Looks Smart. Ramsden’s Icy Winter Air will enjoy the extra ground in Saturday’s Listed Devon Air Stakes
The R135 000 Listed Devon Air Stakes to be run over 1450m at Clairwood on Saturday brings together a very competitive field of 2yo fillies. Provincial loyalties aside, Joey Ramsden looks to hold the detonator with two promising fillies in Icy Winter Air and Channel Five.
With all three of our leading racing provinces represented in this event, the comparative formlines may be extremely misleading and confusing for many. Despite that fact, the Ramsden team appear to be well represented, although there are many others to respect.
The trouble with reaching a conclusion on the winning prospect is clouded by the fact that some of the apparent leading contenders are yet to go beyond 1200m. So we are left guessing and assessing at length, without any guarantee.
Rare
Kevin Shea makes a rare appearance for the Cape yard and he rides the very promising Icy Winter Air who comes in fresh off a smart third in the SA Fillies Nursery at Turffontein on Champions Day. While well beaten by the award winning Virgo’s Babe, Icy Winter Air was finishing with enough resolution there to be considered a big runner at her opening KZN start.
She won her opening run in impressive style at Kenilworth and will be a factor if she has travelled and settled well. She should relish the extra ground.
Her stablemate Channel Five (note the name) will be ridden by Anton Marcus. The daughter of Royal Air Force was a runaway winner of her maiden at her last start over the Kenilworth 1400m and looks to have plenty of improvement to come.
Magnificent
The Mike Bass trained Alascan Maiden is a magnificent daughter of Captain Al. The Klawervlei Stud bred 2yo won her debut in scintillating style but has been slightly disappointing of late. She ran a fair third in the Kenilworth Fillies Nursery, but appeared almost flatfooted and battled tp deliver the killer blow after having every chance late. She won’t get away with that sort of attitude here, but is another who looks very likely to be crying out for the ground.
One For The Boys
Piere Strydom rides the Ruffian Stakes winner For The Lads for the Sean Tarry yard. The daughter of Trippi ran a cracking second behind Arcetri Pink in the Pretty Polly Stakes but then went flat in the SA Fillies Nursery behind Virgo’s Babe. She is held by Icy Winter Air on that run. Andrew Fortune is an interesting jockey engagement on Mike Miller’s Count Dubois filly Glorious Moment.
A winner on debut, she ran a delightful third behind the promising and very fast My Sanctuary in the Debutante last time and looks likely to challenge here from the best of the draw.
Miller also sends out the lightning fast Ravishing Gem. A winner of 1 of her 4 starts, she has an impossible ask from the worst of the draw and strikes as a likely tearaway sort from that hopeless position.
Champion Yard
The Mike De Kock machine sends out the beautifully Australian bred Magrooma. The daughter of Dubaawi won at her third time of asking over the Turffontein 1400m in good style. She will be ridden by Anthony Delpech from a less than favourable 14 draw, but has the gate speed to overcome that.
Duncan Howells sends out the recent maiden winner Jamboree. The daughter of Black Minnaloushe showed an excellent turn of foot and solid fight when winning over the Greyville 1400m, and has the bend experience factor in her favour.
Not For Sale
Gavin Van Zyl’s yard is bang in form and he sends out a powerful trio. His King Of Kings filly Angie finally shed her maiden at her fifth start, when winning well over the Scottsville 1200m. She is quite fast so may find herself at sea but could be anything.
Van Zyl also sends out Mohave Princess and the Fort Wood filly Societi. Mohave Princess is an Australian bred daughter of Mount Nelson, who won a cracker over the Greyville 1400m first time of asking. That was a supremely forward and mature effort and Brandon Lerena rides her again. She looks like an exciting prospect indeed.
Chris Erasmus saddles the Silvino filly Sophia. A winner once from seven outings, she looks well exposed and lacks the same scope of some of the others. She was outpaced in the Debutante at her last start.
Mixed Bag
With the mixed provincial formlines and general lack of exposure across the board, it is difficult stamping any one filly as a winner. Joey Ramsden’s two look very exciting, as does the De Kock Australian bred Magrooma. Mike Bass may also have a good sort in Alascan Maiden.
Then we cannot discount any one of the Van Zyl runners, or even the genius ofAndrew Fortune. Icy Winter Air gets the marginal vote ahead of Magrooma, with Alascan Maiden for third.
