Put Her On Your Wish List.
Monday 02 March, 2026Few fillies have attempted, never mind won, the Cape Derby but Wish List became the first this century to do so with an emphatic victory in the historic Kenilworth contest.
She quickened from midfield with a smooth run down the rail to win easing up. The winning time of 126.3 seconds with a closing sectional of 23.8 seconds translates into a speed figure of 106, a point higher than what she achieved when winning the G1 Paddock Stakes a month ago. Note to Self s/s 105 closed bravely for second spot. He is one to follow as well.
Wish List is trained by Justin Snaith and was ridden with calm assurance by Richard Fourie, who also partnered Questioning to success in the G2 Diadem Stakes.
Vaughan Marshall’s runner is classy, consistent and versatile. He has performed admirably from stiff sprints up to a mile. Alert punters noted his demolition job in the Matchem and an outstanding effort in the King’s Plate when pipped by The Real Prince, backing Questioning heavily into favorite.
After racing closer than usual to the pace cut out by O’Tenikwa, he quickened past that foe before drawing clear in a dominant display. It was worthy of an excellent speed score of 111.
Des McLachlan and Grant van Niekerk have been in deadly form recently and they took out the Jet Master Stakes with Jet Force s/s 103. It was a close-run thing as he came from last to nab I Salute You, Zeitz and Gallic Dream in a rain-spattered, thriller.
Earlier, Princess of Gaul won a false run Prix du Cap which went very slow early, then fast late. She dashed through a 22.37 second come home fraction to thwart Stormwatch. Dean Kannemeyer trains & Craig Zackey rode the valuable daughter of Vercingetorix.
Red Spice won the Cape Nursery with a speed fig of 92 – a fine effort by a juvenile. He snuck through a narrow gap down the inner to catch Glen Kotzen’s two outsiders, Roskilde and Lady Nancy with strongly supported Querari Dancer arriving too late on the scene for a close fourth. Red Spice is trained by Piet and Elbert Steyn. Keagan de Melo gave the son of Erik the Red a fabulous ride.
Steyn reported that stable star, Garrix is likely to head off to Hong Kong. It will be interesting to see how he fares there. His best South African performance of 107 recorded in the Green Point Stakes would make him competitive, assuming he acclimatizes and copes fine with the very different Far East environment.
