Majmu , meant to retain her unbeaten record, is a late scratching
Captain Al’s Gr1 winning daughter Carry On Alice is taking on the colts again in the Gold Medallion, leaving the home-team seriously disadvantaged in the Allan Robertson. Despite having three more players than the opposition from Down Under, South Africa looks bound to have to play second fiddle.
Top of the charts was Mike de Kock’s Australian-bred Majmu, unbeaten in three black-type races, and getting more impressive with every start she makes. Sadly, she had to be scratched after final acceptances, because of a virus.
Things look good now for fellow Australian, the Rock Of Gibraltar filly Rich Girl, with Marcus up, in the Jooste colours. Trained by Charles Laird, she followed a second place debut-run with two fluent wins, both at odds-on, by a combined nine lengths. Rich Girl, bought for a snip as a yearling at A$11k, seems likely to able to improve on her rating shown to date.
Rated joint-second now are Mike Azzie’s Flame Cat (by Tale Of The Cat) and Glen Kotzen’s Rosier (by Kildonan). Flame Cat is already on her eighth start and has shown admirable form, with three second places behind Majmu and Carry On Alice.
Flame Cat fluffed her lines with a below-par effort in the SA Nursery, but ran right back up to her rating after that, blinkered first time and second to Usisi, who was in receipt of a massive 6½kg. She’s drawn right next to Rich Girl at 13, and with her tendency to get on with it from the break should give Rich Girl a good tow. On normal form, Flame Cat has every chance to make the frame.
Rosier is still unbeaten, having made her debut in the Cape, a second start in the E-Cape Fillies Nursery, and her third over this course and distance. That last effort, when winning the Gr2 Debutante Stakes at 18/1, was an eye opener. As with all unbeaten horses, she may not yet have shown her best rating. There could be improvement, although her tendency to hang last time out might suggest she had to get to the bottom in the Debutante.
Second in the race was Azzie-trained Lady Ky, an Australian-bred filly by Choisir, in her first start in a black-type race. Unconsidered in the betting at 25/1, Khumalo got the best out of her (well, almost) and she has the same jockey up. She is 2kg worse off with Rosier, though, so of the Azzie-pair it is Flame Cat who looks the better bet to make the frame.
Dennis Drier trained Balkan is very promising and could improve over the extra if her pedigree is any guide
Next in the ratings is Dennis Drier-trained Balkan, a daughter of Horse Chestnut. Second on debut in March, she skated home the next two times, both at odds-on, by a combined 11 lengths. She showed herself to be a willing front runner on those occasions. Such tactics can be devastating when the front runner doesn’t tire. Balkan tries a slightly longer sprint this time, and her pedigree suggests that will be an advantage if nothing else. Expect further improvement then, and a serious contender for top honours.
Balkan beat Cape visitor Cotton Candy comprehensively last time (be it in receipt of 2kg), Cotton Candy had won in the Cape and PE before running a neck second to Rosier in the E-Cape Nursery (for which she’d been odds-on favourite). Rosier left that form well behind when winning her next start, but the same cannot be said of Cotton Candy. She seems unlikely to be able to turn the tables on Balkan nor Rosier.
Justin Snaith-trained Arria, stable companion to Cotton Candy, looks to be the stable-elect with Fourie up. Arria came to KZN with a reputation, having won both her previous starts in the Cape, including the Met-day Juvenile Stakes. She could do no better than a two-length second to Rosier in the Debutante Stakes, and we for one were hugely disappointed with the effort.
She ran a little below her previous rating, and may have needed the run, but a great deal more resolve will be needed if she wants to win here. That said, the closely inbred Antonius Pius filly could be anything and should not be written off yet as a big-race ace.
We’re not finished yet! Mike de Kock has Rock Of Gibraltar filly Alboran Sea, winner of her only start to date after racing handy. What she beat there was nothing like what she meets here, but who knows how good she is or isn’t. The same goes for another once-raced winner, Seven Whispers, by Seventh Rock (who won the Gold Medallion here in his time) and made a good start with his second career. The filly’s first outing was just last week, no doubt with this big one in mind, even though she won at 10/1. There will be improvement, but how much?
Then there’s Paul Lafferty’s Flying Spur filly Flying Loot, who cost just A$8k as a yearling. She finished second first time out last month, starting at 4/1 (in from 14/1), in receipt of 2½kg from winner Guiness, who was toast of the town that day by 2 lengths. The booking of Strydom should make anyone think, even though Loot will have to show massive improvement to feature.
Sean Tarry (whose best filly Carry On Alice is in ‘the other race’) fields Millenium Reign. This daughter of King Of Kings beat Flame Cat at level weights in February, starting at 2/1. Her next outing in the SA Fillies Nursery won by Majmu was an anti-climax, showing form way below her winning rating. Is she as good as Flame Cat? Or better? In the latter case she’d have a serious opportunity to feature prominently.
Mike de Kock has two more runners, Shamardal-filly Shahrasal owned like Majmu by Sheikh Hamdan, and Drakenstein’s Trippi filly One Fine Day. Shahrasal was slow out on debut (starting at 17/10), and could only make it into third. Odds-on second time out she missed the break again, but recovered well enough to score, even though the winning margin was no more than a neck. How good she is, who knows, but one thing is certain: she can’t afford to miss the break again.
One Fine Day has no such problems, showing good pace at both her starts to date. She ran second when 15/10 favourite on debut (beaten half a length by Victoria Young), then won her second start by 5 lengths at 4/10. The value of that second win is hard to gauge, though. One Fine Day was meant to have run in the SA Fillies Nursery, but cast herself in the box prior to the race and didn’t take part. Another bound to improve on her rating if she’s fit and well.
Miss Argentina, bred in South Africa, has the mount of Kevin Shea who rode her in both her previous starts. Second on debut (beaten a nose by Widgit), the Duncan Howells-trained filly made amends the next time, winning well after making the running over this course and distance. On ratings that was not as good as her debut run, suggesting there will be rating-improvement to come (as all 2yo’s do on their very first effort).
That leaves Whistling Wonder, well beaten at her last three starts by all of Rich Girl, Rosier and Balkan. Even though she’s a daughter of Black Minnaloushe, whom we’ve all come to fear this season, the filly seems a bit out of her depth here.
In summary, this looks to be one of the most exciting Allan Robertsons we’ve had for years. It’s make or break for a good few reputations, and it’s an occasion for expectations to be fulfilled or hopes to be shattered. With Majmu out of it, the door looks open for Rich Girl to become just that. And after that? With so many as yet unknowns in the field there are bound to be surprises. The post-race analysis should be great fun.
