Futura bursts clear in J&B Met

With the withdrawal of early race favorite Legislate (Dynasty) just three

days before the race, Saturday's J&B Met (SAf-G1) was billed as a showdown

between Queen's Plate (SAf-G1) winner Futura (Dynasty) and South African Triple

Crown hero Louis the King (Black Minnaloushe). While that duel never truly

materialized, Futura nonetheless provided the thrilling finish the large and

vibrant Kenilworth crowd had been waiting for.

Traveling midpack in the two path behind a docile pace, Futura and jockey

Bernard Fayd'Herbe opted for an inside route as the field swung into the

straight. Futura burst to the lead between runners in deep stretch as Louis the

King began to toil under pressure, and the bay drew clear to a decisive 2

1/4-length score over the seven-year-old Gold Onyx (Black Minnaloushe), with the

pacesetting Helderberg Blue (Jet Master) sticking on for third. Louis the King

checked in sixth.

"This horse has just done everything right," trainer Brett Crawford, who was

winning his second Met, told SportingPost.co.za. "It is his third Grade 1 win in

11 starts. Those horses don't come by often in our lifetimes. Thanks to the

owners and the team. A great effort."

The winner of five of his seven starts through the end of his three-year-old

campaign last year, Futura was third in his group-race debut in the Cup Trial

(SAf-G3) at Clairwood in June. Third behind Legislate when trying Group 1

company for the first time in the Durban July, Futura bounced back to take the

Champions Cup (SAf-G1) at Greyville July 26. Put away for a winter holiday,

Futura checked in third behind Legislate in his four-year-old debut in the 

Green Point S. (SAf-G2) here November 22, and was coming into this prestigious

event after picking up his second Group 1 in the Queen's Plate over Louis the

King three weeks ago.

Earlier on J&B Met Day, Ertijaal (Hard Spun) slammed the odds-on Act of War

(Dynasty) in the Cape Derby (SAf-G1). Ertijaal, an Australian homebred for

Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell Stud, has faced a number of hurdles in his short career

but has overcome each one, and in just 65 days he has made four starts, going

from maiden to Group 1 winner.

Prior to any of that, however, Ertijaal had to endure colic surgery shortly

after arriving from Australia. The chestnut therefore lost time and was put on

the fast track to make this summer feature. A smart 7 3/4-length winner on debut

over the Polytrack at Greyville November 28, Ertijaal widened the margin to 8

1/4 lengths when taking a Turffontein handicap over this about 1 1/4-mile trip

December 21. The decision was only a half-length when Ertijaal was dropped back

to about 1 1/8 miles for the Sea Cottage S. at Turffontein January 11, but he

left no doubts about his authority Saturday.

Ertijaal was allowed to bowl along on an uncontested lead with Cape Guineas

(SAf-G1) winner Act of War on his heels on the rail. Act of War looked briefly

as if he would deliver a threat as the field straightened for home, but

Ertijaal's stamina saw out, and he promptly drew away from that rival and the

rest to a facile score.

While trainer Mike de Kock was still in Dubai two days after saddling

Vercingetorix (Silvano) to win the Al Rashidiya (UAE-G2), Shadwell's Angus Gold

was on hand at Kenilworth, and he paid credit to the trainer's team.

"The de Kock team deserve a huge credit for bringing him back only 18 months

after being so ill," Gold told SportingPost.co.za.

Ertijaal is a half to another Shadwell Australia homebred in Mushreq (Flying

Spur), who campaigned in South Africa prior to shipping to Dubai to win the 2013

Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2). It is no secret that Sheikh Hamdan likes to see his

best South African runners race in Dubai, so it would not be a surprise to see

Ertijaal carnival-bound next year.

Inara (Trippi), victorious when facing elders for the first time in the

Paddock S. (SAf-G1) going about 1 1/8 miles here January 10, was up just in time

to make it a Group 1 double in the Majorca. Midpack while racing on the fence

early, she worked her way through an opening on the rail as the field turned

into the straight. She was forced to call on all her reserves when Cold As Ice

(Western Winter) drew even, but Inara prevailed in a photo finish.

The Mike Bass filly finished third at about six furlongs over this course on

debut last May, and the homebred put it all together in her second and final

start as a juvenile when graduating over the same course and distance June 3.

Inara failed to fire, checking in sixth, when stepped up to allowance company in

her sophomore debut here September 6, but she put in a much-improved effort when

second when stepped up to this trip at Durbanville October 11. Fourth when

dropped back to about seven furlongs for the Choice Carriers Championship

(SAf-G2) November 8, Inara was second only to the highly regarded

Majmu(Redoute's Choice) over this track and trip December 6.

Australia

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Vancouver (Medaglia d'Oro) assumed favoritism for

the March 21 Golden Slipper (Aus-G1) after running his unbeaten record to two in

the Canonbury S. (Aus-G3) at Rosehill Saturday.

Vancouver earned "TDN Rising Star" status when winning the listed Breeders'

Plate, the spring's most important event for juvenile colts, on debut October 4,

and he is now the $7 (6-1) Slipper choice on Sportsbet.com.au. Second in the

betting at $9 (8-1) is another "TDN Rising Star," the Godolphin homebred filly

Ottoman (Exceed and Excel), who won on debut at Rosehill December 20.

Outpaced at the start of Saturday's 1,200-meter event, Vancouver was about

five lengths off the lead in the early stages but gradually made up ground while

wide approaching the turn. Swinging four wide in the six-horse field at the top

of the lane, Vancouver responded to left-handed encouragement from Tommy Berry

with an explosive kick. He outgunned the front-running Outreach (Exceed and

Excel), a full-brother to 2013 Golden Slipper winner Overreach, by a

three-quarters of a length despite racing a bit green in the closing stages.

It was later revealed that Outreach suffered a fractured pelvis.

After the race, Waterhouse was drawing comparisons between Vancouver and her

2012 Slipper winner and two-year-old Triple Crown victor Pierro.

"You just can't beat the spring form and he showed in the Breeders Plate how

good he is," Waterhouse told RacingNetwork.com.au. "He is the most exciting colt

since Pierro, and he actually looks a bit like him too."

Berry was not aboard Vancouver for his debut win, but he was the pilot when

the dark bay finished fourth in a Randwick trial January 15.

"He works as good as any horse that Gai has and when he trialed poor I was

starting to doubt myself," Berry told RacingNetwork.com.au. "But then I went

back and looked at his tapes and he only does what he has too. I didn't hit him

in the trial and today when I did he really responded."

An A$185,000 purchase by Gai Waterhouse and agent James Harron from Coolmore

Stud at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Vancouver is out of

the Danehill mare Skates, and was bred by John Camilleri's Fairway

Thoroughbreds.

Camilleri enjoyed a banner day Saturday, with his homebred two-year-old filly

Fireworks (Snitzel) taking the Widden S. (Aus-G3) later on the card for trainer

Gerald Ryan. The Widden has produced the last two Slipper winners.

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