Visionaire filly Takingthepeace made a champagne arrival in the racing big league amid a show of emotion and thrills for her young owners when winning the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas early last month. She owes her connections nothing as she takes her next step up the ladder at Turffontein today.
Joy! The winning connections celebrate.on Guineas Day
A R280 000 buy, Takingthepeace took her earnings to over R800 000 on that memorable afternoon with her whole career still ahead of her. She hasn’t pulled the happiest of draws as she steps up 200m to Gr1 level today – but her handful of supporters would have grown to an army come race-time! She now needs to up her game again.
The Gr3 Fillies Mile winner Folk Dance flies at the top of the SP ratings and her form is mostly exemplary. She pulled up distressed after her running on 2,60 length fourth to Takingthepeace last time. On her best form she must go close and this trip could be the tonic.
Folk Dance tops the ratings
KZN visitor Flichity By Farr has won her last two starts and beat subsequent Aquanaut Handicap winner Tambalang last time. The latter ran a fair – albeit unspectacular – race in the Gr2 Colorado King Stakes last Saturday.
Takingthepeace stablemate Silver Thursday will be ridden by Anthony Delpech after going down a quarter length in the Guineas. Silver Thursday will be a better and fitter horse here as that run came after her Cape campaign – and there will be many who believe she can turn the tables here.
Aurelia Cotta has pulled a pole position draw and has her second run since her Cape campaign where she ran only once. This daughter of Ashaawes has fair collateral against the boys and older fillies and could go a lot closer than the betting may suggest.
Flashback – Rockin Russian chases Lady In Black home in the Gr1 Thekwini
Rockin Russian has not won in close on a year and has been battling to find her best form of earlier. She ran her best race in some time when staying on for a 2,70 length fifth in the Fillies Guineas. She could be ready to challenge for a cheque.
Fillies Mile third-placer Cashel Palace was well beaten by 6 lengths in the Guineas but on breeding should relish the extra ground here and may be worth including in quartets.
Duncan Howells and Anton Marcus travel from Ashburton with the Captain Al filly Fiorella. The Varsfontein bred tries the 1800m for the first time but her smart dam won all the way up to 2850m and she could have plenty of long distance gold running through her veins. She was not disgraced at feature level when fifth and only 4 lengths off Hashtagyolo in the Flamboyant Stakes.
Duncan Howells
Green Top is still only a one-time winner but her gutsy third when just over a length behind Takingthepeace in the Guineas was an eyecatcher. Her prolific winner producing mare won up to 2000m and she is likely to enjoy the 1800m first time.
Roy’s Riviera is the third of the KZN raiding trio and has her first run in Gauteng. The daughter of All Too Hard is twice stakes placed and is yet to finish out of the money in 9 starts. This will be a serious test for her.
London Secret has shown little since her first two starts and will need to improve on her recent form to have a say here.
Mar Del Sur has been well beaten at all three feature race attempts but won well after a short rest last time. The daughter of What A Winter will need plenty of improvement.
Geoff Woodruff – Secret Potion steps up
Geoff Woodruff’s Secret Potion has won 3 of her 6 starts with a low-key introduction to racing. She stays well and we will find out how good she is on Saturday.
Radiant Splendour won her first two starts like a good horse but never showed in the Fillies Guineas when beaten over 6 lengths by Takingthepeace. With Strydom up over the extra she could well improve. We note her dam won up to 2400m.
Forest Express is the fourth member of the Tarry quartet. She won on debut and was then thrown in the deep end in the Listed KZN Guineas Trial. She showed pace in a low key 1800m Vaal handicap last time but that won’t be good enough here.
Saragon ran fourth in her post-maiden start, when 2 lengths off Waity Katie in a lowly rated handicap over a mile. While she has no feature credentials to recommend her, she can only improve the further she goes.
A very competitive races as Gr1’s generally tend to be. Takingthepeace will have her supporters and the way she won last time, she could follow up. She needs to hold stablemate Silver Thursday , the consistent Folk Dance and improving again Rockin Russian.
