Up Her Street! Joey Ramsden’s top quality Blueridge Mountain will prefer the mile and could atone for her narrow Woolavington defeat
It has all the ingredients of an absolute thriller! The high class R750 000 Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes to be run over a mile at Greyville on Saturday could well prove to be the pièce de résistance of a glorious afternoon.
Top thoroughbreds. Top jockeys. Top trainers. This is a true gem of a race on a day that is just loaded with treasure from start to finish.
Title Defence
Glen Kotzen’s champion Victory Moon filly Princess Victoria returns to defend her title. She has run four times since that outstanding 2012 victory where Anton Marcus rode her as a 3yo to a memorable triumph over the now retired and quite brilliant Ebony Flyer. Happy Archer, who returns to try again, ran a great third.
Behind Princess Victoria in 2012 were the likes of Without Malice, Louvre and Felix The Cat who are also back for more. The jockey musical chairs are also in evidence. Anton Marcus has parted company with the Princess and is riding for his boss this time round.
He partners Joey Ramsden’s Blueridge Mountain. Then Bernard Fayd’herbe who rode Ebony Flyer into second place, is now aboard Princess Victoria. The only runner in this race with her own personal Facebook page, Princess Victoria is a champion in every respect of the word.
Frustrating
Her trainer Glen Kotzen would be the first to concede that the past season has been a frustrating one with a planned export to America being one of the curved balls that he has had to field along a bumpy road. It would be appropriate were his Princess to set the record straight on Saturday.
Bernard Fayd’herbe rides her again and he will no doubt admit that his effort in the recent Tibouchina was not one for his memoirs. Full of running there, Princess Victoria was left with the Berlin Wall to scale in the final 200m and only got over it when the race was run.
She ran a creditable 1,10 lengths behind Louvre in the end. Princess Victoria is the best drawn of the top rated runners here, and will have no excuses this time round.
Beautiful
Proven. Dennis Drier’s superb Dynasty mare Beach Beauty is poorly drawn but remains a serious contender for top honours
The brilliant Beach Beauty will not make it easy for her. The daughter of Dynasty has won 11 of her 22 starts and has had a terrific Champions Season to date. She is also handicapped to win this race.
She opened her account after a gallant third placed finish in the Met by winning the Drill Hall Stakes in great style and then came out when a not disgraced second to Horse Of The Year Variety Club in the Gr1 Gold Challenge three weeks ago.
Her stable mate Without Malice has been bought for breeding purposes by Avontuur Estate out of the yard of Uncle Georgie Scott. The daughter of Jet Master has drawn 1 and is a legendary front running soldier who never says die.
She tired late in a prep run two weeks ago at Scottsville but would no doubt have come on from that effort and will be looking to improve on her fifth placed finish behind Princess Victoria in this event last year.
Lightning
Royal Racer. Glen Kotzen’s champion Victory Moon filly Princess Victoria is capable of beating this field if back to her best
Recent Gr1 Empress Club Stakes winner Thunder Dance races in the white and green Klawervlei Stud silks these days and has moved from Brett Crawford to Mike De Kock.
The six time winner has not run since 12 April when winning the Empress Club, and may be in need of the outing. She has also drawn on the beachfront at 17.
Her stable mate Halfway To Heaven is also a daughter of Jet Master and relocated from Eric Sands in Cape Town at the end of February after winning the Prix du Cap.
She has run two reasonable fourths in KZN, including a smart effort behind Louvre in the Tibouchina last time out. After being slow off she finished just a half length off, although it is worth nothing that Princess Victoria behind her had traffic problems.
Surprise
The third of the De Kock runners is the UK bred Espumanti. The three year old daughter of Dansili won her first three races on the trot before finishing 4th to Cherry On The Top in the SA Fillies Guineas.
She was outpaced in the SA Fillies Sprint when seven lengths behind the brilliant Via Africa, but then challenged strongly for second in the Tibouchina Stakes. Espumanti is well drawn and appears to be a progressive and scopy sort who could surprise if the top few fluff their lines.
Mountain Man
Joey Ramsden’s outstanding Argentinean bred Blueridge Mountain is an up and coming three year old with all the credentials to win this contest. The Majorca Stakes winner has won four of her last five starts and could be regarded as a trifle unlucky after going down narrowly to Do You Remember in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000.
Besides hanging badly in the finish of that event, Blueridge Mountain may not have stayed the 2000mand she should prefer the mile here. Word has it that Anton Marcus will only fulfil his July feature race obligation on Saturday and the substitute jockey choice (if applicable) remains of paramount importance.
Open Door
Duncan Howells’ Louvre is an eight time winner from 31 starts and has found her best form since relocating from Gauteng. She showed tremendous courage and fight when setting the pace in the Tibouchina before fighting on to win in impressive style. Her stable mate Felix The Cat is battling to register her fifth win and while never far off, appears in her place in this company.
Piere Strydom and Sean Tarry team up with the Australian bred Dubawi mare Happy Archer who has a 12 draw to overcome.
She may have needed her Tibouchina run when lacking kick late and fading to finish out of the money. She is however a very talented sort who enjoys this track and can never be discounted.
World Beater
Justin Snaith sends out the Captain Al filly Earth’s Obit who challenged strongly in the Tibouchina Stakes before running 3rd just behind Louvre. She is no world beater and appears held by many.
Kum Naidoo saddles the Three Troikas winner King’s Temptress. The daughter of King Of Kings ran on well over Saturday’s course and distance when a three length fourth to Festival Of Fire in the KRA Fillies Guineas. Greg Cheyne rides her from a 10 draw and she is capable of earning place money.
Great Race
In what should be one of the top races of the afternoon our Equus Champion Filly Princess Victoria strikes us as being way overdue to get back to her winning ways.
The edge provided by her good draw against the less favourable gate positions of her major opposition, could make the difference in what should be a thrilling encounter. We are not however underestimating the brilliance of both Beach Beauty and Blueridge Mountain.
