Cape Kidnappers could go to Sydney for the Autumn

A string of quality Queensland horses have been making their mark over the past few weeks and the Kelly Schweida trained Cape Kidnappers is the latest galloper to add to that list.

To be fair he originally burst onto the scene down on the Gold Coast back in June but it wasn’t until Melbourne Cup Day at Eagle Farm that we got a really good look at just what this gelding can produce.

Once again it was only moderate opposition that he faced but after putting six lengths on them people took note.

That was over 1000m in a class three handicap following on from his maiden victory earlier in the year.

On that day on a slow Gold Coast surface across 1100m Cape Kidnappers blitzed the maiden field by just short of eight lengths.

Whatever the opposition it still takes a quality horse to win by those kind of margins and Schweida knows he could be on to on here.

It wasn’t always the case though, in fact the trainer says as a track worker he’d struggle to win a maiden in Warwick.

“On the track he’s awful, you could work him with a maiden and he’d get beaten,” he said.

He tried to play down the Gold Coast win after the race but it’s hard to keep playing the horse down now.

“It wasn’t a strong field and the track was a little bit rain affected but the sectionals were quite good,” he said.

He says there was no telling of what will come next for the horse as on the training track he’s as docile as ever.

“He’s hard to get a guide on, I worked him with a two year old the other day and he beat him a head,” he said.

On race days though he’s a whole new animal and his explosive attitude is apparent right from the gates.

“He pings the lids and gets running quickly,” he said.

“He’s got very good speed…we’ve rode him back in a  little jump out too and he found that alright.”

Schweida will play a patient game with Cape Kidnappers over the next little while but all going to plan he’ll get his chance at black type level early next year.

“If he performs like we think he would there’s a race for him in Sydney in the autumn,” he said.