With her multiple Gr1 winning full-sister Snowdance doing battle in the Gold Challenge at Greyville on the same afternoon, Justin Snaith debutante Juniper Spring steps out in the Listed Kenilworth Fillies Nursery on Saturday where she takes on five raced rivals.
They say that blood rules the land and there will be plenty of interest in the stakes debut of the Cheveley Stud bred Juniper String.
Snowdance runs in the Gold Challenge (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The regally bred 2yo is out of the Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery winner Spring Lilac (Joshua Dancer), a half-sister to Equus Champions Bela-Bela and Rabiya. What a family!
Jono Snaith has already labelled Juniper Spring a ‘star filly’ and says that while the Bass-Robinson trained filly Nous Voila will be hard to beat, he feels their charge will be in the top three.
“We rate her but it’s always dangerous being too bullish with a first timer – and this is the Nursery. She is a filly to watch for the future though!” he said.
The Sporting Post has had sight of a film clip of a gallop down the Kenilworth straight with her older stakes winning gelded stablemate Fifty Cents. Let’s just say it was impressive. She should start a red hot odds-on favourite to give the Snaiths their third win in this race in four years.
They run at level weights with Joey Ramsden’s Var filly Carioca the only two-time winner in the field. After a good post maiden win at Durbanville, Carioca was beaten 4,30 lengths by Nous Voila in the Perfect Promise Sprint. She looks held on that.
Aldo Domeyer will be looking to make amends on Nous Voila, who went down narrowly to Lesedi La Rona in the Perfect Promise Sprint. She cruised up that day and only faltered late.
Lesedi La Rona beats Nous Voila in the listed feature last time
Second of the Bass-Robinson runners, Mixed Signals beat Shamrock Wind over the course and distance last time to win her maiden.
Santa Clara beat Mixed Signals to win her maiden at her second start over the course and distance last time out. She was narrowly beaten on debut when expected to go close and may not have enjoyed Durbanville.
If Juniper Spring is good enough to beat Nous Voila on debut, she should have a bright future.
