Scope. Alastair Gordon’s lightly raced Chosen Goddess could be equal to the test at Scottsville on Wednesday
After the Greyville going debacle of recent weeks, the Scottsville track got the nod of approval from the jockeys this past week and midweek racing goes ahead in the Capital City of KwaZulu Natal. A well patronised nine race programme awaits punters, although the FM 92 Divided Handicap hosts one of the smallest fields on the day.
Once known as ‘sleepy hollow’ as nothing of note apparently ever happened there, Pietermaritzburg surely boasts one of South Africa’s most scenic racecourse settings.
The left handed track is not suited to all of the eight runners, although a pace seems likely. The ‘Racino’ is the venue for our local midweek helping and the card is extremely competitive.
Tricky
Topweight. The Captain Al filly Bermuda Sloop is the class in the race and is likely to run a forward race in the hands of Kevin Shea
The R94 000 FM 92 Divided Handicap to be run over 1600m has attracted a field of eight and it is one of those tricky fillies and mares’ affairs where the field and more maxim applies in all respects. At the top of the weights is Dean Kannemeyer’s Captain Al filly Bermuda Sloop. The 4yo is the highest rated runner in the race and a winner of 5 of 23 starts. She showed lovely improvement when winning a Pinnacle Stakes over 1500m at Clairwood in April in courageous style.
She had the likes of stakes winners Europe To Africa, Hidden Beauty and Bambina Stripes under the whip there, and only has to repeat that run to have an outstanding chance here. The stable has also had a couple of nice winners this week, and it is worth following the form yards. She was outclassed in the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes when finishing 5,20 lengths behind end to end winner Louvre, and will have no fitness concerns here.
Time For Tea
Boiling Point! Dennis Drier’s Dynasty filly Put The Kettle On is very capable and had excellent earlier form
Dennis Drier’s Dynasty filly Put The Kettle On has won 5 of her 17 starts. She ran slightly below par efforts at her last two outings, although not too far off the likes of stakes winners Louvre and Europe To Africa. She enjoys a true run race and has a solid turn of foot when turning it on late.
Shoeless
Glen Kotzen’s Golden Dawn has drawn against the paint. The daughter of Goldmark opened her KZN campaign with a second, albeit a well beaten one, to Europe To Africa in the Listed Scarlet Lady. Golden Dawn lost a shoe when running unplaced behind Adobe Pink in the Listed East Coast Handicap, and is another who may not have stayed the 2000m.
Govender Duo
Yogas Govender’s coupling of the mare Approach Me and the 3yo filly Antonia’s Fortress have won 7 races between them. Approach Me won her penultimate start when beating Misty Morn over the Greyville 1800m at level weights. That filly failed to run on last Wednesday, when finishing fourth to Hijacked at Scottsville.
Just 1,30 lengths behind her there and a kilo worse off was Approach Me, who will not lack for match fitness here. Antonia’s Fortress is a Fort Wood filly and a promising three time winner. She also beat Misty Morn at level weights, so there is little to choose between her and her older stablemate on paper.
Snaith
The Justin Snaith trained Augusta National has won two of ten races and has had some fair form since moving up from the Eastern Cape via two blank efforts in Cape Town. She flew late when denied by a short head in a lowly rated handicap run over a mile at Greyville by the Bart Rice trained Masaveru. Augusta National was caught one paced late in the Listed East Coast Handicap and may not have stayed the 2000m of that race.
Right Trip
Mike De Kock’s Dubai Destination filly Bluroute has only won two races but has been thrown into the deep end often in a career where she has frankly promised more than she has delivered. She ran fourth behind Lady Tatty at Clairwood last time, but must come into the reckoning on her excellent fifth behind Secret Obsession in the Listed Syringa Handicap run over a mile at Turffontein.
Alastair Gordon’s lightly raced Goldkeeper filly Chosen Goddess is probably the runner with the most scope in the field. She ran a cracking third just 2,85 lengths behind Justin Snaith’s highly thought of Earth’s Orbit in a graduation plate last time out and comes into the reckoning on her excellent third behind Viva Maria in the Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes over a mile in January.
Complex
All told, this is a small but trappy field which is typical of the nature of fillies and mares handicaps. The experience of Bermuda Sloop and Put The Kettle On, against the obvious talent of Chosen Goddess. If the latter improves further, she could register an overdue second win. But there are others with a serious shout and not one runner can be realistically discarded from exotic calculations.
