Third Time Lucky For Legal Eagle?

The G1 Sun Met at Kenilworth on Saturday will be run for the first time as a weight for age race and a field of 18 will go to post for the 2000m contest, which carries prizemoney of R5-million ($420,600/£295,766/€338,500). Last year's winner Whisky Baron (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}) will not attempt to defend his crown but the 2017 runner-up Legal Eagle (SAf) (Grey Inn) bids to go one better in a race that he has finished second in the last two years. The 6-year-old appears to have lost none of his dash as his last-out victory in the G1 L'Ormarins Queen's Plate over a mile at Kenilworth on Jan. 6 attests. That was his third victory in the race and although there are some who believe the Sean Tarry-trained gelding is best over that trip, he did win the G1 S A Derby over 12 furlongs at Turffontein as a 3-year-old, so Saturday's intermediate trip should hold no fears. Legal Eagle is the market leader after drawing stall 15 and will have regular pilot Anton Marcus aboard. Sean Tarry's assistant Monique Mansour has been overseeing the Horse of the Year's training at Milnerton Training Centre in Cape Town and after a gentle workout on Thursday morning she said, “He's such an easy horse to do anything with, he almost trains himself.” Legal Eagle will need luck in running if he is to come from off the pace but Mansour said she doesn't think tactics will prove crucial on Saturday. “He's a very adaptable horse, you can ride him anywhere in a race and if any horse can overcome a poor draw it's him.”

Last time out in the Queen's Plate Legal Eagle had a number of Saturday's opponents behind him including the Brett Crawford pair of Captain America (SAf) (Captain Al {SAf}) and Sail South (SAf) (Sail From Seattle), who finished third and fourth, respectively. Also re-opposing is the Queen's Plate runner-up Copper Force (SAf) (Royal Air Force {SAf}), who forms part of a five-strong challenge from trainer Justin Snaith, which also includes this month's G1 Cartier Paddock S. winner Oh Susanna (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). While Drakenstein Stud's homebred 3-year-old filly may not be quite street wise enough for such a rough and tumble test, a significant weight allowance of up to 8.5kg from many of her rivals brings her right into the reckoning.

Trainer Candice Bass-Robinson became the first female trainer to win the G1 Durban July courtesy of Marinaresco (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}) last year and that horse will aim to make another similar piece of history on Saturday. However, the 5-year-old has seen the back of Legal Eagle on a number of occasions and although the step back up to 2000m is in his favour a career best is required for win purposes. Bass-Robinson has two other contenders in the filly Nightingale (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}), who won the G1 Majorca S. on the same card last year, and the 4-year-old colt Horizon (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}).

Last Winter (SAf) (Western Winter) is an intriguing contender as he represents potential over proven top-class form; however, the barrier gods have not been kind, with Dean Kannemeyer's colt set to jump from stall 20. Last Winter is a lightly raced 4-year-old who was unbeaten in his first four starts before his first attempt at graded stakes level in the G2 Forus Premier Trophy over 1800m at Kenilworth in December. He was only narrowly beaten into second on that occasion by Milton (SAf) (Lateral {GB}), who admittedly did not exactly boost the form when finishing down the field on his next start. However, there is a lot to like about Last Winter's relatively unexposed profile. In addition to a wide draw Last Winter will also have to adapt to a new jockey, but Kannemeyer thinks Piere Strydom has the experience to negate an unfavourable draw. “The top jockeys have a knack of getting out of awkward situations. It is a Group 1, there is a big field and I expect the pace to be on. It will be a true run race–that's all we really want in the top races–and I expect Piere will drop him out and we hope to get a bit of luck in the straight,” Kannemeyer told the Sporting Post.

Having nominated three runners, Mike de Kock is now down to one with both the Irish-bred filly Cascapedia (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Heavenly Blue (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) scratched from the field, thus leaving Nother Russia (SAf) (Tiger Ridge) as the trainer's only representative. Announcing the news on Twitter on Thursday de Kock said, “Both horses travelled badly from Johannesburg, we tried our best with them but we've had no option. They are under veterinary care overseen by Dr John McVeigh and both will rest until recovery.” De Kock's sole starter Nother Russia certainly knows how to win, having gotten her head in front when it matters on seven of her 13 starts including at the highest level when she won the G1 Empress Club S. at Turffontein last April. She appears held by Oh Susanna, however, on her last-out fourth in the Paddock S.