Seven Graded races (including a trio of Gr1’s) form the bulk of this Saturday’s card on the Turffontein standside course, with the Dubai World Cup from Meydan thrown in as race 12 for good measure. Let’s have a quick peek at each of these intriguing contests.
Franny
Race 3: The Gr 3 Pretty Polly stakes for 2yo fillies over 1100m looks tailor-made for FRANNY, who will start at very short odds but should prove far too strong for her nine rivals on the way she led throughout to win a Listed race by five lengths over 1000m on debut. She may even have improved from that run. Second placed STRAIGHT SET (who re-opposes her) franked the form when comfortably winning a maiden race next time out and can again fill a place. SPANISH VICTORY is well held by FRANNY on previous form, but she seemed to improve next time out and has a place chance along with WOUNDED KNEE, who showed pace when winning nicely on debut.
Istiqraar
Race 4: The Gr 3 Protea Stakes for 2yos over 1100m can go the way of WAR HORSE, who showed pace and stayed on well when getting within one length of unbeaten Soft Falling Rain (absent this time) in a Listed race over 1000m earlier in March. This slightly longer distance can only be a plus. ISTIQRAAR has shown plenty of pace in the process of putting up two excellent efforts in KZN and this inmate of the Mike de Kock stable comes here with a real chance. VALBERG led throughout to easily beat Cellarmaster on debut at the Vaal and is a possible threat, but Cellarmaster ran like a horse that was feeling something and was almost certainly below best. MOGOK’S DESIRE could be anything as he races on grass for the first time after winning by six lengths on debut on sand, but he faces better rivals this time.
Flirtation
Race 5: The Gr 3 Jacaranda Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m offers former Gr 1 Summer Cup winner FLIRTATION a good opportunity to record her first success since that famous victory in November 2010. She challenged strongly when going close behind WITHOUT MALICE on her return from a 12 week rest over 1800m on the inner course recently and may have just needed the run. This switch to the standside track gives FLIRTATION a bright chance of reversing that form. HAWKER HUNTER ran on well for third in a Gr 3 handicap over 1600m last month and won her only try over 1800m. She has a chance. QUEEN’S BAY is not very predictable, but at her best she could finish in the money.
Race 6: The first of the Gr 1 events is the WFA Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL won this race in tremendous style last year and has a very good chance of following up after she caught the eye when running on strongly late in a Gr 2 event over 1400m in February.
Dancewiththedevil
That was her first run for three months, so she should have improved, and soft going would bolster her prospects even further. PIERRE JOURDAN will prefer this distance to the 1400m of his last outing in the same Gr 2 event and has a decent chance of landing the spoils. BRAVURA is a top class miler who has gone close behind DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL over 1600m on WFA terms before and he’d have a winning chance under Anton Marcus if he’s fully acclimatised for his first appearance in Gauteng. KAVANAGH seems best over 200m shorter than this.
Control Freak
Race 7: The Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m looks a wide open race. There was a lot to like about the way in which lightly raced BAMBINA STRIPES ran on behind Felix The Cat (scratched here) over 1400m at Greyville on her return from the Cape season. She could improve a ton over this testing course-and-distance and may just have the edge. CONTROL FREAK can improve plenty on her SA debut effort in the Gr 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas last month and it is worth remembering that even the mighty Ipi Tombe was beaten in her first start on SA soil. ILHA BELA is ideally distance suited and was beaten a nose by GO INDIGO in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, but the latter ran on to win that race from a wide draw and makes some appeal again despite a bit of doubt over how she will cope with this extra 200m. KALAMI ran on late in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and can improve going up to 1800m.
Race 8: The Gr 1 SA Classic is the country’s richest race for 3yos and purely on merit ratings it is very hard to look beyond GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT, who was an impressive winner against useful rivals when he made his Gauteng debut recently.
Gimmethegreenlight
The Queen’s Plate winner and J & B third has all the proven form to win this, and with the possibility of a fairly sedate early pace the race could be run to suit him perfectly. SLUMDOGMILLIONAIRE shows bags of promise and will improve on his last effort behind GOLDEN CHATEAU in the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas, where he broke through the gates before the start and where he found 1600m on the short side. Stable companion BROOKS-CLUB improved to be runner-up in the Gauteng Guineas in his second outing after being gelded and is not without a chance. POTALA PALACE needs improvement to win, but soft going would help. WHITELINE FEVER is better than his Gauteng Guineas effort and will enjoy going back over the extra 200m here.
Deliver The Power
Race 9: The Gr 3 Man O’War Sprint is a conditions race for 3yos over 1100m and it is very hard to oppose DELIVER THE POWER at the weights. He is undefeated from four starts since being gelded last winter and was more impressive than ever when the 2.5 lengths winner of a Gr 3 handicap over 1000m last month. LEGAL ACTION was the good winner of a minor course-and-distance Feature earlier in March and should run well even though perhaps flattered by his half-length second behind DELIVER THE POWER in January. RIGHT BEAUTY can run on late for a place if he doesn’t need the run after a five month lay-off.
ilsanpietro
Race 10: The Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m could go the way of SOUL MASTER, who indicated that stamina could be his forte’ when he ran on very well to be beaten one length by classy frontrunner Princess Of Light over 2450m earlier in March. That was a very good effort as he was unfavourably treated in a plate race and purely on that run he has the measure of ILSANPIETRO, but the latter was having his first start back from Cape Town and could have been below best. He is a top class stayer on his day and remains worthy of healthy respect, especially as he is possibly more consistent than SOUL MASTER anyway. ATYEB led from a long way out when easily winning a Listed handicap over 2450m in February and is a possible threat again, but MAGICAL is battling to get his act together and needs considerable improvement on his latest form.
Chantal Sutherland will become the first woman to ride in the world’s richest race when she partners Game On Dude in the $10 million Dubai World Cup
Race 12: The Dubai World Cup over 2000m is the richest horse race on the planet. With ante-post favourite SO YOU THINK not exactly well established on surfaces like the Tapeta track at Meydan it is worth looking elsewhere for some value. MONTEROSSO looks to have had a solid prep going into this and is available at around 20/1 at the time of writing. We can’t do any damage with an each way tickle at those odds and he has the excellent Mickael Barzalona aboard. GAME ON DUDE is a tough American frontrunner who comes here on the back of a 5.25 lengths win on his 2012 debut last month and proved his class with a fine second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. He has passed up some nice alternative races in the USA to come to Dubai for a tilt at the World Cup and is ridden once more by his regular partner, Chantal Sutherland.
Frankie Dettori
Frankie Dettori’s mount PRINCE BISHOP may be in a bit too deep here, but Mike de Kock’s sole representative MASTER OF HOUNDS cannot be without hope after a fluent win around Meydan three weeks ago. Japan provided the 2011 winner of this race and now look to EISHIN FLASH, TRANSCEND, and SMART FALCON for a repeat. The latter has been unstoppable in his homeland and warrants plenty of respect, with the international market having chalked him up as the second favourite. German horses are ignored at your own peril in major races and the country which supplied the five lengths winner of the 2011 Prix de l’Arc de Triomph is not without a chance of a double of sorts, with easy last-start winner ZAZOU carrying the flag for the Fatherland. CAPPONI has improved with two impressive wins around Meydan in his last two starts and the ebullient Ahmad Ajtebi (who has gone close to winning this race before) is by no means without a chance of landing the big jackpot in Godolphin’s colours this time around.
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