A daughter of Dynasty, Beach Beauty should relish the extra
Please note: Greyville race meeting has been postponed to Sunday 31 July and Turffonteins race meeting will now take place on Saturday
Beach Beauty and Emerald Cove are the only three-year-olds in a field of nine for the Gold Bracelet over 2000m at Greyville on Sunday, and they may well dominate the finish to this WFA event for females. Both are well weighted if judged on merit ratings, with just one pound between them according to the handicappers, and it is not easy to split the two.
Emerald Cove is rated one pound ahead of Beach Beauty, but the latter looks to have scope for improvement going this far for the first time and is narrowly selected to land the spoils. Beach Beauty is a daughter of Dynasty, which suggests that she is entitled to enjoy going the distance, and she was running on very strongly from off the pace when less than one length second behind Happy Archer in the Gr 1 Garden Province Stakes over 1600m at Greyville earlier in July. Dennis Drier’s charge also ran on very well when she won the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas over the Greyville 1600m in May and looks to have plenty more yet to come.
Emerald Cove was clearly nowhere near her best when she was beaten 6.70 lengths behind Beach Beauty on her local debut in the KRA Fillies Guineas and has done a good deal better since. The winner of the Gr 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth in January was not very well drawn when she raced handy before lacking extra late to finish 2.40 lengths eighth behind Igugu in the Vodacom Durban July and was by no means disgraced. She did receive 2 kgs from the winner that day, but had earlier finished a sterling second behind Igugu at level weights in the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 over this course-and-distance. She is now in good form and makes plenty of appeal here.
Pick of the older runners could be consistent Fisani, who was full of running to win the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg at Turffontein in April the only time she went 2000m. Mike de Kock’s four-year-old was running on nicely when she finished 1.5 lengths further behind Beach Beauty in the Garden Province and was drawn wide when not finding a great deal after racing handy over the Clairwood 1600m two starts ago. She may not find it easy to reverse form with Beach Beauty, but she has the proven ability to stay this 400m longer distance and that entitles Fisani to respect. She is weighted with an equal chance to Beach Beauty according to the handicappers.
Secret Babe was drawn widest of 14 when she made late headway to finish about 3.5 lengths seventh in the Garden Province and this stable companion to Beach Beauty was certainly not disgraced in the circumstances. She seems to have improved with blinkers and sported the headgear for the first time when running on gamely to beat well weighted We Three in a plate race over 1900m at Greyville in June. That gives her some sort of a chance, at least for place purposes.
Queen’s Bay was beaten 1.5 lengths by Fisani on identical weight terms over 2000m in April, but she can be a very effective frontrunner and the sharper Greyville course might suit her better than it does Fisani. Mike Azzie’s mare can be a little inconsistent perhaps and lacked extra late after racing handy when 2.5 lengths seventh behind Candy Singer in a Gr 3 handicap over 1800m at Turffontein in June, but she should be considered for minor money.
Imperious Star is struggling to regain the form which saw her win the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville last season and appeared to have every chance before she finished 2.75 lengths fifth behind Happy Archer in the Garden Province. It wasn’t a bad effort as such, but it was a bit below what she showed when half-a-length second behind Here To Win in that same race the previous season. To be fair, Glen Kotzen’s filly has only started twice since a 19 week rest and she may be slowly coming to the boil. She has Marcus up this time and a better effort could still be on the cards, but she will need to step up on latest form to win this.
Croc Valley has a lot to prove that she can make her presence felt at this level. She has been very effective in Listed class, but Graded races are another matter and she has been unplaced in two of them on the bounce, most recently when 9.25 lengths twelfth in the Garden Province. Quick Single has somewhat disappointing form and has been well beaten behind Fisani twice in her last three starts. She looks out of her depth at the weights. Ireland had no sort of a run on her return from a 36 week lay-off when she dislodged her jockey coming out of the stalls earlier this month. Even on best form she would appear to have a virtually hopeless task on these weight terms.
The pace may not be overly strong, but it shouldn’t be a crawl either with Queen’s Bay one who can cut out the running at a reasonable tempo. Imperious Star has won making all, and Quick Single can go handy. Beach Beauty has a fine turn of foot and her proven form over shorter suggests that she won’t be inconvenienced if the pace isn’t particularly hot. Indeed, it may even work to her advantage if the race turns into a bit of a sprint, but there seems a good chance that she would stay a true-run 2000m as well. Either way she appeals as the one to beat – just – and is selected ahead of Emerald Cove, Fisani, Imperious Star, and Secret Babe.
