A trio of big gun visitors adds plenty of sparkle and interest into the mix as they clash with a quality local challenge in the R1 million Maine Chance Farms Gr1 Paddock Stakes to be run over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Smart Call – just getting better and better and has first Cape run
The likes of Joburg-based Smart Call and Pine Princess, and the KZN queen Same Jurisdiction will test the local ladies headed by the bang in-form Bass stable star Inara, who steps up off an excellent prep in a bid to join the double club of racers who have won the race twice.
Inara got up in a dramatic finish to narrowly beat the Joburg challenger Athina in 2014, and besides homeground advantage, she has a wide draw to overcome.
Same Jurisdiction – great prep but a poor draw
Topping our list of likely winners is the Duncan Howells stable star Same Jurisdiction, who looks primed to fire after two prep runs in the Mother City.
Same Jurisdiction failed to show at her first start when outpaced behind Triptique in the 1200m Merchants, but then turned it on impressively to beat Fear Not and Inara in a Conditions race over the Kenilworth 1400m three weeks back.
Inara was a well beaten 3,35 lengths behind Same Jurisdiction there and meets the KZN filly on 2kgs worse terms.
Gr1 Paddock Stakes winner Inara
A dual Gr1 winner, Same Jurisdiction may also hold Smart Call on their Garden Province Stakes clash where the two fought out the finish with Same Jurisdiction getting the upper hand to win by a length.
Alec Laird has targetted Saturday’s feature for some months for Smart Call and the daughter of Ideal World has come to the party beautifully since a slow start in a Pinnacle Stakes.
She has since won her last two in convincing fashion – with the former outing a smart win in the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge
A fact that must weigh fairly nicely in Smart Call’s favour is that she is well drawn – unlike her major opposition and if she takes to the left-handed track must rank as a major factor.
The dual Gr1 winner Inara is one of the most underrated fillies of her generation and goes for a double in this race.
The 2015 Diana Stakes winner has had a near perfect prep and even though slightly flat footed behind Same Jurisdiction last time, and now 2kgs worse off, is bound to strip at peak readiness come Saturday.
Pine Princess is another quality raider.
Pine Princess ends Siren’s Call Triple Tiara dreams
The daughter of Captain Al chased Smart Call home last time and has 2kgs to find for a 2 length beating.
She is drawn wide at 13 and the fact that regular rider Delpech opts to ride Bela-Bela for the Snaiths, suggests she may not be ready to win a race of this nature.
Ma Choix won a sensational race in the Victress Stakes last month over Saturday’s course and distance when beating Harlem Shake 3,75 lengths and is back for more.
The daughter of Choisir had more than half of Saturday’s line-up behind her.
That form is all well and good in isolation but that was a particularly unique race given the great ride by Brandon Lerena on the winner – and also the traffic issues encountered by a few of the field as the ‘sheep’ went to the outside up the home straight.
Gallica Rose – no luck in Victress but better off here
Joey Ramsden’s Gallica Rose is 2kgs better off and was beaten 5,60 lengths after stumbling at the start.
Cat And The Moon is 1,5kgs better off for a 7,95 length walloping and was held up for a run between the 300m and 200m.
Come Fly With Me was cramped for galloping room on the outside running rail and a well beaten 7,15 lengths back.
Zante was beaten 9,45 lengths after having to ease in the straight.
But the biggest hard luck story of the lot was the Adam Marcus trained Crystal Cavern.
She was held up for a clear run between the 350m and 250m and when switched out for a clear run became awkwardly placed on the heels of the Kannemeyer trained Indaba, whereafter she was continually baulked to the finish.
The daughter of Horse Chestnut is a late run merchant who is inclined to find trouble – don’t leave her out of the quartets.
Moonsong Magic managed to stay out of trouble and finished with a rattle to run a 4,35 length fourth. She is 1,5kgs better off with Ma Choix.
Besides Cat And The Moon, Justin Snaith has three other runners in the race.
Acrostar was well beaten without excuse (except a wide draw) in the Victress and she should battle to make the six lengths up.
Justin Snaith – unexposed duo
Two underexposed well-bred 3yo’s catch the eye and could be Snaith aces.
Bela-Bela has the pole position gate and after winning her first two starts, she ran a flat race when 6 lengths back in the Fillies Guineas.
Piere Strydom rides the Silvano filly Star Express has won 3 from 5 and has her first dip in the big league.
They must both be included in bigger permutations.
It looks like a three corned interprovincial clash between the class of Same Jurisdiction, the big galloping Smart Call and local hope Inara.
Suggesting preferences would be based more on emotion than anything else.
