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The G2 Selangor Cup, one of the leading trials for the Cape Guineas, is one of three feature races to be run at Kenilworth’s stand alone meeting this Saturday.
Recent Selangor Cup winners who have gone on to land the Guineas include Jay Peg, Le Drakkar, Express Way and Act Of War.
It is hard to look past brilliant G3 Cape Classic hero Table Bay.The Redoute’s Choice colt, who will be bidding to provide trainer Joey Ramsden with a fifth win in the Selangor Cup in the last six years, is rated 7kg clear of his rivals and looks impossible to oppose on paper.
Impeccably bred, Table Bay’s dam is a half-sister to globetrotting G1 winning sprinter Cape Of Good Hope.He has done nothing wrong, with his four wins from six outings including the Cape Classic and G3 Langerman. He will jump from a plum draw in two.
Mike de Kock will saddle another well-bred Australian in the form of Al Fahad who, like Table Bay, is a son of triple Australian champion sire Redoute’s Choice.Unbeaten in two outings, Al Fahad will be making his Cape debut and is rated 14lb inferior to the favourite but is lightly raced and could be better than rated.
He did account for subsequent G3 Graham Beck Stakes hero Doosra when winning on debut and Al Fahad could provide an interesting guide to the quality of Gauteng 3yos in this race.Al Fahad is one of two undefeated 3yos in this line up with Justin Snaith set to saddle the other, African Night Sky.
Out of a stakes winning daughter of former US champion sire Cozzene, African Night Sky has looked impressive in posting two wins from as many outings but has no less than 20lbs to find with Table Bay at the official ratings but also could be better than rated.His stable mate Cock-A-Hoop takes a big step up in class here, having won in Port Elizabeth last time out, and perhaps should be best watched here.
Table Bay’s stable mate A New Dawn is held in high regard and impressed last time out but has plenty to find even if this well related colt clearly has plenty of potential.William Longsword, one of four in the Selangor Cup for owners Mayfair Speculators, has been most impressive having won three of four outings.
The regally bred colt is a half-brother to G1 winner Real Princess and could not have been more impressive last time out when he skated home to beat older rivals under a big weight.He could well provide Table Bay with some opposition even if he is another who is out at the ratings.
Glen Kotzen saddles recent Listed winner Gold Standard but he faces a tough task and more is needed to deal with the likes of Table Bay, Al Fahad, and William Longsword.The likes of Edict Of Nantes and Our Mate Art both look to have plenty of work to do on their runs behind Table Bay in the Cape Classic while The Slade looks outclassed.