The talented Entisaar
The Australian-bred Entisaar was crowned Champion 2yo filly at the Highveld Feature Season awards last Saturday evening. The daughter of More Than Ready looks nicely poised, with her stablemate Shaama, to give Mike De Kock an Allan Robertson double after the outstanding Alboran Sea won the race last year.
The lack of exposure and reference to collateral form, coupled with dramatic natural improvement capabilities makes this race a tough one to analyse.
One is naturally thus swayed by past performance and power combinations. And on that front De Kock is as good a point as any to begin with.
He saddles a powerful Aussie coupling of Entisaar and the Redoute’s Choice filly Shaama.
Both have feature exposure and there could have been little in it when Anthony Delpech made his decision to ride SA Nursery runner-up Shaama.
She won a heavily backed debut in facile fashion and was then thrown into the deep when lining up against the boys in the Gr1 SA Nursery on Champions Day.
Showing plenty of toe and courage, she was only beaten a length by the superior speed of Dominic Zaki’s Arabian Beat at his best.
On that same day, Entisaar came rattling back to her best and won the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery beating Frosted Flakes 2,50 lengths.
Mella Maria, Speedy Suzie and Nomvula were way behind her.
Glen Kotzen faces one of those headaches that any trainer loves to suffer from. Which one of my two speedy 2yo fillies is the better?
Greg Cheyne – holds the key in terms of ride choice?
There can be little to choose between Captain Al’s daughter Princess Royal and the undefeated Visionaire flyer, Royal Pleasure.
One man who could hold the key is Greg Cheyne, who has ridden both in races.
Deductions suggest that Cheyne is siding with Princess Royal, a half-sister to champion Princess Victoria and a smart winner of 2 races from 4 starts.
They have only clashed once – that being in the Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes over 100m shorter than Saturday’s race. Royal Pleasure beat her stablemate by two lengths, but there were excuses as Princess Royal was hemmed in on the rail late in the race.
When it comes to the invaluable measure of experience, Royal Pleasure is the only runner in th contest to have won thrice at Scottsville.
Sean Tarry – expecting a good day
Sean Tarry and Raymond Danielson team up with the Dynasty filly Swift Sarah, a 6 length debut winner at Turffontein at end April.
This quality sort is the typically unexposed poser than can throw a spanner in the works in these baby races.
Mike Azzie has enjoyed some success on this big day and he brings a raiding coupling of La Strada and Mella Maria to the KZN capital.
La Strada beat Seven Rainbows at her third start last time in a workriders race, but has the benefit of a 1 draw and the services of form jockey Gavin Lerena.
Mella Maria is held by Entisaar.
Doug Campbell’s Visionaire filly Lala was a runaway winner on debut over the Greyville 1200m.
She followed that up when beaten seven lengths by Royal Pleasure in the Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes and at level weights, she should battle on Saturday.
Robbie Sage travels from Gauteng with recent debut winner Madame Dubois.
The daughter of Count Dubois beat Faberge Style by three lengths on her Vaal 1000m debut and is generally impossible to assess at this early point. The fact that Piere Strydom jumps aboard is a natural flag that she may be worth including.
Paul Peter’s Judpot filly Miracle Rising is still a maiden and has placed second at three of her five outings.
She ran on well to get within 0,75 lengths of Royal Pleasure in the Strelitzia Stakes but has to make up a 4kg swing at the weights. That said, she looks likely to enjoy the extra ground.
Corne Spies saddles a fast coupling of Nomvula and Speedy Suzy.
Fanie Chambers steers Speedy Suzy to a good win in the Pretty Polly
The latter appeals more as she dethroned Entisaar with a smart win in the Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes at her penultimate start. The De Kock filly did turn the tables in emphatic style in the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery though and whether Speedy Suzy will be suited to Scottsville is a moot point.
Her stablemate Nomvula ran 10,40 lengths back in the Fillies Nursery and looks held by anyone that really counts.
Johan Janse Van Vuuren has drawn at 17 with his Lecture filly Pacifica, a nice sort who ran fourth in the Listed Ruffian Stakes on a 40-1 debut.
She finished a length ahead of Mella Maria there and subsequently needed two runs to shed her maiden – over the Vaal 1200m last time.
Her running style looks likely to be suited to the track and although the draw is a concern, she is obviously highly thought of and worth including.
Roy’s Goddess won her maiden over the course and distance at her penultimate run and the received 2kgs when beaten 5,25 lengths by Rpyal Pleasure in the Strelitzia Stakes. She is held on that.
Wendy Whitehead’s Vampirella was backed to win her Scottsville 1000m debut, which she duly did when beating Tide Is Turning. She was scratched in early May with a back muscle strain and if recovered from that and running fit, could be just about anything.
Little In It
It would be folly to discount the Glen Kotzen coupling of two very capable fillies as well as Sean Tarry’s smart debut winner Swift Sarah.
But De Kock is the master and the Australian-breds have been firing on all cylinders.
Entisaar is selected to hold Shaama with Princess Royal and Royal Pleasure fighting over the place spoils.
