In Form. Mike De Kock’s smart Gr1 Woolavington winner Viva Maria makes her Cape debut and must be one for the shortlist
The top class Beach Beauty gets the opportunity to avenge her 2012 defeat, when she contests the R1 million Gr1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes run over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday.
In a highly debated race decimated by the late withdrawal of Igugu, Thunder Dance got the upper hand over Beach Beauty last year, and the two clash head-on again in a private duel.
Drier Flyer. Premier Trophy winner Beach Beauty will be tough to beat in Saturday’s Gr1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes
Streetwise
A year older now and just a little more streetwise, Beach Beauty looks the business.
And with a large field this time round, it is unlikely that secondary factors such as pace will be argued during the post-race tears.
The Paddock Stakes is a race that every breeder wants to win and this leading fillies and mares weight for age event is indeed the blue riband for any prospective broodmare.
The race, sponsored for the first time by top Cape breeders Maine Chance Farms, has attracted a strong field of fifteen fillies and mares, including a visiting contingent of four – and it is this quartet that could well hold the key to the outcome.
Dennis Drier, Sean Tarry and Mike De Kock are the visiting trainers that appear to hold the upper hand and it is Drier’s daughter of Dynasty, Beach Beauty, that jumps out of the page every time.
The Greyville 1900 winner had a pipe-opener in the Cape Merchants at her opening run in the Cape, before bouncing out and putting a strong field to the sword in the Gr2 Calulo Services Premier Trophy a month ago.
Beach Beauty beat serious Queen’s Plate contender Run For It by 1,25 lengths in receipt of a half kilo, and she had the likes of subsequent Peninsula Handicap third placed Black Wing beaten 6 lengths.
With the Met just three weeks away, Beach Beauty will not be far off her peak as she goes into this race, and they will have to gallop to beat her.
Deadly Combination! Piere Strydom and Sean Tarry team up with Happy Archer for Saturday’s Gr1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes
Dangers
Who are her major threats?
Sean Tarry travels down with the Dubawi mare Happy Archer, who has drawn one gate outside of Beach Beauty, but has the services of Piere Strydom to negate that.
The top-class Australian-bred racer has won 7 of her 24 starts and ran a rare below-par race last time when fading out in a Conditions Plate over 1800m at Turffontein when running 7,0 lengths behind Ilha Bela. That was quite disappointing after her good third in the Ipi Tombe two weeks earlier.
As a multiple Gr1 winner, Happy Archer always warrants consideration.
Viva
Mike De Kock and Anthony Delpech have had a relatively quiet season down South, other than Rumya’s Fillies Guineas win and they come to the Mother City with Flamboyant Stakes winner Viva Maria lining up in the Lammerskraal silks.
Mike De Kock’s assistant trainer Nathan Kotzen declared this week that the yard hoped to have the versatile Gr1 Woolavington winner Viva Maria ‘cherry ripe’ for the Paddock Stakes.
The daughter of Jet Master travelled from Durban to Cape Town in midweek and after needing her penultimate start, won a cracker from gun to tape in the Flamboyant Stakes on New Year’s Day.
Viva Maria has won five of ten starts and is a workmanlike sort who stays very well.
Stripes
Beach Beauty’s stablemate Bambina Stripes is an interesting runner.
Besides the booking of SA Champion jockey Anton Marcus, the SA Fillies Classic winner has had no luck since dumping her jockey in the 2012 KZN Fillies Guineas.
Her four subsequent runs have produced no fireworks, but the two placed efforts indicate that she is edging her way back to fitness.
Bambina Stripes won two races down in the Cape last season, and even from a 14 draw is a filly with a powerful turn of foot who could shock on Saturday. She remains our first choice dark horse.
Dark Horse. Glen Kotzen’s Jet Aglow looks better than rated and should enjoy the 1800m Paddock Stakes test off a good pace
Kotzen Coupling
Glen Kotzen despatches Beloved Betty and Jet Aglow, and both warrant consideration.
The 4yo Beloved Betty is only a two time winner from her 14 starts, but has placed regularly when bumping feature company.
The daughter of Spectrum flew late in the Victress Stakes last time to get within a short head of Razzle Dazzle Rose, and had run fifth at her previous start to Hill Fifty Four in the Algoa Cup. That form is looking very strong after the Marshall horse won Saturday’s Peninsula Handicap.
Jet Aglow is one of only two 3yo’s in the race, and the daughter of Jet Master ran a great race when storming through for third and just 1,90 lengths off Rumya in the Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas last time.
Grant Van Niekerk knows her well, and from a good draw, she will be right amongst the action on that excellent last effort.
