The R400 000 Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes heads the Cape Summer Season feature billing at Kenilworth on Saturday and the 1000m sprint at weight-for-age plus penalties has attracted a high quality field.
Flashback to 2016 – Jo’s Bond beats Carry On Alice to win the Southern Cross Stakes
The rampant Justin Snaith outfit will be keen to repeat their five win feat of last weekend at the same venue, and their powerful quartet of runners is headed by last year’s gutsy winner Jo’s Bond.
Basic weight-for–age applies, with winners of Gr1 races picking up a 2kg premium and Gr2 winners just 1kg.
Just Sensual gets the blinkers fitted
Topping the weights, and getting the blinkers fitted to sharpen her over the quicker trip, is Joey Ramsden’s Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Just Sensual, who jumps fresh after a 23 week break. The daughter of Dynasty is probably best at 1400m but showed her sprinting class when getting to within a length of champion Carry On Alice in the SA Fillies Sprint last term. Anton Marcus, who piloted Legal Eagle to win in the same silks last Saturday, gets the ride.
Dennis Drier’s smashing Listed Laisserfaire Stakes winner Sommerlied is bang in-form and this high-class course-and-distance winning daughter of Var has won 5 of her 6 starts – and could be a late maturing successor to the mantle of champion Carry On Alice. She looks to hold Casual Diamond, who chased her home in the Laisserfaire Stakes, and meets the Snaith 3yo on 4kgs better terms. Natural fitness and improvement makes her a serious top contender.
High-class Sommerlied could be the one to side with
Last year’s winner Jo’s Bond has not run in 28 weeks since running on for fourth in the SA Fillies Sprint. She must have a chance of repeating the win, but her programme does not mirror that of 2016.
The top-class Live Life was in desperate need of the run when beaten 6 lengths by Sommerlied in the Laisserfaire Stakes. On her best form she rates a major threat.
Gold Image was beaten 5,35 lengths by Sommerlied in the Southern Cross Stakes and looks held on her best form.
SA Fillies Nursery winner Green Plains – excellent first Cape run
A 3yo who stands out is Sean Tarry’s SA Nursery winner Green Plains. The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight was just beaten by local star Power Grid in her first run since going second to Brave Mary in the Allan Robertson Championship. A fitter Green Plains cannot be ignored.
Grant Maroun is a rare but welcome visitor to the Cape and he saddles the super-quick Wrecking Ball, who comes off an unplaced effort behind My Friend Lee in the Magnolia Handicap on Summer Cup day. The testing 1000m may not be up her street.
Superfast Wrecking Ball is very talented
Justin Snaith 3yo Casual Diamond has a tough ask beating Sommerlied after going down to the Drier filly in the Laisserfaire Stakes. That said she will strip fitter and her course and distance form speaks for itself.
Mike de Kock has not quite clicked into top gear in the Cape this summer and he throws the Australian-bred debut winner Shufoog into the deep end. She won well at Turffontein and could be anything.
Queen Laurie is the second of the Maroun duo. She showed plenty of pace in the Magnolia Handicap but was well beaten and faces stronger here.
Angel’s Trumpet was well beaten by her subsequent Cape Fillies Guineas winning stablemate Snowdance in the Western Cape Fillies Championship.
The balance of Nordic Breeze, Anneline, Scandola and Hoist The Mast are all talented sorts on their day but have some ground to make up on the top-rated group.
Sommerlied has done little wrong and her match with Just Sensual will make for a highlight in a race packed with speed. Casual Diamond and Live Life are both very smart, while Green Plains ran a cracker at her opening start here three weeks ago.
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Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes (SAf-Gr2)
Kenilworth, South Africa, December 9, R400k, 1000m, turf, good, 59.73
1 – JUST SENSUAL (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Dynasty (SAF) – Consensual (SAF) by Camden Park (USA). Owner Mayfair Speculators (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr D L Brugman); Breeder Klawervlei Stud; trainer J Ramsden; jockey A Marcus
2 – Hoist The Mast (SAF), 58.0, b m 5, Querari (GER) – Sailing To Rio (AUS) by Woodman (USA)
3 – Live Life (SAF), 59.0, b f 4, Trippi (USA) – Viva (SAF) by National Assembly (CAN)
Margins: 0.05, 0.75, 0.10
