In The Fast Lane goes for a Fillies Guineas double
A smart selection of the best fillies from Gauteng, the Cape and KZN clash in the Gr2 Fillies Guineas. They include Cape Fillies Guineas winner In The Fast Lane (and runner-up Lanner Falcon), SA Classic winner Athina (and almost runner-up Not Sulking), and Dennis Drier’s rising star Eventual Angel. What a race!
In The Fast Lane won the Cape Fillies Guineas, followed by a career-best rating when a length second to Beach Beauty in the Paddock Stakes, not having had a clear passage. She goes for the Cape Guineas/SA Guineas double, not recently achieved, but more common in the past with the likes of Hoeberg, Vesta, Star Effort, Olympic Duel, Kiss Of Peace, Petrava – all champions.
In The Fast Lane gets the chance to make more modern history. She hasn’t raced since a below-par effort in the Majorca (won by Beach Beauty) and her race fitness ust be taken on trust. It is comforting that the Snaith stable has been firing in KZN already.
Cape Fillies Guineas runner-up Lanner Falcon made an excellent seasonal KZN debut, when third over 1200m at Clairwood two weeks ago. That was an effort as good as she’d ever shown in terms of ratings. She usually comes from some way back, so will need the race to be run at a true pace to show her best.
Athina came with a flying finish to mug the leaders on the post in the SA Fillies Classic over 1800m at Turffontein – quite a different distance from this much sharper Greyville mile. No Sulking, who had raced handy, was about a neck behind her in third. The time before she’d been second to Arcetri Pink in the Fillies Guineas, after getting to the front maybe a touch too soon.
Her last run, when fifth to Here Comes Polly in the Empress Club, possibly wasn’t quite a reflection of her best. She was beaten just over 2 lengths, jockey Marcus reporting he felt something was amiss with the filly. If fit and well, she looks highly competitive.
Alaskan Maiden was beaten less than 2 lengths in the Cape Fillies Guineas, but her subsequent form did not confirm that effort. She was slow out and well back on her seasonal KZN debut in a sprint at Clairwood.
Cape visitor Maybe Yes faces her stiffest task to date. She scored a double in two sprints during the summer, then recorded a career best rating when third to Priceless Jewel over 1400m in February. She has not raced since and was withdrawn with abnormal bloodcount in April. She might still be on the upgrade but has chosen a difficult race to prove it in.
Another who could be on the upgrade, and also a daughter of Tiger Ridge, is Mike de Kock’s Santa Carolina. She won her third race from 5 starts over 1450m at Turffontein in April, recording a career-best rating. That run came on the heels of a 2-length seventh behind Athina in the Classic, running on from off the pace. Further improvement would certainly bring her into the picture.
That brings us to Eventual Angel. The filly travelled to the Cape for the summer season, but things went wrong and she only ran once, late in January, winning well over 1200m, relatively unfancied. She won again on her return to KZN, winning over 1400m at Scottsville, and recording a career-best rating. She’s better than that, and gets a mile for the first time here. She could be anything and deserves the utmost respect.
The rest of the entries, including the reserve runners, look to have a lot to do in this company, given their previous form. In summary, this should be a cracking race. In The Fast Lane should be right there at the finish, but there could be surprises from a bunch of improving fillies. We stick out our neck with Eventual Angel, to get the better of Not Sulking, In The Fast Lane and Santa Carolina. Athina may have to wait another day.
