Young One – De Kock’s Festival Of Fire could register her first big win on Saturday
Mike De Kock won the R165 000 Gr2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge last year with the outstanding Welwitschia and he looks to have a very strong hand again on Saturday. His three-way coupling includes yet another beautifully bred smart older mare for Wilgerbosdrift Stud and an up-and-coming 3yo filly, who looks nicely weighted.
Our champion trainer is the only man who has taken the bait of the attractive weight conditions that pitch the 3yo’s against the older horses at favourable weights in this early season WFA contest.
Fiery Type
The interesting runner is De Kock’s Kahal filly Festival Of Fire who comes in on a galloping 52kgs after having won two of her only three career starts down at the coast.
Festival Of Fire won first time out on debut over 1000m at Clairwood and then came out firing with experience to win an MR 86 Handicap over 1200m unextended by 4,25 lengths. Her next run was slightly below her previous when she ran freely and then stayed on for third behind the capable Felix The Cat. She can only improve in her first run on the Highveld on Saturday.
Her stablemate Berry Blaze has won twice from 9 starts and jumps from the 1 draw with Anton Marcus up. Like last year’s winner, she is stunningly bred being by Danehill Dancer out a Sadler’s Wells mare and is destined for the Wilgerbosdrift paddocks. She has to give her younger stablemate eight kgs and this could produce a fascinating tussle, if she strips fit.
Amur Affair showed electrifying pace before fading to run nine lengths off Sapphire Ring in the Listed Banyana Handicap on the Vaal sand. She must be classified as the De Kock third string and looks held here.
Very Demanding
The 4yo Dynasty filly Demanding Lady is a model of consistency and returned after a four month break to run a cracking second 1,25 lengths behind Mary’s Pride in a Turffontein 1200m race three weeks ago. This lightly raced sort cannot win at the weights if the ratings are accurate, but may well still be ahead of the handicapper and appears to be improving all the time.
She is held by Louvre on their Syringa clash, but seldom runs a bad race.
Piere Strydom partners Katy’s Lane, who is another coming off a long break after her well beaten second behind runaway winner Ilha Bela in the Gr2 SA Oaks. The Gr3 Starling Stakes winner reeled off four on the trot in 2011, including a win over Saturday’s course and distance. She is well drawn and could spring a surprise if well.
Go Girl
Go Indigo – gallant fighter goes well for Sherman Brown
The Fillies Guineas and Three Troikas winner Go Indigo blotted her generally consistent copybook with a poor effort on the Vaal sand on Emerald Cup Saturday. That run can be ignored and she beat Vivacious Star in her previous run in an MR 94 Handicap over the Turffontein 1400m. Saturday’s race is probably her ideal distance and is partnered again by Sherman Brown who knows her very well.
The Jet Master mare Without Malice ran stone last in this race last year, but as a winner of seven races would have to be taken seriously in the normal course of events. While she did not run a bad race when finishing five lengths fifth behind the star Princess Victoria in the Garden Province Stakes at her penultimate start, her last three runs have been below her best and indicate that she has either lost interest in her racing or there is something amiss. She has shown her characteristic pace but has faded badly in the final stages. She will have to lift her game on Saturday.
The Gerald Rosenberg Stakes winner Hawker Hunter returns from a rest of over five months and would probably prefer things a touch further.
Fading Light
Veale Deal? Sean Veale rides the outsider Louvre
Sean Veale and Weiho Marwing team up with the very pacy Louvre, who has been fading badly and ran an awful race on the sand at her last start.She ran a fair third 4,50 lengths behind End Of Season in the Syringa Handicap over a mile in May after setting the pace, but won’t have things all her own way here.
Dominic Zaki’s four-time winning Malaga Belle has her first run beyond sprint distances and has not drawn well at 10. She has lost form at her last four outings and would be a surprise winner of this race.
Mike De Kock looks to have the upper hand with two different generations. Festival Of Fire is fit and on the up and looks a good sort in the making. She could have the advantage over Berry Blaze, while Katy’s Lane and Go Indigo are always good value.
Big Day
This fillies and mares feature is a highlight of a big day at Turffontein for the fairer sex.
Horseracing is supporting the Ladies Spring Race Day in aid of the PinkDrive breast cancer awareness. The familiar PinkDrive truck will be parked near the parade ring for locals and ladies on the day to have free check-ups. Pink ribbons will be handed out as people come through the entrances to create publicity for Breast Cancer awareness month.
The third race at Turffontein is sponsored by Focus Security Services and the lady involved there is herself a recent breast-cancer survivor. Her and her team are planning a fun day out on Saturday to celebrate life!
Runners in the third race and the Ladies Spring Race Day race will be adorned with pink saddle-cloths.
A great cause!
