Entisaar – could make amends
It is 1-1 between two smart juvenile fillies and Saturday’s R400 000 Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery should settle a score or two. Mike De Kock’s Listed Ruffian Stakes winner Entisaar takes on the Corne Spies Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Speedy Suzy. They have each had a turn to beat the other. Will the 60m extra of this race make a difference – and what about Varumba?
Ten 2yo fillies line up in this prestigious platform to a bright future. And lots can happen in a year. Majmu won the race last year and on Saturday she takes on the boys over 2000m in the Gr1 President’s Champions Challenge.
Good Sort
Corne Spies – saddles a speedy sort
The Spies yard is in bright form and the Highlands bred Trippi filly has won two of her three starts in dazzling style.
She hails from a speedy line and simply ran Entisaar off her feet in the 1100m Pretty Polly last time when beating her 1,25 lengths. That said, she is not a tearaway sort and Fanie Chambers was able to settle her and stay on well.
Can she do it over 60m further?
Great Debut
The Australian-bred Entisaar came out on a cracking debut effort to beat Speedy Suzy in the Listed Ruffian Stakes by 1,25 lengths (same margin as the subsequent turnaround!).
Interestingly that was over 1000m and there was no evidence of her being outpaced – she also had the disadvantage of Speedy Suzy having had one run experience.
In the Pretty Polly Stakes, Entisaar went off at 1-4 but battled to get into things after being tardily away – maybe just the sticky surface and a slightly off day?
Smart Specimen
Vaughan Marshall – Varumba could follow up on maiden
While the race looks to be between those top two, Vaughan Marshall brings the Var filly Varumba in to scramble the picture somewhat. She cost R2,5 million at sale and is a magnificent specimen.
Anton Marcus rides the recent impressive course and distance maiden winner, who was beaten by inexperience when fancied to go in on debut over the Vaal 1200m.
The result was never in doubt last time and she takes her first step into feature class on Saturday.
Winners
Mella Maria – Azzie debut winner
Of the other winners in the field, Mike Azzie saddles a coupling of Frosted Honey and Mella Maria.
Frosted Honey ran in the male dominated Gr3 Protea Stakes but was reported lame afterwards and produced no kind of effort. She won a well supported debut at the Vaal and could be a lot better than she appears – particularly as Marcus was persuaded to ride her last time.
Beaten
Mella Maria is another Azzie debut winner. The Australian bred daughter of Star Witness ran third in the Pretty Polly Stakes last behind Speedy Suzy and Entisaar and was well beaten out of the money behind the same two in the Listed Ruffian Stakes.
While the babies are capable of in and out showings and improving out of kilter, it is difficult seeing her turning the tables here.
Speedy Suzy’s stablemate Nomvula went to the 800m of Flamingo Park at her second start to win her maiden. She is the most experienced girl in the race but was beaten 5 lengths by Entisaar in the Ruffian Stakes and could grab a minor place cheque at best.
In The Way
Leon Erasmus
Leon Erasmus saddles Outa My Way. She has won once in three but was ten lengths behind Mella Maria on debut and on a line through that one – even with improvement – should struggle here.
The David Niewenhuizen-trained Sapsan was beaten over 6 lengths in the Ruffian Stakes, but ran on nicely next time over Saturday’s course and distance to get within 1,75 lengths of hotshot De Kock odds-on winner Shaama.
Lucky Houdalakis’ pair of Finding Alice (a further 2,50 lengths behind Sapsan there) in her only start and well bred debutante Khaleesi are difficult to assess.
Danger
Speedy Suzy and Entisaar look likely to bump heads again and there should be little between them.
Varumba was rumoured to be a bomb early on. She is likely to improve on her maiden win and that makes her a massive danger.
