Marwing’s Gr1 winner, Bilateral
The R275 000 Gr3 Fillies Mile to be run at Turffontein on Saturday looks a typically open young fillies contest. Weiho Marwing’s Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Bilateral naturally catches the eye as the proven professional, but it would be tempting fate to ignore a few lesser exposed gallopers.
It is always a good play to look at the group race exposure as a starting point in a race like this.
That said, many of them were not particularly busy 2yo’s and Geoff Woodruff’s debut winner Zrinski flashed home at her only start by half the racecourse. So does the 2yo Gr1 form really hold more sway?
It must.
Big Win
Bilateral set the world alight for her young sire when she stormed to a cracking win to beat Alboran Sea on July day last season with a finish that had mouths agape.
She had all of Pine Princess, Carry On Alice, Rosier and Rich Girl beaten.
She only had one subsequent run – a not half bad third placed cheque in the Gr1 Thekwini, where she ran a little handier than she did when winning.
She jumps in here off an eighteen week break and while her fitness is unknown and she is drawn wide, she is the proven talent.
Striker
Piere Strydom rides Banbury
Piere Strydom rides Banbury for Gavin Van Zyl and while she finished marginally behind Bilateral in the Thekwini, she has had the benefit of a solid prep run, when a 3rd and 2,75 lengths behind the exciting Siren’s Call.
That is fair collateral if one considers that Siren’s Call subsequently ran on stoutly to chase Majmu home in the Gr Starling Stakes.
Alec Laird’s smart Call finished ahead of Banbury there and then ran a cracker when third behind Majmu in the Gr3 Starling Stakes.
That makes her form a touch stronger.
Unexposed
Mike De Kock’s Australian bred Flying Spur filly filly Ataab has no feature exposure but has
Mike De Kock trains Ataab – she has won 3 of 5
won 3 of her 5 starts.
Her last win was a particularly impressive run when she beat Main Sunday by 5 lengths.
Summerveld based Frank Robinson brings his progressive Dynasty filly Olma up to Johannesburg after her impressive three win spurt, following her maiden win.
She has won her last three by a 14 length aggregate and should make her presence felt if handling the travel and the step up in class.
Special
Geoff Woodruff’s Zrinski has her first step into feature waters after winning at her first start when shedding her maiden debut by 8,25 over the Vaal 1400m straight.
Her win was impressive in that she was slow away but ran on really well.
Yet another smart Dynasty filly, Mike De Kock’s Maria Theresa won her first two starts with ease, but took pressure last time when pitted against the boys in a quality mixed handicap.
She was beaten 1.75 lengths by Eurakilon – not a disgrace.
Sweet Thing
Keagan De Melo rides Brown Sugar
Another daughter of Dynasty, Brown Sugar has won her last three on the trot and looks to be improving quickly.
She is one of a quintet of five Gavin Van Zyl runners in the race and the mount of stable jockey, Keagan De Melo.
David Niewenhuizen’s promising 2yo performer Green Crest ran 3,75 lengths off Brown Sugar last time but is 3kgs better off – although drawn out wide.
Kileigh returns from a 9,25 length unplaced run behind Majmu in the Gr3 Starling Stakes. She won her previous three on the trot but is another who is poorly drawn.
Good Run
The Sean Tarry trained Australian-bred Tamaanee produced a cracking post-maiden effort when storming home late for third behind Rich Girl in the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup.
The likes of Cassie O’Malley, London and the well-drawn Windrush filly Moonlit Venice are all one-time winners.
The latter did run just 5,30 lengths off Same Jurisdiction in the Gr1 Thekwini and would have needed her 3yo opener when running on just under 3 lengths behind Icelandic Fire.
Mike Azzie rated her early on – and that is worth noting.
