Bambina Stripes - Looking to atone here
The grey De Kock galloper Ilha Bela travels to Greyville to take on Dennis Drier’s smart Bambina Stripes in her own backyard. The outcome of the clash between the two top stables should provide the answers to the R500 000 Gr1 Woolavington 2000. A race famously won by a certain Igugu, before she went on to conquer all before her!
Trainer Mike De Kock will be glancing back on his 2011 diary as he will be keen to repeat all the right things he did with a filly that was to go on and win the Vodacom Durban July, the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge and then straight on to glory in the J&B Met. As tends to be the case with the De Kock superstars, they outgrow Africa and spread their wings for the more lucrative rewards of international shores.
Talented
Ilha Bela, is she a July hopeful?
We are not suggesting that Ilha Bela is even half as talented as Igugu. We do know that De Kock feels that she is better than her mom, Ilha Da Vitoria, and any self-respecting racegoer over the age of 21 will remember that little grey number’s name with fondness. She was brilliant. The daughter must be quite good too then!
While this race is wide open at first glance, we don’t believe there are too many fillies realistically capable of lifting the R300 000 first cheque. We have narrowed the short-list down to Ilha Bela, Bambina Stripes, Beloved Betty and Tresco.
Ilha Bela really only arrived on our doorsteps on Champions Day. Prior to that day she had won three okay sort of races and run a narrow second behind Go Indigo in the Gr2 Fillies Guineas, but had never really struck us as anything brilliant. But her emphatic Gr2 SA Oaks win by 6,25 lengths had us all sit up and take notice. She had both Tresco and Avenue Of Gold well beaten.
De Kock then started talking about her in the same breath as his July hopes. And Saturday is her next step.
Late Final
The Argentinian-bred Bambina Stripes won the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m at Turfontein in dazzling late-flash style and then went into the KRA Fillies Guineas as a 5-2 fancied runner. She unfortunately dislodged her rider Alec Forbes there and the run was a waste of time and preparation.
Kevin Shea rides her from a 1 draw on Saturday and the veteran jockey and Dennis Drier struck early gold in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Medallion last Saturday with 40-1 shot, Potent Power. Watch for her dazzling late streak!
Glen Kotzen won this race in 2010 with Imperious Star and the Paarl-based trainer will be looking for every Gr1 prize he can lay his hands on after the terrible disappointment of his champion three year old Princess Victoria in last weekend’s SA Fillies Sprint. Kotzen sends the twice winning Spectrum filly Beloved Betty out after her good fourth in the Gr2 KRA Fillies Guineas three weeks ago behind Amanee.
Arch Enemy
Beloved Betty - looking for this distance
Beloved Betty’s talented mother Arch Mistress won up to 2000m and she races like a filly who is crying out for this type of trip. Pure class probably had her winning over 1200m on debut and if Sean Cormack can settle her early, she should be running on late in the race.
Sean Tarry has Tresco and the one-time winning Jet Set Model in the race. Dynasty’s daughter Tresco gets the services of Piere Strydom and she caught the eye on her gallant fourth behind Ilha Bela in the SA Oaks. Having won over 1450m and a mile, she may enjoy the kind hands of Piere Strydom over this track and warrants quartet inclusion.
Dean Kannemeyer’s Bermuda Sloop dips her feet into Gr1 waters for the second time in her 14 start career. She ran an excellent fifth at her first deep-ender when only 3,55 lengths behind Princess Victoria in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas and has won her only try at 2000m. Fair enough, that was in a relatively lowly-rated MR 80 Handicap and she did beat Golden Dawn, who ran miserably when favourite for last Sunday’s Listed Cat Stormsvlei Mile. She won her penultimate start at Greyville oer a mile and would then have found that trip a bit tough in the KRA Fillies Guineas last time. She will enjoy the extra ground here, and must have a solid place chance.
Lightning
Thunder Dance may lack the fitness
We have short memories in this game and we are probably being unkind to Paddock Stakes winner Thunder Dance, who ran poorly at her comeback outing last week after being scratched lame from the KRA Fillies Guineas on 5 May. This is Gr1 level, and when preparations go awry, it usually spells disaster. Thunder Dance did beat Beach Beauty in a Gr1 and has won four of her eight starts, but may lack the fitness to do battle here.
Vaughan Marshall’s Australian-bred Dubai Gina plodded late in the Listed East Coast Handicap when running into fifth and 2,05 lengths off the winner Feel My Love. She appears a few lengths off the likes of Ilha Bela and Bambina Stripes.
Duncan Howells has three runners and the best of his must be Felix The Cat,. This Varsfontein Stud-bred has run two Gr1 seconds and ran a cracking third in the KRA Fillies Guineas, when finishing with a rattle. She has never been this far, but could run a place if she stays the trip.
Straight Stripes
Bambina Stripes got the better of Ilha Bela by 0,25 lengths at their sole clash to date. Back on her home ground, there is no reason to believe that she won’t repeat the feat with that advantage and the added benefit of local experience. Even if her last Greyville outing will conjure few happy memories for the Drier flyer.
It is tough going against the De Kock machine, but we are going with Bambina Stripes to beat Ilha Bela, with Beloved Betty or Tresco snatching third place. An intriguing race.
