Another weight for age race that isn’t.The R400 000 Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes boasts an honour roll that speaks of the who’s who of our top female sprinters down the years. Despite the inept meddling with the conditions, there is no reason to believe that the standards won’t be maintained on Saturday.
A high quality field of 13 speedsters line up on Saturday and the locals will be hard-pressed to keep the trophy in the shadow of the mountain, with the presence of star visitors,Carry On Alice, Little Genie, Entisaar and Cosmic Light spicing things up dramatically.
Fly By Night (left) is a massive runner
While she is not getting any younger, the Gr1 winner Fly By Night took the lion’s share of the Southern Cross Stakes spoils last year when beating the crack flyer Alboran Sea.
Lightly raced at the best of times, the high quality Fly By Night is one of the best female speedsters around and came back from her Mercury Sprint fourth and a break of four months to run a quiet 3,40 lengths behind Jo’s Bond.
She will be fitter on Saturday and must be respected as she bids for the double.
Her stablemate Lanner Falcon seldom runs a poor race and after two consecutive Kenilworth winter feature wins, she was full of enthusiasm after the break to run 1,55 lengths in front her smart companion.
Fly By Night was obviously underdone there and the 3kgs swing should be treated with caution.
Carry On Alice – top speed filly
The glittering visiting quartet deserves the utmost respect and are headed by topweight Carry On Alice, who will be out to avenge her recent Gardenia Stakes narrow defeat by the rampant Little Genie.
Little Genie has won her four starts since shedding her maiden and can do little wrong. She meets Carry On Alice on a half kilo better terms, but the Tarry galloper has been here before and has the advantage in that regard.
The free running Little Genie faces her biggest test to date, and the Kenilworth track could be a major leveller as she attempts to stake her career peak claim.
Mike De Kock’s Entisaar reverts to sprinting after being beaten 1,50 lengths by the Fillies Guineas odds-on favourite Silver Mountain in the Choice Carriers Championship.
Entisaar – reverts to sprinting
The Australian bred 3yo won the Gr1 Allan Robertson Champion and SA Fillies Nursery and looks to be a serious threat over the distance.
She appears to hold the Glen Kotzen trained Princess Royal, who was rather disappointing in the Choice Carriers when running out of the money.
Princess Royal gets a 2kgs discount from Entisaar but still looks to have a few lengths to make up.
The fourth of the visiting quartet is the unbeaten Gr2 The Debutante winner Cosmic Light, who makes her Cape debut after a 14 week break.
The daughter of Querari has plenty to do if the handicapper has her mark correct.
Dean Kannemeyer – saddles Real Princess
Dean Kannemeyer’s rates Real Princess as a Gr1 type filly and the daughter of Trippi made a decent return after her 4 month rest when staying on 2,30 lengths behind Jo’s Bond.
The Snaith runner has her again at the weights and this 1000m does look on the sharp side for Real Princess.
Brett Crawford has been in great form and his coupling can both deliver the goods.
The KRA Fillies Guineas winner has her first run in five months since unplaced in the Garden Province and may find this short.
Anton Marcus is an intriguing jockey booking for Cuvee Brut, who ran 3 lengths behind Jo’s Bond on her return after a six month sabbatical.
While she should technically battle to beat the likes of Carry On Alice, she is very quick and loves the minimum chop.
How good is Jo’s Bond?
The daughter of Captain Al has won 5 of her last 6 starts and is a deceptively progressive 3yo, with a champion jockey in the irons.
Piere Strydom – top class win strike-rate
Piere Strydom rides her from an outside gate in her bid to make it four in a row.
She surprised a few observers with her defeat of Lanner Falcon last time and while she will have to step up in this company, could be better than her official rating.
Dennis Drier’s Rock On Baby looks a tad close in the weights to Jo’s Bond at her first Cape start and is in under sufferance with the classier ones.
