De Grendel Cape Merchants Day – Crawford Racing Runners

RACE 6 – Hope & Dreams Stud Class 3 ((Open Benchmark at 60kg) = 96)) – 1600M

SOLAR POWER

Age:     6 (at last run)

Sex:      g

M/Rating:          97 (at last run)

Owner:               Mesdames G MacGregor, D Nagle & D J Sherrell & Estate Late Mr B L Rae

Breeder:            Klawervlei Stud

Trainer:               B/J Crawford

Breeding:          Dynasty – Egyptian Sky (IRE) by Fastnet Rock (AUS)

       

Solar Power’s form, on the face of it, seems inconsistent. However, when you dig a little deeper the form is relatively consistent. When he runs in a graded race or high merit rated race, he’s form is not as good as when he runs in a handicap race where the top Merit rated horse is under 100.

Since he has returned from his ill-fated trip to Gauteng, he has run five times in a Handicap race, finishing out of the top five only once, and that run was at Durbanville. At Kenilworth he has finished in the top 5 on all the other occasions, including a win in August over the Kenilworth 1400M beating the highly rated Snaith pair of Future Turn and Innamorare.

 

 

Solar Power powers to victory at Kenilworth

His two subsequent runs where he ran downfield was in the Listed Settlers Trophy over a distance of 2000M at Durbanville (which was too far) and the Grade three Cape Mile but in-between those in a MR 96 handicap he finished fourth, just over two lengths behind Aspect over 1600M at Kenilworth racecourse. On Sunday, Solar Power returns to his favourite course, over his preferred distance.

He jumps from barrier two and has the services of in form Kabelo Matsunyane in the saddle. He has also switched to the Class 3 MR 96 benchmark handicap and is currently trading at 14/1 in the betting. He is the second highest merit rated horse in the field and if he comes back to his best after his run in the Grade three Cape Mile last mile, he is a very good value bet in a very open race.

 

RACE 6 – Hope & Dreams Stud Class 3 ((Open Benchmark at 60kg) = 96)) – 1600M

WILLIE JOHN

Age:     4 (at last run)

Sex:      g

M/Rating:          86 (at last run)

Owner:               Mesdames A M Doyle & Paul Shanahan, Mr B Kantor & Klawervlei Stud (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr J P Koster)

Breeder:            Klawervlei Stud

Trainer:               B/J Crawford

Breeding:          William Longsword – Polar Trip by Trippi (USA)

  

Willie John has only won one race but has a unusually high merit rating of 86 for a horse that has run fifteen times. He did show great promise early in his career, breaking his Maiden at his third racecourse appearance, beating Call To Unite at Durbanville over 1600M. He was given a merit rating of 88 after that Maiden win, which he maintained that ratinguntil he ran in the Grade One Splashout Cape Derby over 2000M at Kenilworth Racecourse, finishing just under six lengths off the  highly rated Green with Envy. After that run his merit rating was at 98, a high merit rating for a one time winner.

His form since then has been fair, but he showed a return to his best form after been given a rest in October 2024, running a good third to the Adam Marcus trained Oliver over 1400M at the tight Durbanville track. His next run he was supported in the betting when hitting the rail and dislodging his jockey Gareth Wright in the process as the field was taking the bend coming into the straight.

The vet reported that the horse only had a small abrasion on his knee, which was good news for the stable and owners. His next run was even better than his first run after the rest, running on strongly over the Kenilworth 1400M finishing just over a half a length off stable companion Big Unit in a Class 3 (open benchmark MR 96) handicap in November.

 

 

Willie John runs a close third to Big Unit

 

 

He was just behind midfield as the field turned for home and accelerated smartly as the gaps opened in the stretch, running on strongly all the way to to the line to finish a close up third.

His last run was below par when on leaving the stalls he jumped outwards, losing momentum which necessitated him to drop to the back of the field. He made up some ground in the stretch depsite making his run down the inside of the straight course, finishing just over eight lengths off the winner.

