Progressive. The Mike De Kock trained Serruria is in top form and faces her first serious test on Saturday
The standard of the national racing programme drops a few rungs this weekend with the R125 000 Allez France Handicap being run over the Turffontein 2200m. With a few possible exceptions, the line up does not include any current or potential future stars. But the great filly in whose honour the race is run was a giant of the turf.
The Hall Of Famer Allez France was a champion in every sense of the word and while there are some well bred younger sorts in Saturday’s non black type feature field, the general form and quality does not exactly inspire great confidence. Two runners from two of our top stables stand out, although there are also a few hard knocking sorts amongst the more mature girls.
Zephira
Geoff Woodruff’s 3yo Zephira is a beautiful daughter of Western Winter who has won 2 of her 5 starts and appears to be doing all the right things and going the right way. She will be ridden by Robbie Fradd and is one of only two 3yo’s in the race.
Zephira has beaten little of consequence to date but the manner of the way she turns it on have impressed observers. She really came into her own over the 2000m last time and should have little issue handling the extra 200m.
Serruria
Mike De Kock saddles the year older Serruria. The UK bred daughter of Galileo is another who has beaten little of consequence, but who has looked promising. A winner of 3 of her last 4 starts, Serruria has obviously switched provinces for the Gauteng season and doddled in at her last start over the Clairwood 2000m to beat Such Fun going away.
Sky Pirate
Last year’s Allez France winner Sky Pirate has some fair form over ground in particularly a smart second in the KZN Oaks of 2013. She gets weight off her back courtesy of Wesley Marwing and ran handily before showing her well-being by staying on for third behind Tresco ast time at the races.
Salutation
Seasoned. Stuart Pettigrew’s 7yo Salutation could give the younger set a run for their money
Stuart Pettigrew’s Requiem 7yo Salutation is a seasoned winner of 7 races and seldom runs a bad race. She finished third behind Sky Pirate in the 2013 Allez France. She lumps weight well and her last run when staying on well for second behind Baracah in mixed company over the Vaal 2400m was a fair run.
Gray Coupling
St John Gray’s duo have won ten races between them and are capable of upsetting the apple cart. The 6yo Turkish Delight was rested for five months before making a fair return to action at the end of January when fifth and just over five lengths off Cagiva in a 2000m MR 91 Handicap at the Vaal. She finished eighth in this event last year. The year younger Video Games is a consistent mare who is well drawn here, but returns from a 14 week rest. That said she has run well fresh previously.
No Inspiration
The Silvano mare Lucky Gambler was a 4,50 length fourth behind Zephira last time out and now enjoys a 3kg pull with the Woodruff filly. That still looks unlikely to reverse the finishing order. Leon Erasmus saddles the recent maiden winner French Approval for charismatic owner Johan Botha. The daughter of Miesque’s Approval finished well enough to win her maiden over the course and distance last time, but this will naturally be a little stronger.
Bygone Days
Tyrone Zackey’s Katy’s Lane once ran off an MR of 99 but has lost her form completely. She enjoys the claiming apprentice and best of the draw, but looks to have little chance on current values. Spike Lerena’s Stylish Bay has only ever won one race and her recent form inspires no confidence. Luchelle Kruger saddles Olympia Beijing, who has won 2 of her 24 starts.
She ran a poor race last time after making a respiratory noise, but her previous form was such that she could run into a place if things go her way. David Rahilly’s Quantum Leap has won one of her 35 starts and her recent form is very poor. The Silvano fily Silva Shama is another who has awful form and has won just a workrider’s race in her 21 career starts. She is rated 45 and besides being in under sufferance, has no chance.
Young Ones
The race is run over a testing trip and as we have observed there are a few seasoned campaigners in the shadows. But we are going with the lightly campaigned Zephira and Serruria to fight it out, with an outside hope for the tireless fighter Salutation. Beyond those three last year’s winner Sky Pirate may be worth including.
Allez France
Allez France (1970 -1989) was a French Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse who was one of the first ever females in Thoroughbred horseracing history to earn $1 million. Purchased from her Kentucky breeder by French art dealer Daniel Wildenstein, she became his first important horse and the spur for his substantial investment in racehorses and bloodstock. For his horses in France, Wildenstein operated Dayton Investments Limited. For those in the United States, he owned the Allez France Stables.
During her racing career from age two to five, Allez France was the leading filly in France. In 1974, under new trainer Angel Penna, Sr., Allez France went undefeated and won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, France’s most prestigious horse race. She was also crowned French Horse of the Year.
As a six-year-old, Allez France was sent to race in the United States but, as was the case in other races outside of France, she did not do well. In 1976, she was retired as a broodmare to Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. Allez France was the dam of the successful sire Air De France (1984–2004), who sired 11 stakeswinners that had 34 stakes wins.[3] After her death, Allez France was honoured by being buried next to Man O’ War and other greats at the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington.
