Action! Sue For Peace won well last time
We have never been short of talent in the ranks of the sprinting females and the R150 000 Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes to be run over 1200m at Scottsville on Sunday underlines the strength of this sector. Match fitness could be the key to unlocking the secret to this one.
At first glance Captain Al’s two very smart 3yo Cape fillies All Is Secret and Victorian Secret look likely to fight this out, but fitness in both cases must be suspect. That forces consideration further afield, and Dennis Drier’s good coupling jumps out of the page time and again.
Top Class
Vaughan Marshall’s grey filly All Is Secret will be partnered by Anton Marcus and the Gr1 Alan Robertson winner reverts to the scene and distance of her greatest triumph. Not seen for close on three months since she ran unplaced 3,55 lengths behind the brilliant Blueridge Mountain in the Majorca Stakes, she is likely to need the outing. But that said, she is a top class sprinter and could run well fresh. Her stablemate Valdivia has not carried her early juvenile promise through to her 3yo year, but is worth a quartet inclusion.
Snaith
Justin Snaith’s coupling of the Team Valor owned Comtesse Dubois and the year younger Victorian Secret are both in with a shout. Victorian Secret last made an appearance on 1 March with a runaway win in the Listed Lady’s Pendant. Prior to that she had last run in December, when beaten 1,75 lengths by the brilliant Via Africa.
She was giving the Howells’ bomb 2kgs, and that was an outstanding effort. While this is stronger than PE, we can assume that she runs well fresh and must be in with a great chance.
Comtesse Dubois is a very smart daughter of Count Dubois, but has not run since an unplaced effort behind Blueridge Mountain in the Sceptre Stakes.
Stable Elect
Then we can consider the Drier power coupling. While the jockey engagement suggests that Var 4yo Miss October may be the stable elect, there is nothing wrong with the form of Western Winter’s smart daughter Sue For Peace.
She bounced back to winning ways last time out with a smooth 0,25 length win in an MR94 Handicap beating the capable Crissy Sanchez over Sunday’s course and distance.
Dean Kannemeyer has recently taken over the Victory Moon filly Hidden Beauty in his newly acquired Crabbia string. The 2011 Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery winner has won 6 of her 14 starts, and ran a cracker after a close on year rest last time when finishing a nice third to Bermuda Sloop over 1500m. She will be far more comfortable over this trip and as the highest rated filly in the race looks a big runner.
Categorical
The Duncan Howells trained Felix The Cat has generally been campaigned at distances beyond 1200m, but is all class and ability and must come into the reckoning. The daughter of Black Minnaloushe has run two smart recent seconds over 1400m, and if Alec Forbes can get her to show some interest early on enough, she could feature for place money.
Sufferance
Corne Spies’ Tobe’s Lass has her 37th outing and ran unplaced on the Vaal sand on Tuesday. As a lower level course and distance winner, she must be in consideration for place money but is seriously in under sufferance.