Unlucky
Vaughan Marshall’s Dubai Gina has yet to win beyond Listed stakes level, but the Australian-bred daughter of Dubai Destination is placed at Gr1 level and no slouch.
She was touted as very unlucky when encountering traffic problems when flying late for a 0,6 length third behind Razzle Dazzle Rose in the Victress Stakes. She achieved that from a 10 from 14 draw, and has the paint here – which could work in her favour.
The problem with her racing style is that she is always likely to encounter traffic in those rush hour moments, and MJ Byleveld will have to bear this in mind when strategizing. Whether Dubai Gina can run handier is another question entirely.
Brett Crawford sends out a powerful coupling of Frequent Flyer and the year younger Thunder Dance, who won this race last year.
Frequent Flyer is drawn 2 and will be ridden by Karl Neisius, who won on her at her penultimate start.
A versatile winner of 6 of her 19 starts, Frequent Flyer placed consistently against the best of her sex during the 2012 Champions Season and found the winner’s enclosure at her first start back in action.
She won that mile conditions plate by a half length and gave Cash Register two kgs in the process. The latter went on to run a cracker fifth in last Saturday’s Gr2 Peninsula Handicap behind Hill Fifty Four, which makes the form very attractive.
Thunder Dance won the Paddock Stakes off a slow pace last year, and has only had four starts since.
Her most recent start was her best of the four, as she came storming home to win the Jet Master Stakes beating a field of males, that included four of Saturday’s Queen’s Plate contenders.
Thrive
Mike Bass’ Fillies Nursery winner Hammie’s Hooker appeared to thrive on the challenge of going a mile for the first time at her last start.
And impressive that effort certainly was , as she stormed though late to get within under a half length of the undefeated multiple Gr1 winner Rumya in the Avontuur Fillies Guineas.
Hammie’s Hooker would only need to repeat her last effort to have a big shout here, and as a 3yo she gets between 5 and 6 kgs from the older ladies
The Victress Stakes winner Razzle Dazzle Rose has pulled the widest draw of all , and this factor can only count against her connection’s hopes of breaking into the big league.
Razzle Dazzle Rose showed great courage to win the Victress , and while she had the run of the race from her rails draw, she was bumped at a crucial time and showed character to win it.
She had also won her previous outing when beating Dubai Gina in receipt of 7kgs over the course and distance, and could struggle to hold the Marshall filly again.
Traveller
Trainer Greg Ennion has often touted his Rock Of Giibraltar filly Europe To Africa as fillies feature material, but she is yet to deliver the goods.
Europe To Africa was baulked early when running a no show tenth and 6,60 lengths behind Razzle Dazzle Rose in the Victress Stakes. At her penultimate start over the course and distance, she ran the East Cape Derby winner Tribal Dance to a 1,45 length third, and while she was receiving 3,5kgs from the big fellow, that run was not half bad.
Europe To Africa will be ridden by Robbie Fradd again and could run into the places with some luck in running.
Inconsistent
Piet Steyn’s Diana Stakes winner Super Elegant ran fourth and just over two lengths behind Thunder Dance in this race last year.
The daughter of Daylami is slightly inconsistent, but ran a fair race at her last start when cramped but still finding the gaps late to run on for sixth and just under a length behind Razzle Dazzle Rose in the Victress Stakes.
A repeat of that effort by Super Elegant from a decent draw here, marks her as a serious place contender.
Justin Snaith’s coupling of Cause To Believe and Alvilda are both capable on their day, but may be outclassed here when measured against the better girls.
Cause To Believe showed pace before dropping away to a 7,10 length eleventh place finish in the Victress Stakes. She was unplaced in her penultimate start in fillies handicap company, but won her previous race by seven lengths, thanks to an innovative ride. This really should be too tough for her.
The East Cape Oaks winner Alvilda is a year younger than her stablemate, and has won 3 of her last 7 starts at feature level in the Eastern Cape. Felix Coetzee partners her here, but she also faded out in the Victress Stakes and will need to improve dramatically to win this.
Have A Ball
Based on her overall form profile and her performances against the boys, Beach Beauty looks the right first choice here. Her recent win in the Calulo Services Premier Trophy was full of merit and she won’t be an easy mare to peg back.
Her stablemate Bambina Stripes could be the lurker with Anton Marcus up, while the visitors Happy Archer and Viva Maria won’t be pushovers.
Then there are the two smart 3yo’s Hammie’s Hooker and Jet Aglow. They both ran good races in the Avontuur Fillies Guineas.
An interesting contest, but Beach Beauty gets our vote with the Met on the horizon.