On Sunday, despite jumping from barrier seven, he will have the length of the long straight of the Summer Course to wind up fully under the professional and strong urgings of Richard Fourie. Richard will make the correct decisions as the gaps open, and should be closer to the pace as the field enters the stretch. If he reproduces the run to Green With Envy in the Grade One with a good galloping weight of 54.5kg and a master tactician in the saddle, he will be in the firing line when the whips are cracking in the last 200M.

 

RACE 7 – De Grendel Cape Merchants (Grade 2) – 1200M

SURJAY

Age:     6 (at last run)

Sex:      g

M/Rating:          124 (at last run)

Owner:               Mrs S Viljoen

Breeder:            Estate Late Dr R J Antrobus

Trainer:               B/J Crawford

Breeding:          Vercingetorix – Something Of Value by Badger Land (USA)

Colours:            

Surjay is a warrior. The six-year-old gelding, who was having his 26^th run in the Grade One Mercury Sprint on Gold Cup Day at Greyville, was primed and ready to give his all to give Louis Mxothwa his first Grade 1 victory for the season. It was a brilliant ride by Louis, tracking the pace one horse wide around the turn and then making his run down the centre of the racetrack which allowed Surjay to surge, peg back the frontrunners and get first run on the favourite.

 

 

Surjay storms to victory in the 2024 Gr 1 Mercury Sprint

Surjay was given a well-deserved rest after his Grade one victory, coming back to the racetrack at Durbanville in October, running a very courageous fifth over 1400M to the veery good filly from the Glen Kotzen stable, Rascova. He then ran in the Grade two Green Point Stakes over 1600M in the soft, finishing just over four lengths off his stablemate, the Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Oriental Charm.

The 1200M is his absolute forte, and he reverts to this distance on Sunday in the Grade 2 Merchants, where he finished a close up third last year with a merit rating of 119. His Grade One win has pushed up his rating to a 124, and he therefore has to shoulder the welter burden of 63kg in the feature race on Sunday. He has only run out of the first three twice in the eleven attempts he has run over the distance and being the warrior that he is, with a good draw of two and Kabelo in the saddle, he will be giving his all in the last 200M on Sunday.

 

RACE 7 – De Grendel Cape Merchants (Grade 2) – 1200M

AT MY COMMAND

Age:     5 (at last run)

Sex:      g

M/Rating:          119 (at last run)

Owner:               Khaya Stables (Pty) Ltd

Breeder:            Varsfontein Stud

Trainer:               B/J Crawford

Breeding:          Querari (GER) – Imperious Girl by National Emblem

 

At My Command’s run in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint at Scottsville Racecourse was a brilliant run (he’s the third nose from the left in the above picture). He had raced very well over the middle distances in graded races, but now that he reverted to a Grade 1 sprint race, he could not go with the sprinters early in the piece.

However, as his motor kicked in halfway down the straight, he was seen weaving in and out of the traffic running on strongly in the last 200M. It can be argued that if Craig Zackey (who has retained the ride on Sunday) had not ridden him with a loose rein in the last 50M he could have had enough in hand to beat the winner of the race, Lucky Lad (the fourth nose from the left in the below picture).

 

 

At My Command in the GR1 Golden Horse Sprint

At My Command has run three times since that run . running in the Grade Two Post Merchants (1200M at Greyville racing from a horrendous 13 draw, where he ran a very good second to the Lucinda Woodruff inmate, Café Culture.  Café Culture had the run of the race from a one draw and under the expert guidance of Richard Fourie. Next up was the Grade One Mercury Sprint running a very good fifth, just over a length off stable companion Surjay.

The third run was back in Cape Town, running a good third to Vaughan Marshalls budding One World superstar Questioning in the Grade 3 Kuda Matchem Stakes over 1400M at the tight Durbanville circuit . He carried upwards of 60 kilograms in all of those Features, running very good races in all three races.The 1200M at Kenilworth is notorious for it’s uphill climb before the finish, therefore testing the horses combination of speed and endurance simultaneously.

At My Command has both in abundance, is drawn at 14 in a field of 20, has the services of the in form Craig Zackey to guide him, and is back on his home track. The son of Querari comes into this race having many of the boxes required to win this race being ticked, and given a good run in transit should be one of the leading contenders for top honours come Sunday afternoon at 4pm. 

