Saturday’s (February 26) nine-race card at Kenilworth is littered with seven feature races. It is headlined by the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby (Race 6) over 2000m, where veteran rider Anton Marcus and champion trainer Justin Snaith look likely to steal the show with a feature-race double each at the meeting.
The pair team up in the main event with Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative, who ran a blinder in the Cape Met over the same course and distance of the Derby.
Snaith’s charge, owned by race sponsor Nic Jonsson, was the only three-year-old in the Met line-up and more than held his own, going down just 1.70 lengths to Kommetdieding – with multiple Grade 1 winners Linebacker and Jet Dark sandwiched in between.
That performance earned Double Superlative a 12-point hike in his rating to a current mark of 125, which makes him the highest-rated (thus best-weighted) runner in the Derby field. He’ll be hard to beat if reproducing that form.
Marcus was aboard Double Superlative in the Guineas and again in the Met so, unsurprisingly, he retains the ride.
Snaith-trained Equus Champion Sprinter of last season Rio Querari had his colours lowered in the Met-day Cape Flying Championship, a Grade 1 sprint over 1000m where his saddle slipped badly. But he should prove too good for his rivals when he reverts to 1200m in the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes (Race 5) – a race he won 12 months ago, when hardly raising a sweat.
Marcus rides for his nephew, trainer Adam Marcus, in the Grade 3 Vaso Prix Du Cap (Race 7) over 1400m. He partners consistent Flower Alley filly Princess Calla who is unbeaten over the distance and boasts solid recent form credentials at Grade 1 level behind superstar filly Captain’s Ransom.
As the top-rated runner in the race, Princess Calla is favourably treated by the conditions and should be rewarded for her consistency with an overdue fourth career success.
Clive Robinson
