Raider. The fast Var filly Lunar Moon travels to Fairview for Friday’s Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery
Justin Snaith may have found the right race for his Var filly Lunar Moon, who travels from Cape Town to face just two other winners in Friday’s R130 000 East Cape Fillies Nursery to be run over 1200m at Fairview.
The nine horse field of 2yo fillies is dominated by lightly raced maidens, so the chances of an upset result cannot be discounted.The Justin Snaith yard have proven spot on in recent months with their Cape based runners picking the juicy plums.
Lunar Moons is all Snaith.Trained by Justin, she is part owned by his brother Jonathan in partnership with Bryn Ressell and Ettiene Braun and was bred by Snaith Racing, out of a Captain Al filly they trained.
Their runner Lunar Moon ran an excellent fifth in the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes on Met Day, and could well be the right one if staying the extra 200m.
Supported
Lunar Moon won a smart debut over the Kenilworth 1000m in early January, when she was well supported into favourite and got the better of subsequent Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes winner Only Emily by a length. That was a solid opening effort as she was bumped in running, but showed heart and guts when staying on to win.
She then came out on Met Day, and showed toe again, when staying on in mixed company for a 2,85 length fifth behind the improved Only Emily. The latter turned the tables in receipt of a 3kg weight turnaround.
Lunar Moon’s dam won up to 2000m, and while she appears to have inherited her speed from her sire, she could be ridden with more restraint over the extra 200m. Bernard Fayd’herbe travels up from Cape Town to ride her.
Shadow
The one man standing in Snaith’s way is Alan Greeff, who has four runners, with the winners Winter Fantasy and Yoshie standing out. A daughter OF Western Winter, Winter Fantasy, ran second on debut behind Yoshie over 800m, and then won going away by 5,50 lengths beating Bursary. MJ Byleveld, who would have had first call of the four Greeff runners rides her, and she should enjoy the extra 200m of this event.
Her stablemate Yoshie is a speedy daughter of Highlands stallion Antonius Pius, who beat Winter Fantasy on her first start over 800m and then came out over 1100m to be beaten by Giant’s Niece Technically Yoshie holds Winter Fantasy on that debut effort, but Winter Fantasy can only be a tougher proposition over the extra 400m on Friday.
Bolognese Dancer looks likely to need some ground on breeding, and pulled up lame on a very weak debut a fortnight ago. She would have to improve considerably to even have place aspirations here.
The last of the Greeff quartet is the A.P. Arrow filly Free Flight who managed to finish five lengths ahead of Bolgnese Dancer on her debut when running green.
Smith Coupling
Gavin Smith’s coupling of Natural Beauty and Royal Jester, will both need to show improvement. Natural Beauty ran sixth on debut behind Giant’s Niece, and was beaten 3 lengths by Yoshie. She could be held again by that one.
Royal Jester is the jointly most experienced filly in the race , but after a fair third on debut, looks well held by both Yoshie and Winter Fantasy on her subsequent two runs.
Study Hard
Jacques Strydom’s Bursary caught they on debut, when flying up late to run third behind Follow The Tiger over the Arlington 1000m. She then ran a slightly flatter effort, when running 3,75 lengths behind Yoshie next time. Her third run was a 5,50 length second to Winter Fantasy.
So Bursary, while showing flickers of promising ability, looks held by the Greeff runners. Rhumba Beat has run once and found no betting support when finishing 12,50 behind Winter Fantasy, whom he meets on 4kgs better terms here. That appears insufficient to reverse the pecking order.
Dealbreaker
The 1200m test could be the dealbreaker for the fillies with purely natural blitzing speed. Winter Fantasy is the one most likely to enjoy the extra 200m, and she seems the genuine top choice.
She will have most to fear from Lunar Moon, who makes her Eastern Cape debut and ran right on the fringes in the strong juvenile Listed feature on Met day. Yoshie has done little wrong in her two career runs, and could be the major threat to the top two.
