Beach Beauty – Weighted to score
A R1M purchase from the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale back in 2009, Igugu had a year never to be forgotten last season and it was undoubtedly her presence that saw the prestigious Gr1 Paddock Stakes receive just eleven entries, only seven of which initially stood their ground. Sadly for Cape Town racegoers though, the already legendary daughter of world champion stallion Gallileo was withdrawn by trainer Mike De Kock on Monday as she was coughing, writes Steve Furnish.
Beach Beauty
Without Igugu then the best in at the weights of the remaining six is the Dennis Drier trained Beach Beauty. This daughter of Dynasty also went from strength to strength last season, and after winning over the minimum distance on debut, she went on to win six of her eight starts. She was finishing stronger than the winner when only tasting defeat for the second time in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on July Day and she did then prove that she will get every inch of today’s trip when picking up the Gr2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m at Greyville on the final day of the season. A little surprisingly she has been beaten in both starts in this campaign, but she has undoubtedly been coming to hand. Beach Beauty has her third run after the rest here and clearly targeted at this race looks sure to fight it out.
We Three
The only coupling in the race is that of Justin Snaith. He saddles both We Three and last season’s winner of this event Emerald Cove.
The Silvano mare We Three has in the main been very consistent and four of her five career wins have been gained over distances either side of today’s 1800m. She was finishing as well as anything when running on to finish fourth to her stable companion in this event last season and having her third run of the campaign here, she should be at her peak. A bold effort can be expected, but she does face a very stiff task at the weights here and once again a place in the Quartet looks to be her best hope.
Emerald Cove won this race last season.
Emerald Cove
The Captain Al Filly Emerald Cove had placed behind her very highly regarded stable companion Ebony Flyer in both the Gr2 Odessa Championship and Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas coming into this race last season, but it was still a surprise (10/1 out to 20/1) when she beat Igugu’s stable companion Flirtation to land first prize. Flirtation on the other hand had just won the Summer Cup and was sent off a well supported favourite at 17/10. Emerald Cove was taken to Natal after finishing fourth in the Gr1 Majorca Stakes in her next start, but in all four outings she was beaten by either Igugu or Beach Beauty. She’s been taking on the boys in her three starts in this campaign and although she has again failed to win, she has put in some very creditable performances and has clearly been coming to hand.
Hollywoodboulevard
Formerly with Charles Laird in Gauteng, Hollywoodboulevard suddenly took off early last season and after becoming the first of just two horses ever to have beaten the mighty Igugu, she went on to win four in a row. Igugu reversed the form in no uncertain terms when they met in both the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Fillies Classic though and Hollywoodboulevard was then not seen out until finishing fourth to Ebony Flyer in the Gr3 Diana Stakes over 1400m at Durbanville in October. This daughter of Street Cry then looked to be coming to hand when finishing closer to Ebony Flyer in her penultimate start, but sadly was reported as not striding out when finishing last of ten behind Super Elegant in the Victress Stakes over today’s course and distance last time out. She would undoubtedly be thereabouts if finding her best form, but one is not quite sure what to expect here.
Super Elegant
A bit of an enigma, Super Elegant commands a very nice turn of foot on her day and is clearly better than her current record of three wins from ten outings would suggest. She was fairly flying at the finish when only beaten a length by Trinity House in the Fillies Nursery last season and she was again running on very nicely from off the pace when third to State Blue on her seasonal debut over 1200m in the Champagne Stakes. After a run of six outings without a win Super Elegant has come to hand very nicely in recent starts and she showed her appreciation for the extra ground last time out when running on strongly late to beat Beach Beauty over today’s course and distance. One of just two 3yo’s in the race Super Elegant has plenty of scope for further improvement and should be right there.
Thunder Dance
The most lightly raced runner in the field is the 3yo Thunder Dance. She won her next two starts with authority after being given a typically gentle introduction to racing on debut and then did very well indeed to get within 2,5 lengths of the champion filly Princess Victoria in both the Fillies Championship and Fillies Guineas. She again won well when dropped considerably in class last time out and although she faces a very stiff task at the weights here, she could still improve enough to make the frame.
About The Pace
With no out and out front runners in the field and just six runners going to post, there has to be a chance that this prestigious event will fall foul of the dreaded Cape crawl. The name Igugu means “Jewel” in Zulu and already seemingly priceless, Mike De Kock’s charge would surely have had this race at her mercy. Most likely to fight it out now though are Super Elegant, Beach Beauty and last year’s winner Emerald Cove. Beach Beauty beat Emerald Cove fair and square on the same terms as those of today’s, when winning the Gr2 Gold Bracelet by two lengths in July and she does now have a 4kg pull at the weights with Super Elegant who beat her by just three quarters of a length last time out. She gets the vote.
