Top Lady. The brilliant Beach Beauty is all set for the Paddock Stakes double
A typically high quality field of fillies and mares line up in the R1 million Maine Chance Farms Gr1 Paddock Stakes to be run over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday. The evergreen grand dame Beach Beauty puts her hand up yet again as a likely winner, after scoring a facile victory last year.
The prestigious event has been won by some great equine females over the years and the prestige and value attached to a victory in the race is priceless on any sales catalogue page.
World Class
The sponsors, the Jacobs family of the world renowned Maine Chance Farms, boast a rural farming heritage of over 500 years in Germany, and also have substantial, commercial breeding holdings in Britain.
A perennial Top 10 Stud in South Africa and winners of the SA Breeders Championship title for consecutive years between 1997 and 2002, the families’ investment at Maine Chance Farms and association with 2013 SA Equus Award Champion Sire, Silvano, continue that successful trend.
Double
In the 2013 Paddock Stakes, the Dennis Drier, trained Beach Beauty, ridden by Sean Cormack, cruised up to the leaders and stormed to the front inside the final 250 metres after stalking the speed to beat Jet Aglow. Both are back, but there is plenty of serious opposition to keep these equisite hotshots on their toes.
But the 13 time winning Dynasty mare Beach Beauty looks very difficult to oppose at one of her favourite racecourses. Last time out she ran an excellent third just 1, 55 lengths behind Ice Machine in the Green Point Stakes when cramped early. She received 2,5kgs from Capetown Noir and beat the champion colt by a length. Her well documented record including some excellent performances against outstanding males. far exceeds that of any of her opposition.
Firing
The second of the Drier powerhouse duo is the Jet Master 4yo Jet Aglow, who ran an excellent prep when winning the Gr3 Victress Stakes over the course and distance a month ago.
Last year’s runner up disposed impressively (despite looking beaten at about the 200m) of the talented Hammie’s Hooker in the Victress Stakes and also had Priceless Jewel behind her. Hammie’s Hooker now finds herself 1,5kgs better off.
Geoff Woodruff’s excellent Silvano filly Do You Remember is one of the best 4yo’s around and ran a fair third behind Espumanti in the Ipi Tombe Challenge, after returning from a top third to Heavy Metal in the July. She has not drawn too well at 14, and probably has the Met as her main mission.
Snaith Duo
Justin Snaith saddles a smart coupling of the impressive Gr1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas winner In The Fast Lane and the year older Jet Supreme. In The Fast Lane has won her last three on the trot, including a sensational penultimate effort in the Gr2 Choice Carriers Championship.
She has the likes of Alascan Maiden, Lanner Falcon and Along Came Polly held on her last two. Mike De Kock struck gold in the Diadem with Welwitschia, and he sends out yet another beautiful UK bred here. Espumanti is a daughter of Dansili, and she has an excellent record of 5 wins from 10 starts.
She easily beat Sea Shadow in the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge , and now tries 1800m again for the first time since a tame effort (if we can call 3 lengths off Jackson tame?) in the 2013 Gr1 Champions Cup. She has drawn well at 4 and Anthony Delpech comes to town to ride her.
Bass Trio
Mike Bass saddles a three way coupling of Hammie’s Hooker, Lanner Falcon and Alascan Maiden. All are fit and in form and have natural claims. Hammie’s Hooker has drawn rather nastily at 13, but looked a winner in the Victress Stakes before being outgunned by a rampant Sean Cormack and Jet Aglow. She could turn the tables here on the Drier second stringer.
The two Bass 3yo’s Lanner Falcon and Alascan Maiden are both held by In The Fast Lane, but could have natural improvement to come and are both very consistent. Couple that with some luck in the running, and they are capable of challenging for top honours.
Polly Strike
Gavin Van Zyl’s Judpot filly Along Came Polly will be ridden by Piere Strydom for the first time. She has an extraordinary record of having competed at feature level in all of her six starts, and showed a flicker of her best when running on strongly for third behind In The Fast Lane in the Cape Fillies Guineas.
The Balance
Yogas Govender’s Razzle Dazzle Rose has been rested for 24 weeks since winning a feature on SuperSaturday. She is not well drawn and is likely to need the outing. Vaughan Marshall’s Europe To Africa has modest recent form, and has been abandoned by jockey MJ Byleveld who rides Alascan Maiden for Mike Bass. The game frontrunner Priceless Jewel is a pleasure of a filly to race, as she seldom finishes out of the money.
The daughter of Ashaawes appears well held by Jet Aglow though, and is unlikely to be allowed to dictate the pace. Andrew Fortune is an interesting riding engagement for Paddy Kruyer’s Maximum Jet, who appears to be a few lengths short at this level.
Beauty Bomb
The Paddock Stakes could prove to be a well deserved third Gr1 success for Beach Beauty. She is selected at the expense of In The Fast Lane and the very smart Do You Remember.
