A highlight on this week’s local racing programme will be the reappearance of the much talked about Miss Frankel, who launches her Cape Summer Season campaign at Kenilworth on Thursday.
Miss Frankel bullets home to win her second start under Anton Marcus
The daughter of Galileo champion Frankel, whose service fee has been upped to £175 000, made an inauspicious debut in January this year over the course and distance that she races on Thursday.
She was backed to win all the way into 5-10 but was overwhelmed at her first experience and failed to bring her homework to track – not the first horse to do that! She finished out of the money. The winner of that race was a certain Magical Wonderland – a filly who would go on to be crowned champion Cape 2yo.
Jockey MJ Byleveld in the Avontuur silks
Miss Frankel returned to racing seven months later as a 3yo and hacked up in style to clock 57,10 seconds for the Scottsville 1000m. She made history that afternoon as South Africa joined England, France, Ireland, Japan, USA, Argentina, Chile and Australia on the Frankel world map.
Miss Frankel lines up in a fillies and mares MR 74 Handicap over the Kenilworth 1000m on Thursday, where she has been set top weight of 61kgs. She will be ridden by Avontuur-sponsored jockey MJ Byleveld.
Dennis Drier’s few Cape runners so far have shown they may need a run or two before finding their feet and it is very likely that Miss Frankel will benefit from the run. Although the flashy chestnut could carry too many guns for her eight opponents.
Bred and raced by Avontuur, Miss Frankel is a daughter of Var’s Equus champion sprinter Val De Ra, who won 11 of her 13 starts, including four Gr1’s.
