LINEBACKER LANDS CAPE DERBY

The luckless Linebacker, second in each of his four previous starts, finally claimed his first graded triumph when that Captain Of All sired gelding overcame a wide draw to win the G1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby (2000m) at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Under inform jockey Grant Van Niekerk, the Vaughan Marshall trained gelding overcame a wide draw of 11, and made up for four consecutive second place finishes in graded features, by storming home from off the pace to get up and land the 2021 Cape Derby by a length and a half from stablemate, and favourite, Rascallion.

The latter, himself now placed in five feature races from his last five starts, was a further half length clear of the Justin Snaith trained fancy The Gatekeeper (himself an own brother to former Derby winner Legislate), with the Snaith trained Legislate gelding Hoedspruit taking fourth spot –three lengths off the impressive winner.

Now a winner of two of just six starts, Linebacker provided his jockey with his third feature race success on the card.

Linebacker, runner up in the G1 Cape Racing Presents The Cape last time out, has now won or finished second in each of his six starts, with Saturday’s victory taking his earnings to R761 500.

Bred by Klawervlei, Linebacker had previously finished second in all of the Cape Guineas, G2 Avontuur Estate Concorde Cup, G3 Cape Classic and G3 Beaumont Stud Langerman and was more than deserving of this maiden feature triumph.

His sire Captain Of All went close to enjoying a graded stakes double on Saturday with his son Cartel Captain finishing a creditable third in Saturday’s G2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes.

The well bred Linebacker is out of the Redoute’s Choice daughter Thin Red Line –a winner twice over 1000m and second in the G3 Fillies Mile and Listed Starling Stakes.

Thin Red Line is herself a three-parts sister to the Not A Single Doubt sired G1 winner Samadoubt.

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