Two top fillies who fought out the Gauteng Fillies Guineas a month ago clash head on in the R1 million Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic at Turffontein on Saturday. Will the extra 200m make a difference and afford Negroamaro an opportunity to turn the tables on Heaps Of Fun?
Heaps Of Fun beats Negroamaro
The pair were drawn alongside each other at the end of February when S’manga Skhumalo rode a superb race on Sean Tarry’s Heaps Of Fun to hold off the grey from the Janse Van Vuuren yard.
With Heaps Of Fun drawn out at 10 on Saturday and Negroamaro likely to love the extra 200m, we could see a reversal.
Heaps Of Fun came out of the woodwork to win the Gauteng Fillies Guineas at decent odds after a rather disappointing performance at her penultimate start when unplaced in the Three Troikas.
Negroamaro – leading contender
The daughter of Visionaire will have her tail up and Negroamaro will have to be at her best to get the better of her.
Anton Marcus stays with the daughter of Fort Wood who was runner-up to Madame Dubois in the Three Troikas and then lacked the fire to get to the leader in the Fillies Guineas.
If we go back to November, she beat Heaps Of Fun by 4,25 lengths in the Fillies Mile and would need to repeat that to have a big chance of silencing her bridesmaid detractors.
She’s A Dragon completes the Fillies Guineas top four and while two lengths behind Frosty Friday, she has maintained her form well.
The daughter of Jay Peg tries the 1800m for the first time and while she showed plenty of speed (she is out of a Goldkeeper mare) early on, she could grab minor place money again.
Juxtapose ran on well for third behind the now exported Madame Dubois in the Gr3 Three Troikas made no show next time when beaten 4,80 lengths in the Fillies Guineas.
Stan Ferreira’s daughter of Judpot is another who is trying the 1800m for the first time and she is surely capable of running into place money on her best form.
KZN challenger Princess Varunya is back for more after having her colours lowered in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas after a four-run winning spell at home.
Anthony Delpech stays loyal to the Australian-bred who has drawn nicely at 2 and can be expected to improve over the extra ground after possibly finding the mile on the short side.
De Kock Duo
Persian Rug and Noor are the De Kock stable representatives and will provide value in the betting for their supporters –certainly on their current form.
Persian Rug has run on nicely at her last two starts for feature fifths without troubling the judge.
The Mauritzfontein bred daughter of Ideal World may well be a better Oaks prospect than taking on the top four from the Guineas – who do hold her.
Noor won her first two starts overa mile like a filly headed in the right direction.
The daughter of Dynasty was knocked off her pedestal in the Caper Fillies Guineas and then needed it when out the money in the Three Troikas.
She ran a better race in the Acacia Handicap when 1,65 lengths behind Off The Mark last time and is worth considering for a quartet spot.
Witchcraft is Sean Tarry’s well-drawn second stringer.
The daughter of Kahal has won two of her last three starts over the 2000m against much weaker but obviously stays well and is another who could go well in the Oaks.
Geoff Woodruff –
Geoff Woodruff’s coupling of Alexa and Christmas Carol may enjoy the extra test of stamina but will need to make up some ground to challenge.
Alexa had won two of her five starts before going down 4,75 lengths to Heaps Of Fun in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
This well bred daughter of Caesour may prove some place bet value for the minor money.
Her stablemate Christmas Carol is another well-bred galloper from Varsfontein Stud and won three on the trot before running 7,40 lengths off in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
A daughter of Western Winter, her stakes winning dam was successful up to 2400m and she may well be better than rated.
Johan Janse Van Vuuren and Anton Marcus will be keen to get Negroamaro out of the second box and she is the selection to hold the game Heaps Of Fun, with Frosty Friday and the Woodruff coupling to make up the quartet.
Persian Rug and Noor could be best of the rest.
The largely unexposed Polyphonic has drawn wide out and was beaten 6 lengths by Heaps Of Fun in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
We don’t know how good she is yet but she beat the very decent Nother Russia byy 5,50 lengths when making her debut and the daughter of Judpot will appreciate the 1800m test.
