Fiery! The Kahal filly Festival Of Fire should go very close in the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge
Trainer Mike De Kock looks set to make it a record-breaking historic fourth straight win in Saturday’s R300 000 Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge. The Champion trainer sends a three way coupling to post and there is precious little to choose between the unbeaten grey Rumya, and the impeccably consistent Festival Of Fire.
The winner’s honour roll of a race that pays tribute to one of the greatest mares ever, includes famous De Kock brand names like Mother Russia(2009), Gibraltar Blue (2010) and Horse Of The Year, Igugu in 2011. And he looks to hold the golden key again this year.
Wide Out
While drawn worst of the lot at 10, the classy Festival Of Fire looks to have an excellent opportunity of adding to her impressive career scorecard of 4 wins from 5 starts.
The daughter of Kahal steps up 200m to the mile for the first time in her life, but her relaxed racing style and powerful turn of foot suggest that she will graduate with distinction.
Well weighted to win the Joburg Spring F&M Challenge over 1400m in early October, she stepped up to her next challenge a month later by winning the Starling Stakes beating Blueridge Mountain by a half length.
Festival Of Fire was being spoken about by her trainer as a potential Cape Fillies Guineas candidate, and while that route seems unlikely now, it does suggest volumes of the esteem in which she is held.
Unbeaten – De Kock’s New Zealand-bred Rumya looks like something special
Slippers
The New Zealand-bred grey Rumya came straight out of her dazzling win in the Golden Slipper on July Day to contest a Graduation Plate last Tuesday evening at Turffontein. Obviously needing the outing after an 18 week rest, she showed fight and courage to hold the smart two – time Amber Orchid to a short head.
Rumya also had subsequent Gr1 Thekwini Stakes and Choice Carriers Championship winner All Is Secret comprehensively beaten by 6,35 lengths in the Golden Slipper, which makes the formline look even more sturdy.
Amur Affair is the third De Kock runner and the lowest rated of the three. The daughter of Tiger Ridge ran a fair third behind Rumya last week and is a half kilo better of for a 1,75 length beating. Rumya just appears to have so much more scope and a reversal looks unlikely.
Arrow
Sean Tarry’s Gold Bracelet winner Happy Archer has not run since that superb Super Saturday win at Greyville where she accounted for Checcetti by a short head in a memorable home run duel that had the crowds on their feet.
The Robbie Sage filly Kalami ran a terrific prep under the lights at Turffontein last Tuesday evening.
The daughter of Daylami was outpaced in that 1160m event, before staying on well in the latter stages to finish just out of the money. She had gotten up with a sustained rails run to beat Louvre over the 1400m by 0,75 lengths. She received 4kgs from Louvre there and now meets her at level weights.
The powerful front-running Without Malice is always a danger if things go her way, and she meets Festival Of Fire on 6kgs better terms than when being beaten 2,50 lengths in the Joburg Spring F&M Challenge.
A winner of 7 of her 29 starts, George Scott’s Jet Master mare also has a 9,5kg turnaround with Enchanted Kingdom on their Yellowwood meeting, where she went down narrowly. That could be a dealmaker over 200m shorter here.
Frustration
Trainer Leon Erasmus and jockey Sherman Brown are having a frustrating time of it as the gallant grey filly Go Indigo battles to reach the levels of her 3yo form that saw her win the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the Three Troikas.
Go Indigo will have to improve on her Joburg Spring Challenge and her 8,50 lengths behind in the Yellowwood Handicap, where she was reported coughing.
The Yellowwood Handicap winner Enchanted Kingdom is holding her form well suddenly and she dashed through late after being slow away to get within 1,50 lengths of Wagner last time. She had the likes of Yer-Maan, Perana and Roman Wall well beaten in the MR 94 Handicap. Enchanted Kingdom jumps from the best of the draw and must have a chance of maintaining her recent improvement.
Demands
Weiho Marwing’s Doowaley mare Louvre travelled to Scottsville to record her fifth win in a Conditions Plate three weeks ago. She beat Put The Kettle On by 2,50 lengths and had the Group-placed Felix The Cat beaten by 4,85 lengths at level weights.
The consistent Demanding Lady meets Festival On Fire on 5kgs better terms than their Joburg Spring Challenge F&M clash, where she went a 1,25 length second. That would give Lucky Houdalakis’ filly an undeniable chance and as a course and distance winner, she knows her way around.
Fire
While Happy Archer is the proven older classy mare in the race, the De Kock pair of Rumya and Festival Of Fire look likely to fight it out based on current fitness and recent form.
The more experienced Festival Of Fire is our choice to beat the exciting import, Rumya. But it could well go the other way around.
