South Australian Cup
The shadow of superfreak mare Magniforma looms large over the marathon turf division. A field of ten runners lines up in Victoria for a chance to step out of her shadow in the Grade One South Australian Cup. The field includes a number of runners who have been bested by Magniforma and one, Yellow Kornsnake, who has beaten the great mare. The race is run over two miles on a firm turf course for a purse of $750,000. Let’s take a look at the field.
#1 Rapaz has seen the backside of Magniforma twice in his last two starts. Two starts back he was second in the Grade Two Fitness Cup by over five lengths – a margin he shortened to a neck when second in the Grade One Ackland Cup. That race showed how strong a closing kick this four year old son of Duke of Marmalade possesses – he ran a career best 113sp. A multiple graded winner last year, were it not for the big mare we would all have Rapaz’s name on our lips this season.
#2 Tizmambo also exits the Ackland Cup in which he finished last. He was also last in his only other start of the year, the Grade One Mr. Met Cap. The five year old son of Tiznow does have a stakes win on his resume from last season, but that race was at a mile and five sixteenths. He was second in the Grade Three Gladiator at two miles and second again in the Grade One King Kong Vase at a mile and one half so he does have back class but recent form is a concern.
#3 Harbour Town has only one start this season, an unplaced run in a listed stakes at a mile and five eighths on January 28th. The five year old son of Red Ransom was a grade three winner last year at that distance but he has never won at two miles before. His best finish was a third place run in an allowance almost a year ago. He has run fresh off a layoff before.
#4 Shine on Through was fifth in the Ackland Cup in his last start. He was seventh in this race last year but third in the 2010 running. The seven year old son of Bel Esprit is a multiple grade one winner including last season’s Spring Cup. It has been donkey’s years since Shine on Through has run a race at less than two miles. The Ackland Cup was his first start since December and he has shown in the past that he can fire big in his second start off a layoff. Hard to count out this quality old timer.
#5 Can I Get Twelve has two starts on the year; he opened the season with a fifth place finish behind Magniforma and Rapaz in the Grade Two Fitness Cup and then shortened up to a mile and seven sixteenths in a listed stakes where he was second. Last year’s Grade One Penn Endurance champion actually made his debut in a two mile turf maiden and his shortest race came at a mile and three eighths. The five year old son of Dynaformer has been very successful with this unorthodox record, he has earned just shy of two million dollars.
#6 Seayouinparadise is the first mare in our field. The four year old daughter of Sea the Stars has made her last four starts at two miles and all of those races were against males. She won an allowance and a listed stakes, finished second in another listed and third in the Grade Three Diamond Stakes in her most recent start. Interestingly she was based on the a-grade Stairwaytoparadise who’s furthest winning distance was one mile.
#7 Dylan Tom N Jerry is the leading money earner in the field with over five million dollars in the bank. He won this race in 2010 and ran fourth in last year’s edition. As might be expected by his bankroll that was only one of his grade one victories but it has been over a year since he reached the winner’s circle in a stakes race. The six year old son of Dylan Thomas did win a two mile allowance race three starts back and while he didn’t win much last year he did finish on the board in several stakes races. He also exits the Ackland Cup, where he finished twelfth.
#8 New Vegas won last year’s Grade Three Dutch St. Leger at a mile and three quarters. He had one more start in the year and then was sidelined for over three months. He returned to the races in February when he earned a career best 111sp while finishing second in a mile and one half allowance race. He ran in another allowance at that same distance and was an easy winner with a 105sp. The four year old son of Medaglia D’oro has only run once at two miles, finishing third in an allowance last August.
#9 Yellow Kornsnake is one of the few to best Magniforma. Yellow Kornsnake won the Grade One Congie Devito Breeders’ Bowl F&M Turf, a race the super mare finished an inexplicable last in. Many have postulated that Magniforma suffered an equipment malfunction in the race but still a win is a win and Yellow Kornsnake earned it. It was her second grade one win in a row, following the Grade One Cannonball Run at a mile and one half. She tried older males in her first post Breeders’ Bowl race, the Grade One Allied Assault and finished third. In two starts this year she has a third in a listed stakes and a second in an allowance. This is the first time running farther than a mile and one half for the four year old daughter of Pivotal.
#10 Jukebox Kid looked invincible last season. The five year old son of Raven’s Pass won ten straight races including the Grade One Gold Glass and the Grade One Millwood Cup, both at two miles. He hiccupped in his final start of the year, finishing third in the Grade One Penn Endurance. And this year he has run into the beast of Magniforma. He was third in both the Fitness Cup and Ackland Cup although unlike Rapaz his losing distance increased instead of decreased. Still he is a very classy horse and could easily establish a new winning streak right here.
Good luck to all!