Two top-class sprinting mares square up in the topliner on what is surely the best Friday of horseracing ever hosted at Kenilworth.
It’s day one of the inaugural L’Ormarins Queen’s Festival and the R400 000 Gr2 Sceptre Stakes has the makings of a classic speed duel.
Carry On Alice ran a top-class race after a rest
The Gr1 winners Carry On Alice and her contemporary Real Princess met in the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes a month ago with Carry On Alice coming out on top, to the tune of 3,15 lengths.
She was beaten a half length by the lightning fast Jo’s Bond, who had superior match readiness in her favour.
That was a very decent effort on Alice’s part despite an obvious lack of fitness after a six month break from action and Sean Tarry will be keen to set the record straight after her fifth placed finish behind Princess Royal in this race last year.
Real Princess will prefer the 1200m
The SA Fillies Sprint winner Real Princess chased subsequent Merchants winner Search Party home in a dazzling first run as a 5yo, but she failed to spark in the Southern Cross Stakes.
She has always seemed more effective at 1200m though and that could be the leveller in her rematch with the Tarry speed queen.
This weight-for-age plus penalties contest is open to fillies and mares.
The 4yo’s and older carry 58 kgs, with Gr1 winners getting a 2 kg penalty, while Gr2 winners attract a 1 kg premium.
In the circumstances, the top two look to enjoy a stranglehold on the race.
SA 1000m record holder Scandal
SA 1000m record holder Scandal ran out of her skin in the Southern Cross Stakes, coming out of the pack with a sustained burst to run only 0,90 lengths behind the winner.
That was a really smart effort by the Corne Spies flyer and she could trouble the big girls again if maintaining that level of form.
Victoria Lavelle is the first of the quartet of Snaith runners and she looks held on her last run in the same race referenced above.
That said, she was coming off a long break and can improve to place here.
Brett Crawford’s Beach Goddess finished 2,40 lengths ahead of her and has a good finish on her and will enjoy the extra 20om to find her feet.
Beach Goddess can improve after a quiet last run
Richard Fourie rides last term’s Cape Fillies Guineas runner-up Our Destiny, a course and distance winner who could challenge for the top money if allowed to settle early.
Champery was beaten 5,45 lengths in the Southern Cross Stakes and has been struggling to put a winning effort together.
Acaciawood went to Fairview to collect her latest cheque when beaten in the shadow of the post by local hard-knocker Clear Sailing.
She is a course and distance winner but is probably a few lengths inferior in this company on her day.
We have to go back to July 2015 to find Come Fly With Me’s last winning performance.
Interestingly, she downed the outstanding Real Princess in receipt of 1,5kgs there but has not shown the same enthusiasm as the Kannemeyer runner in the interim.
The Merry Widow has been disappointing after a good start
The Merry Widow won her first three starts but has not matured as expected into her 3yo term.
This tiny daughter of Captain Al has not run for 9 weeks and looks unlikely to challenge the top two.
Live Life meets Our Destiny on 2,5kgs better terms for a 1,25 length course and distance beating last time out.
The beautifully bred daughter of Trippi was well beaten in the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes at her penultimate start, but is surely worth another chance if reports of her homework are to be taken literally.
Visuality is stablemate to Carry On Alice.
The daughter of Visionaire started her career well but things appear to have gone pear-shaped since being stepped up over more ground.
She reverts to the straight track after four rather dull runs and can be expected to show some improvement.
It is difficult finding anything to beat Carry On Alice and Real Princess.
The form and official handicapper suggests the former, but the distance could be the leveller for the Kannemeyer-trained Trippi.
They can be boxed in the exacta.
