Vino Veritas will be ridden by Piere Strydom
The fairer sex appropriately take centre stage on the national racing programme this weekend with the running of the R125 000 Allez France Handicap over 2200m at Turffontein on Valentine’s Day. Trainer Geoff Woodruff trained last year’s smart 3yo winner Zephira and saddles a quality trio this time round.
The racing gods have not exactly kept the best for the weekend of love!
After months of an indulgent feast of black type racing, we are scraping the barrel somewhat with a token non black-type race as the sun sets on the Cape Summer Of Champions and the Highveld Feature Season peeps its head above the distant horizon.
Wine & Truth
Piere Strydom – could register the double on Vino Veritas
Piere Strydom keeps the ride on Gavin Van Zyl’s Silvano 4yo Vino Veritas, who won a cracker when beating the smart Erin over the 2200m last time.
Vino Veritas has 2kgs more to carry and thus faces a stiffer task. She is a versatile galloper though and Strydom will get the best out of her.
There is only one 3yo in the eleven horse line-up that go to post for what looks an open-looking stamina test.
Jet Set
She is the progressive Ideal World filly Hawker Hurricane who looks set for an Oaks date after two good successive wins and faces her first serious test of ability here.
She beat Wild Ash with authority last time (she is 2,5kgs worse off here) but has no stamina questions over the trip and looks a nice sort in the making.
Weiho Marwing’s Australian-bred Lertasha won her first two races on the trot over much shorter and gets pushed further for the first time in her career.
If she stays, she must have a serious chance of asserting her authority.
Reach Out
Geoff Woodruff saddles the Jet Master 4yo Touch The Sky who lumps topweight of 62 kgs.
She ran on steadily after a six week break when a 2,50 length fourth to Vino Veritas on the Turffontein standside 2200m last time. Touch The Sky is 1,5kgs better off and could confirm her earlier promise.
Smoking
The second of the Woodruff trio is the Dylan Thomas filly Wild Ash who impressed at her first start as a 4yo when running on for second to Hawker Harrier.
Wild Ash is better off at the weights and it is interesting that Gavin Lerena takes the ride.
The lightly raced Miss Rambo is a two time winner and ran on quietly for fourth and 4,50 lengths behind Hawker Hurricane last time.
She drops 5,5kgs in the weights and this gives her some hope.
Frustrating
Mike De Kock – trains Santa Carolina
Mike De Kock has had a frustrating time of it with his beautifully-bred 4yo, Santa Carolina.
The well-related grey is yet to win over any ground of substance and ran handily last time when fading out over 2200m when 3 lengths behind good winner Vino Veritas, in the same race where Touch The Sky finished a half length ahead of her in fourth.
She meets Vino Veritas on 1,5kgs better terms and Touch The Sky on 1kgs better but has not earned in her 4yo term and needs to up her game.
Off To War
Joey Soma’s solid stayer Rodeo Sioux has been given a five week break after a fairly tough year-end campaign.
She pulled up lame, which explained a rare non-earning effort when 16 lengths behind S’il Vous Plait last time and is a mare we would go to war with.
Steve Moffatt’s Dream Galaxy finished a half length behind Lertasha last time over a mile and comes in with a half kilo pull.
She is out of a mare who only won up to a mile and there must be stamina questions on what we have seen thus far.
Unlikely
Lucky Gambler was beaten 7,50 lengths by Hawker Hurricane last time but is 5kgs better off with the Ferraris galloper. The 6yo daughter of Silvano looks to have it all to do here.
Catch A Thief is hopelessly in under sufferance and would, with all due respect, be a shock winner.
Big Earner
Allez France – a champion
Saturday’s Turffontein feature is named in honour of Allez France, a French Thoroughbred Hall of Famer, thought to be the first filly in horseracing history to earn $1 million.
Purchased from her Kentucky breeder by French art dealer Daniel Wildenstein, she became his first important horse and the spur for his substantial investment in racehorses and bloodstock. For his horses in France, Wildenstein operated Dayton Investments Limited. For those in the United States, he owned the Allez France Stables.
During her racing career from age two to five, Allez France was the preeminent filly in France. In 1974, under new trainer Angel Penna, Sr, she went undefeated and won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, France’s most prestigious horse race. She was crowned French Horse of the Year
