Very Smart. Winter Fantasy (inside) looks set to keep the silverware at home in the face of a strong visiting contingent
Trainer Alan Greeff looks capable of stemming the visiting tide as he saddles the smart Winter Fantasy in Friday’s R150 000 Listed Breeders Guineas run over a mile at Fairview. The daughter of Western Winter has hit top form in her 3yo year and goes the 1600m for the first time in her career.
She was no slouch as a juvenile and Winter Fantasy won the corresponding East Cape Fillies Nursery last season but lost her form somewhat after a trip to KZN for the Allan Roberston Fillies Championship.
Streak Of Wins
The Ascot Stud bred filly goes for her fourth successive win on the trot on Friday and it was her last victory and the fashion of it on the Polytrack, where she stayed on well over the 1400m to win going away in good style.
She beat the Cape visitor Lift Off, whose jockey suggested was unlucky as she was poorly drawn. That said, Winter Fantasy is in top form and appears to be getting stronger all the time. Winter Fantasy is coupled with Lady Seymour and Judbury.
Well Bred
Lady Seymour is a beautifully bred daughter of Silvano who shed her maiden over the mile on the Polytrack at her penultimate start. She was well beaten by Titlee at her next outing on 7 February on the turf and at level weights appears held by the Wiese filly again.
Judbury is a one time winner who shed her maiden in relatively weak company. She has failed to fire again but being out of a Rakeen mare is likely to improve over the extra ground here.
Rare Reeves
In a rare move, Paul Reeves travels up from Milnerton with the Var filly Sea Cat who must be one of the most unluckiest fillies in training. With the AHS restrictions placed on movement out of PE as we go to press, we hope that Sea Cat will make the trip.
She is the highest rated runner in the race and is never far off some of the best of her generation. Sea Cat ran a particularly impressive race in the Gr1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas when running fifth and just 2,70 lengths behind In The Fast Lane. That sort of effort brings her firmly into the picture in a race of this nature.
Snaith Threat
As always, the Snaith threat looms large. And it is another Var filly that carries the stable banner in the well named She’s A Pippa, who jumps from a good draw with Richard Fourie up.
She’s A Pippa has not run for thirteen weeks when running well downfield in the Cape Fillies Guineas and her fitness must be in doubt. She beat Title easily at her only previous Fairview start (over 1400m) and is a talented runner who is capable of a big showing.
Further
Mitch Wiese’s Argentinian bred Titlee appears well held by Winter Fantasy and She’s A Pippa and is once again being run over what appears to be a distance slightly short of her likely best. She did show that she has the toe for a trip of this nature when beating the speedy Trix Of The Trade in her maiden in KZN over the Clairwood 1200m.
Arrow Heart dead heated with Winter Fantasy over the Polytrack 1300m at her penultimate start, but was well beaten last time behind the same filly. Wayne Agrella has been aboard at both her wins and the charismatic jockey takes the reins again.
Scopy
Mike Bass and Grant Van Niekerk team up with the Trippi filly Shingwedzi, who appears to be going the right way since winning her maiden at her penultimate start. She is drawn one from the outside and on ratings should have a mountain to climb. She is improving fast and goes for a hat trick of wins.
Glen Kotzen’s Eye Of The Panther has drawn on the outside here and ran just a week ago when finishing a running on seven length fourth behind Chestnut’s Rocket. The daughter of Eyeofthetiger is talented and while she has a tough ask at the weights, should be a lot more comfortable against her own sex.
Balance
Jacques Strydom’s Lundy’s Liabiity filly Bursary has the advantage of the best draw but is well held by Winter Fantasy and needs oodles of improvement to find a cheque in this sort of field.
Yvette Bremner’s Its Freezing has run her last three races on the Polytrack and reverts to the turf. She has little form to recommend her and won her maiden in April last year.
Winter Fantasy is an improving sort who has plenty to recommend her. Sea Cat is an obvious threat as a good filly who is overdue to register another win. She’s A Pippa will run well if fit and cannot be left out of calculations. It looks very tough for the rest.
