RacingSkillz
Noordhoek Flyer a doubtful starter for Durban July
TRAINER Dean Kannemeyer has reported from his Clairwood satellite base that Noordhoek Flyer showed signs early on Sunday morning of being a little shaken up after his disappointing effort in Saturday’s Daily News 2000.
Kannemeyer said that the handsome chestnut was a little jarred up after also having lost his near-fore shoe in the running of the race. He indicated that the betting public should now exercise caution as the KRA Guineas winner must be considered a doubtful starter for the Vodacom Durban July.
” Having had the opportunity of reassessing the position and after consulting with owner Lady Christene Laidlaw and jockey Karl Neisius, we wish to advise that he must now be considered a doubtful starter for the July. Karl reported that, unlike in the KRA Guineas, where they went fast the whole way, the pace was slowed up during the running of the Daily News 2000.
He nevertheless had him in a good position and after turning for home and having waited for a split, he picked him up but felt that there was nothing there,” said Kannemeyer.
Kannemeyer said that the obvious conclusion to be drawn is that Noordhoek Flyer does not stay a genuine 2000m at this level, and at this stage of his career and that he will thus not stay the 2200m of the Vodacom Durban July. He said that a more realistic option would possibly now be to go the route of the Champions Cup, an 1800m Grade 1 race, three weeks prior to the July.
He would then put the son of Pivotal away for the Cape’s Sizzling Summer Season, where his targets would be the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the J&B Met: ” The Met is run over the easy Kenilworth 2000m and he will then also be a little older. I recall another good horse, Over The Air,trained by my Dad. He was labelled early in his career as a horse who didn’t stay further than 1600m.
He was beaten into second by Welcome Boy in the Cape Guineas and by King Charles in the Cape Derby. He then won the Ascot Summer Sprint run over 1200m in December of his four year old year and ran unplaced in the Met. But he came out as a late four year old and won the 1979 Rothmans July. And we have had others, so we know that horses can develop stamina as they get older,” he said.
Kannemeyer closed by saying that a final decision on Noordhoek Flyer’s short-term plans would in all likelihood be made within 48 hours. He said that the racing public would be kept posted on all relevant developments.
Orignal article by Charl (RacingWeb)