 

RACE 7 – De Grendel Cape Merchants (Grade 2) – 1200M

MUFASA

Age:      6 (at last run)

Sex:      g

M/Rating:          105 (at last run)

Owner:               Messrs J F & L M F Wernars, H Willson & Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Dr W A & Mrs N Jacobs)

Breeder:             Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd

Trainer:               B/J Crawford

Breeding:           What A Winter – Magical Miss by Al Mufti (USA)

 

Mufasa is very talented. When a horse runs less than a half a length off multiple graded winners Thunderstruck  and Isivumgavunga then the owners know that they own a very good horse. He is lightly raced for a six year old, and prefers the good going in the summer months as opposed to the softer going when the rains come. In 2023, he reeled off a hat trick of wins in good going at Durbanville and Kenilworth racecourses respectively, in the process pushing up his merit rating from a 91 to a 99.

Another win in at Durbanville in September saw him raise his bat in merit rating terms. Then came the third place to Thunderstruck and Isivungavunga over 1000M in the Winchester Sprint Cup. The former went on to win three races since that win, the latter went on a widely publicised globetrotting adventure. In January of 2024, Mufasa ran a very good race to finish just over three lengths off multiple Grade One winner Dyce, in the Cape Flying Chapionships, carrying level weights.

His last run was a very good fourth place to the highly rated Vaughan Marshall inmate Questioning in a Cape Sales Stakes. He raced down the middle of the course throughout, quickening well as they approached 200M just fading in the last 50M to finish well in fourth.

On Sunday he he runs over the tough Kenilworth 1200M, he has an outside draw of 16, and comes off a 32 week layoff. However, if he runs to his best form to Dyce, Thunderstruck and Isivungavunga from that longish layoff, especially with promising lightweight Mpumekeki Mjoka in the saddle and a massive drop in weight (he was carrying 60kg in most of his previous races) to a very handy galloping weight of 53.5kg.

With that drop in weight, and him continuing to mature, he might be a very good value bet in this very competitive Grade 2 race. At 35/1 in the betting, he might be the horse that makes the quartet pay on Sunday.

 

 

 

RACE 8 – Klavervlei Stud Class 4 (Benchmark at 60kg = 80) – 1400M

MIRACULOUS

Age:      3 (at last run)

Sex:      f

M/Rating:          83 (at last run)

Owner:               Mr P M Murugasa

Breeder:             Ridgemont Highlands

Trainer:               B/J Crawford

Breeding:           Rafeef (AUS) – Variety Star by Var (USA)

 

Miraculous is a filly whose star is on the rise. After running in her debut at Durbanville whe she flew up late in her second start to run second to the Justin Snaith Swiatek. She confirmed that improvement at her third start running on strongly over the Kenilworth 1200M when backed off the boards and duly obliging for her owners the Murugasa Family.

From an outside draw of ten Louis Mxothwa had her handy as they approached the 400M, he lengthened the rein and she responded well to finsih powerfully to win by more than a length beating the highy rated Engelfield Green. The field that she beat has produced three seconds and a winner in their subsequent runs, so that could be a formline to continue following.

 

 

 Miraculous lengthens beautifully to break her Maiden

Her next run was in a MR 80 benchmark handicap, where she jumped a stride slow, then tugged all the way down the back stretch, cornering four wide. She came into the straight just behind midfield but continued to gallop all the way to the line finishing fourth to Family Power.

Swiatek ran a good second finishing three lengths ahead of Miraculous who was in receipt of a half a kilo. The meet again on Sunday with Miraculous this time in receipt of 2.5 kilograms, and theoretically should finish a lot closer to the ante post favourite for Race 8, especially if she receives a more relaxed run in transit around the Kenilworth circuit.

In addition, she has the length of the Kenilworth Summer Course straight to negotiate a passage in the last 400M and the expertise of Kabelo Matsunyane to guide her. She seems like a filly that would apprecaite the longer stretch, and if she continues to improve as she matures, she should be a big runner for the Murugassa Family on Sunday afternoon.