Keagan de Melo is taking the view that tapping into potential might be what’s needed to win the G2 South African Derby at Turffontein on Saturday, in a year when the line-up doesn’t feature a standout colt.
De Melo – four months back in his homeland after returning from Hong Kong – will partner one such prospect in the 2450m contest: Sword Speed for trainer Alyson Wright. The colt has raced only four times for two wins heading into this last leg of the Triple Crown, which is one of six Group races on the day.
“He’s a nice horse and he’s a nice type of horse for the future,” De Melo told Idol Horse. “At the ratings, he probably doesn’t have a chance, but the Derby comes around only once in a while (for owners and trainers) and I think they’ve got to take their chances. He’s a horse that stays and I don’t think the colts in this renewal of the Derby are particularly strong.”
The field has certainly been weakened by the absence of Grand Empire and Trust. That pair was first and second in the G1 SA Classic – the second leg – last month but will instead take on older horses in the G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge, the race before the Derby.
But then there’s the filly in the 13-horse field, the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Curious Girl. She has been successful four times from six starts including her latest three. She is already a 2400m winner, too, and scored in the 2000m Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial last time, but she tackles the Derby rather than the Oaks 35 minutes later.
“I think they’re going for the colts’ race thinking that it’s not as strong as the fillies’ race. That’s my belief,” De Melo said.
Along with the Weichong Marwing-trained Diogenes, Curious Girl and Sword Speed are the only last-start winners heading into the Derby. Sword Speed sealed his spot in the field with a 1950m win shouldering just 51kg under Mickaelle Michel, having been sixth at a mile for de Melo the time before when carrying a 61.5kg burden.
“Sword Speed is still very immature but he seems to have quite a nice nature in a race and he carried quite a bit of weight when I rode him so I elected to go back on him and let him run on,” De Melo said. “Then last time he had no weight on his back, so when I spoke to Mickaelle I said before the race to just go forward because he’s got a lovely action and he quickens. When he can go a trip and quicken off a good speed, it really helps as well.
“I think in this race you just need a good horse that stays and he seems to be staying at the moment, and maturing at the right rate. He’s showing signs that he’s good enough to take his part, so whether he’s good enough on the day, we’ll have to wait and see.”
De Melo endured a tough, winless first three months of the current Hong Kong season before opting in late November to leave, despite nailing the G3 Premier Cup last term among 12 wins. He was back with a win on his first race day in South Africa, December 5, then had another lean run as he found his feet again, but rattled off a three-timer two weeks later and was named as the retained jockey for prominent owner Laurence Wernars.
“I learnt a hell of a lot in Hong Kong,” the former South African champion said. “You learn about different pace in the race and you’ve got to be sharper. So, coming back to South Africa, that experience definitely helps you out and I can see why a lot of people say when you leave Hong Kong, you leave a better rider. You probably think a little bit more in a race.”
De Melo has rides in each of Saturday’s Group 1 features including the Irish import The Equator in the G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge, Mount Pinatubo in the G1 Computaform Sprint, and Callmegetrix in the G1 Empress Club Stakes.
Callmegetrix faces Cape Town’s star mare Double Grand Slam fresh off a win in the G1 Majorca Stakes at Kenilworth.
“Double Grand Slam is probably going to be hard to beat on her Group 1 form,” De Melo said. “Callmegetrix, at the ratings, we’ll be hoping to run a place. She hasn’t really stepped it up to Group 1 potential as yet, but she’s holding her form quite nicely.”
He has another horse relying on potential in the G2 South African Oaks, Daisy Jones, a filly that was fourth last time behind likely favourite Hazy Dazy in the G1 SA Fillies’ Classic.
“We don’t know if she’s going to stay, but her running pattern seems to suggest that if you give her a small chance, she’ll stay, and we’re not really sure how many of the horses in the race will actually stay,” De Melo said.
“Hopefully there’s a true pace and we can test the stamina. I think she was forced to probably go a little bit earlier than she wanted to last time and she stayed on rather than quickened, so hopefully with a genuine pace you can put speed into effect later in the race.
“Things are going well at the moment. I’ve got a good strike rate and I’m riding for one of the biggest owners, so I’m proud of that.
“It took a little bit of time to break back in,” he added. “But the ball seems to be rolling quite nicely now.” ∎
