Value. Glen Kotzen’s Cash Register looks capable of recording the Ladies Mile double
The Mike Bass, Justin Snaith and Glen Kotzen yards dominate the R125 000 Listed Ladies Mile to be run over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday. They send out eleven runners between them and Pick Six players will be pleased with the exotic bet mathematics of it in a minefield little feature.
There is little doubt any one of the participating connections in this event will be fancying their chances of banking the lion’s share of the stake cheque in a race where luck in running and the going on the day are likely to play leading roles.
The Ladies Mile is also something of a black type last chance saloon prior to the Final Fling Stakes, for a few ladies who are headed for the more pleasurable pursuits of motherhood at the end of the season.
The Life
Putting our hand into the hat, it is Glen Kotzen’s Cash Register who jumps out of the maze as a likely decent priced winner. She won this race last year. The ill fated Big City Life’s full sister has no immediate form to get excited about, but a glance down her statistics show a fifth placed finish right on top of the placed runners in the Gr2 Peninsula Handicap run in early January.
While that may seem like modern history, she would have an outstanding chance here is repeating that effort and shrugging off her recent return from a layoff. Cash Register was a nostril behind Jet Explorer there (yes, the July candidate!) and only two lengths behind many folks’ July fancy, Punta Arenas. If she strips fitter and repeats that, she could win.
Bush Baby
Her stablemate Imperial State has drawn in the bush, but the talented daughter of Caesour should not be written off. A winner of 2 of her sixteen starts, she ran on well last time over the course and distance despite suffering a slipped saddle in the running.
Her owners would dearly love to pick up some much valued black type, and this will not be out of Imperial State’s hopes and apsirations. The Silvano filly Spring Break is the third of the Kotzen hopes. Her dam only won up to 1200m, but Spring Break has shown some ability around the turn and runs on well. Her undoing could be her awful draw though.
Snaith Challlenge
Unlucky. The Justin Snaith trained Rush For John will be looking to atone for her narrow defeat last time
The Snaith team send out a four way coupling. The Jallad filly Alvilda is a consistent filly who jumps from the 2 draw with top jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe up. She ran a very good third last time behind Pan Amm over too short, and now meets the Bass filly on 2kgs better.
Rush For John returns from PE where she was desperately unlucky not to land the gamble last time. She won the Lady’s Bracelet in PE in January and Andrew Fortune pilots her from a midfield draw. The Fort Wood filly Dumani registered her third career win in PE at her last start.
This beautifully bred horse ran fourth in this event last year. The Jet Master mare Control Tower is battling for her fourth win, and was slow away and made a respiratory noise last time when running a below par race over the course and distance.
Bass Four
Flyer. The Bass’ grey Jet Master filly Pan Amm seldom puts in a bad effort
Mike Bass saddles four runners. The Lake Coniston mare Margaret Court has drawn well and is very at home over the course and distance. She has put in two smart course and distance efforts behind Priceless Jewel and Imperial State. She meets the latter on a kilo worse terms after being beaten under a length.
The Amm’s beautiful grey Jet Master Pan Amm has also drawn well and won her last start in heavy going in good fashion over 1400m. She is fit and well and runs for Chris Puller. Bella Nero ran a poor race over the course and distance in April, and her fitness and enthusiasm for racing are the unknowns.
Grant Van Niekerk, who probably could have ridden for the Kotzens, rides Jet Lady for Mike Bass from pole position. A winner of 3 of her 14 starts, she looks like a scopy sort with room to win a minor feature of this nature. She has won over the course and distance.
The Others
Brett Crawford’s Irish bred mare Sweet Aria showed a glimmer of a return to her better form when storming through for a good third in the Olympic Duel Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth on 8 June. While untried at the mile, her style of settling and then running late could stand her in good stead from a nice draw here. Her dam is a half sister to a Gr1 winner overseas , and she has always looked better than her form as a two time winner.
Andries Steyn has done a terrific job with the Dynasty mare Irish May, who has come into her own after taking time to shed her maiden. A multiple course and distance winner of 3 of her 18 starts, she could trouble the higher rated sorts for what would be a well deserved first taste of black type.
Poor Draw
Stephen Page has drawn the short end of the draw stick with his Dynasty 4yo, Dancing Dynasty. The two time winner ran on strongly behind Irish May in a progress plate over 1800m last time and is capable of grabbing place money here.
Her stablemate Abbey Creek also gets a run courtesy of the withdrawal of the Bass filly, Fly By Night. Carl Burger’s Black Minnaloushe filly Dark Journey has won 4 of her 32 starts and is a consistent placer who always does her best. She has not drawn favourably at 12, but will be dropped in for a late charge by jockey Morne Winnaar, who knows her well.
Open Race
In an open race, we are suggesting that Cash Register could make it a Ladies Mile double. Rush For John and Pan Amm are the likely dangers, while Imperial State and Irish May could back up the quartets. But watch the weather and the going!
