Gatecrasher? The talented Felix The Cat looks the only runner capable of dampening the De Kock New Year party
Trainer Mike De Kock will be looking to start the New Year on a champagne note by winning the R150 000 Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes run over a mile at Clairwood on Tuesday. His duo of Viva Maria and Checcetti look well handicapped to get punters off to a flying start to 2013.
While we have all had a go at the handicapper and his overzealous calculator from time to time, there are instances where he has proven spot-on. The Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes looks one case where it may pay to put our faith in the hands of the grey men and banker the Mike De Kock pair – who look rated to fight it out.
Classy! De Kock’s Gr1 Woolavington winner Viva Maria will be looking to get back into winning ways at Clairwood on Tuesday
Big Runner
The facile Gr1 Woolavington 2000 winner Viva Maria looks particularly well in on the weight terms of this little feature and the Lammerskraal owned and bred daughter of Jet Master looks set to put her disappointing last odds-on effort well behind her.
After winning the Woolavington by four lengths from end to end beating her much vaunted stablemate Ilha Bela, Viva Maria was rested for six months before making a reappearance a fortnight ago in an Allowance Plate for fillies and mares over Tuesday’s course and distance.
Obviously desperately in need of the outing and despite punter confidence, she was never going like a winner and ran some 7,55 lengths behind Put The Kettle On. It was reported that she made respiratory noises, which is naturally a matter of some concern and a flickering red light on the horizon for the cynically prone amongst us.
But as a winner of 4 of her 9 starts, with that dazzling Gr1 sandwiched in, Viva Maria has this field held on class alone and a return to her better form marks her as a likely winner.
Just Off
Her stablemate Checcetti is also a four-time winner and is rated marginally inferior.
The Gr3 Jacaranda Handicap winner has not run since Super Saturday when a desperately unlucky second behind the top-class Happy Archer in the Gold Bracelet. Checcetti powered through late there to only be beaten by Anton Marcus at his Superman best.
She was subsequently rested for just over five months.
Checcetti had run an equally meritorious second at her previous start in the Listed Off To Stud Handicap, and is overdue to score another win.
This race may come a little too soon for her and a fitness question mark could be the one item counting against Checcetti.
Party Crasher
Despite standing out head and shoulders above their seven opponents, upsets are always a possibility where fillies and mares are concerned.How well we know that to be true!
And just such a possible wet blanket for the De Kock New Year celebrations could be lurking in the midnight shadows in the sleek form of Duncan Howells’ Felix The Cat, who has two Gr1 second places to her credit as a 2yo.
While probably ranked as an overall disappointment when measured against her best earlier form, Felix The Cat is a dangerously talented daughter of Black Minnaloushe, who has long threatened to register a Group win.
Felix The Cat last won in mid-September when cracking a Conditions Plate over 1400m at Scottsville. An interesting statistic is that she gave 5kgs and a four length beating there to a certain Festival Of Fire – a 3yo filly that has performed in outstanding fashion since.
Felix The Cat struggled against the males last time when finishing 4,30 lengths behind Northern Emperor, but was only some 2,30 lengths behind Bulsara – who ran a cracker of a second in this past Wednesday’s Gr3 Christmas Handicap to Silver Age.
Consistent. The Plattner mare Approach Me could challenge for the place money
Correct Approach
The high-riding Yogas Govender stable send out the consistent Right Approach mare Approach Me, who bids for a well-deserved touch of black type after a career that has seen her win thrice.
She has also run the likes of Listed feature winners Frequent Flyer and Feel My Love to narrow margins.
Approach Me had Viva Maria over five lengths behind her last time and is in the form of her life with two seconds and a win from her last three starts. She would still have to run at something above her best form though.
Kumaran Naidoo’s Surging River mare Keep On Dreaming is a Scottsville specialist at best, but has not been too far off at her last few starts.
She is 3,5kgs better off with Approach Me for a 2,10 length beating at their last meeting, and is thus probably best regarded as a place prospect.
Adam Kethro’s three-time winning Dadewethu runs for recent new twin-Dad, jockey Chris Taylor and has run two fair fifths after registering a mile double at Greyville and Scottsville in April and May. She has never shown herself capable of pacing it with Group performers though, and may be under pressure to get her year off on a winning note in this company.
Game. Adam Kethro’s Dadewethu runs for Chris Taylor but looks outgunned here
Chosen Two
Alastair Gordon’s coupling of Black Is Black and the lightly-weighted Chosen Goddess warrant inclusion for bigger Pick 6 players.
The 3yo Chosen Goddess could have plenty of improvement to come as a filly who has only raced twice.
She came out firing on debut over the Scottsville 1200m to beat the odds-on Ivanka by 3,25 lengths. While that one was beaten by Blonde Princess next time, Chosen Goddess put in an excellent post-maiden effort.
She showed plenty of pace in an MR 74 Handicap over the Clairwood 1200m and was only caught in the dying strides by Skweleti. Chosen Goddess is out of a mare who won up to 2000m, and may be even happier over this trip.
Her year older stablemate Black Is Black is drawn nicely at 3, and is another who looks to have plenty of improvement to come.
A winner of 2 of her 9 starts, including a smart course and distance effort in September, where she had the likes of subsequent multiple winners Put The Kettle On and Dylan’s Promise well beaten, Black Is Black looks very promising.
Consistent
She maintained her consistency with a close second to Jeter next time out over the Scottsville 1400m. If not needing the run after a short break, she could make the De Kock pair pick up their feet.
James Goodman’s London Olympics won her maiden well enough by three lengths at this track in September at her seventh start, but was then rushed off her feet when outclassed in the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup in the first week of November.
She finished fourteen lengths behind Rock Of Arts and will no doubt be a lot more comfortable here. She has a place chance at best, but looks like she will be treading water when the big guns are reaching for poolside.
Party Plans
There is nothing else that looks remotely Gr1 standard here.
Class inevitably prevails and Viva Maria is a confident selection to beat Felix The Cat, with either of the Alastair Gordon coupling making up the trifecta.
So let’s make it a winning start to 2013 and banker Viva Maria in everything.
In the meanwhile, put the champagne on ice and plan the party!
