Trainer Dean Kannemeyer holds two trump cards for the Ladbrokes Gold Cup over 3200m on Super Saturday at Greyville this weekend.
Kannemeyer runs the early favourite Blake and In Writing and he says he could not be happier with their respective preparations for the country's premier staying race..
“Blake and In Writing are both carrying a bit of weight, but have both come through their program very well,” said Kannemeyer who won the Gold Cup in 2000 with Colonial Girl.
“I was very happy with their last runs, which were both prep runs. They are sound, doing very well and I couldn't have asked for their preparations to go better.
“I am more than pleased with Blake's prep. I purposely ran him in a race that was too sharp for him on July day and he was running on strongly at the end. He has come through that well and everything is going right.
“He never runs a bad race. He is a better horse than he was six months ago and he stays.”
The five-year-old gelding Blake has had three runs this Champion's Season and has really caught the eye since returning from a four month break.
Second up 2400m he won the G3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup at Greyville that earned him a three point merit rated raise.
He then showed his well being and resolve in his next start when running on strongly for second in the G3 Schweppes 2200m behind the three-year-old Tribal Dance that earned him another two point raise.
Blake has 58.5kg but he has defied the handicapper on many occasions, having won six of his 10 starts since April last year,
In Writing, a six-year-old Argentinian-bred gelding, arrived in Durban on the back of a facile win in the G3 Chairman's Cup over 3200m at Kenilworth, when he was gifted an easy lead in a slow run race.
He had his Champion's Season pipe opener by winning a Pinnacle Stakes race over 2500m at Clairwood, beating last year's Gold Cup winner Aslan.
He then was caught wide and never got into the race in the Betting World 1900 but then went close to winning the G2 Gold Vase over 3000m at Greyville on Durban July day when he stole a big lead at the top of the straight before he was caught late by Seal.
He has to carry 57,5kg, but will be 1kg better off with Seal in the Gold Cup.
“In Writing is in the same class as Blake but he is a bit in-and-out whereas Blake has been much more genuine," Kannemeyer said.
“There is not much between them and, if he puts his best foot forward, In Writing has also got to be a big runner.”
Blake will give his Durban-based part-owner Raymond Deacon a dream double if he wins. Deacon won the Vodacom Durban July with Big City Life in 2009.
Betting for the R1 million G1 Ladbrokes Gold Cup at Greyville:- 9-2 Blake, 5-1 Vettel, 11-2 Gorongosa, 6-1 Kolkata, 10-1 Ilsanpietro, Seal, Sage Throne, 14-1 Captain's Wild, In Writing, 20-1 Princess Of Light, 25-1 Aslan, Soul Master, 40-1 Heyouneverknow, Top Seller, Jeppe's Reef.
