth: J & B Met (Grade 1) 1m2f, turf, 3yo+
HORSE OF THE YEAR Igugu (Mike de Kock/Anthony Delpech) is hot favourite to complete the Durban July-J & B Met double in Cape Town's racing highlight of the year at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Despite her five-day respiratory infection hold-up earlier in the month and her trainer's concerns about the filly having to be housed in the on-course quarantine station, she is expected to take the beating.
Only four horses in the past 75 years have succeeded in winning both of South Africa's biggest races but for much of that time the Met was a handicap.
Now it is a weight-for-age race with a 2kg (4.4lb) penalty for Grade 1 winners and this should make it easier for the brilliant four-year-old, who is 6-5 with both Betting World and Hollywoodbets.net. LadbrokesSouth Africa, though, have been fielding against her and were offering 2.29-1 at lunchtime on Friday.
De Kock, bidding for his third Met win but his firstfor 12 years, said: "That five-day hold-up is not ideal but I am happy with her and she looks very well."
Mike de Kock: prep not ideal
PICTURE: Liesl King / ThoroughbredNEWSShe is expected to have to make much of her own running but De Kock is not worried and added: "It's what she wants and I think it's going to be a slowly-run race because everybody will be waiting for her."
South Africa's champion trainer also runs Ilsanpietro (Weichong Marwing), who was regarded as more of a stayer until his good Summer Cup run.
He added: "I decided to go for this rather than the J & B Reserve Stayers on the same card because he has proved he can do the trip. He has a good chance."
Official handicap ratings put Queen's Plate winner Gimmethegreenlight (Justin Snaith/ Piere Strydom) and Tales Of Bravery (Vaughan Marshall/M.J.Byleveld) level with the favourite.
No three-year-old has won this for 12 years and Gimmethegreenlight is not bred to get the trip. His sire More Tan Ready gained his biggest win over seven furlongs and dam's sire Canny Lad was a sprinter.
But Snaith said: "I'm not worried about the trip and his work on Tuesday was as impressive as it was before the Queen's Plate, if not better."
Of Tales Of Bravery, Marshall said: "The way Tales Of Bravery has been running this season would suggest that he is looking for this ten furlongs. He would have won the Queen's Plate had it been over nine. His 15 draw is what we have to worry about."
Top weight Bravura (Joey Ramsden/Anton Marcus) has been backed this week and is now as short as 7-1 second-favourite.
Ramsden said: "He is doing exceptionally well but it is going to be very tough for him to be competitive with that two kilo penalty."
First-time blinkered The Apache (Gavin van Zyl/Raymond Danielson) and Beach Beauty (Dennis Drier/Alec Forbes) are also expected to go well.
Comments