Fast. Trippi’s Ruffian Stakes winner For The Lads (right) is expected to run another big race on Saturday in the Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes
The R175 000 Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes presents one of the major posers for punters on the Turffontein card on Saturday. The field of sixteen lightly raced 2yo fillies means that more than the recommended measure of emotion and gut feel may have to be applied to selections.
It is a proven fact of our everyday racing lives that horses ridden by the likes of Piere Strydom and Anton Marcus are seldom priced up at fair and realistic value. Both of our top jockeys often bemoan the madness of prices and support for their mounts.
This is one race where we are going to be guided by what they are riding, more than what we can unravel on paper. After all, the race is muddled by grey areas of collateral form, greying trainers and even three Greys Inns. Plus the usual grey area of the potential scope for improvement,which is the single major unmeasurable.
Winners
There are six winners in the race, four placed maidens and two debutantes. Anton Marcus rides the Rock Of Gibraltar filly Arcetri Pink for Geoff Woodruff.
The Australian bred made an impressive well supported winning debut in mid February over the Turffontein 1000m, when losing two lengths at the start and making up good ground, before beating For The Lads by 1,50 lengths. The win was impressive and full of character as she got home in good time, despite the adversity of her slow beginning.
One For Us
Game. The Chris Erasmus trained Raving Queen appears a lot better than her Ruffian Stakes effort
Piere Strydom rides For The Lads for Sean Tarry. The daughter of Trippi came out after that debut defeat by Arcetri Pink, to shed her maiden in the Listed Ruffian Stakes three weeks ago. For The Lads showed great fight and smart toe, when rallying late to narrowly account for Virgo’s Babe.
She had Crown Bearer a neck away in third place, and she meets the Leon Erasmus trained filly on 3kgs worse terms here. That said, Crown Bearer has had another run in the interim, when showing terrific pace to go down by a nostril to Usisi over the Vaal 1000m. While Crown Bearer would have benefitted from the experience, we are concerned at the report of a respiratory noise during that race.
For The Lads appears to hold Lady Morgana (18 lengths) and Raving Queen (11,55 lengths) and Miss Seattle (4,25 lengths) on the Ruffian Stakes form. Miss Seattle is 3kgs better off, and looks the one capable with outside prospects of turning the tables, although she is still a maiden and appears to have the respiratory noise issues too.
Grey Man
The distinguished grey Mike Azzie sends out the aptly named Grey Area for Mrs Bridget Oppenheimer. The daughter of Greys Inn was freely available at 15 to 2 when skating home on her course and distance winning debut.
Robbie Fradd stays with her and they need to confirm their superiority over Ormond Ferraris’ Cuirass, whom they beat by a hairbreadth on that debut. The Ferraris filly, coincidentally also a Greys Inn, was unfancied at 9 to 1, and now meets her conqueror on 3kgs better terms.
Mike De Kock’s debut winner Maynoona won easily first time at any price over the Vaal 1200m, and will be ridden by Karl Neisius in the absence of the Dubai bound Anthony Delpech.
The daughter of Dubawi won unextended and had Virgo’s Babe, who subsequently ran For The Lads to a close thing in the Ruffian Stakes, well beaten six lengths behind.
Great Debut
Turnaround? Lady Morgana faded badly in the Ruffian Stakes and looks to improve here
The Judpot filly Lady Morgana won a cracker on debut, but then ran a shocker in the Ruffian Stakes. There are no apparent excuses for that diabolical run, perhaps only a lack of match fitness. She will be under the spotlight to show good improvement here. Top Notch made her debut when running a nice fifth, and just behind Usisi and her stablemate Crown Bearer.
What’s in a name? Up To Ones Neck is not the kind of name to risk the rent money on, but she did run a cracker on debut when going down a half length to Grey Area, whom she meets on 3kgs better terms here. She is the third of three daughters of Greys Inn running in the race.
Colours
We have made the observation that this race deviates from the black and white of the form book to the greys of emotions and other imponderables. We are leaning with some hesitation towards For The Lads, to hold Arcetri Pink and Maynoona.
But Grey Area has done little wrong, and the likes of Crown Bearer and Up To Ones Neck look set to improve further and also have a few kilos start. Watch the betting on the two first timers.
