By Graeme Hawkins
The R450 000 Western Cape Fillies Championship Gr 2 for three-year-old fillies over 1400m heads a well-filled 10-race programme at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday with the first event, a Maiden Plate over 1600m, due off at 12:00.
GIMMIE’S COUNTESS, an impressive winner of the Diana Stakes Gr 3 at the end of September, lines up in tomorrow’s headliner and will be a popular choice to follow up, but the barrier draw has not been kind to the Dean Kannemeyer-trained daughter of Gimmethegreenlight. GIMMIE’S COUNTESS will jump out of Gate 12, the widest of all, and its likely that Craig Zackey, sporting the familiar Black and Yellow silks of Lady Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables, will opt to ride her patiently from a little way off the early speed. The Winter course at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth has a short home stretch but GIMMIE’S COUNTESS possesses a fine turn of acceleration which could carry her to victory.
SYMPHONY IN WHITE is a classy filly and is much better drawn than GIMMIE’S COUNTESS. She steps up to 1400m for the first time in her career but being out of Snowdance, former winner of the 1600m Maine Chance Majorca Stakes Gr 1, SYMPHONY IN WHITE should have no issues with seeing out the trip. From Gate 3, she should get the run of the race and is expected to make a bold bid for top honours.
WHISTLE THE TUNE won the Devon Air Stakes L as a juvenile and was somewhat unlucky in the Golden Slipper Gr 2 on July Day when finishing fifth behind Quid Pro Quo despite having to be checked at a crucial stage of the race. Nevertheless, WHISTLE THE TUNE finished a neck in front of GIMMIE’S COUNTESS and that brings the Glen Kotzen-trained daughter of Captain Of All bang into the reckoning. Unlike GIMMIE’S COUNTESS and SYMPHONY IN WHITE, WHISTLE THE TUNE has not had the benefit of a recent run but is reported to have galloped well at home.
KINDA WONDERFUL won the Irridescence Stakes L in June beating DIXIELAND BAND, who reopposes here, by a comfortable margin. She had a pipe opener over 1250m at Durbanville six weeks ago and will strip a much fitter filly tomorrow. KINDA WONDERFUL has certainly shown enough to get into the mix here and must be considered for Trifectas and Quartets.
There are several progressive and well-bred fillies that come into this race “under the radar” with plenty of scope and potential to rise to the occasion, including World Sports Betting Cape Town Met-winning Oh Susanna’s daughter by Trippi, LITTLE SUZIE. She has cracked pole position, and this will be a true test of her potential going forward.
Tomorrow’s renewal of the Western Cape Fillies Championship Gr 2 will give us a much better idea as to what to expect in the forthcoming World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas Gr 1 on 7 December. Despite her poor draw, I am happy to row in with Gimmie’s Countess to come home ahead of Symphony In White and Whistle The Tune, but I would not be surprised if one or more of those flying “under the radar” raise their game to Graded Stakes level.
Justin Snaith holds a very strong three-way coupling in the fifth race, the R225 000 Woolavington Stakes L over 2500m. Richard Fourie’s mount FUTURE SWING is the ante-post favourite but he must concede 8kgs to his fast-improving stable mate CALL TO UNITE who should not be troubled by stepping up the distance for the first time. He has won his last two starts over 1800m and 2000m but at the weights there is not much to choose between CALL TO UNITE and Snaith’s third string to his bow, DAIMYO, who has the postage stamp of 50kgs on his back.
Gareth Van Zyl-trained Vihaan’s Bomb is an interesting runner on his first appearance in the Western Cape. Marco Van Rensburg, who enjoyed a red-letter day at Turffontein last weekend, jets into town to partner VIHAAN’S BOMB but it doesn’t help his cause that Van Rensburg has to put up 2kgs overweight. FUTURE SWING is the class act in the race but with the wide spread of weights, it’s a competitive renewal of the Woolavington Stakes and, while the race is up for grabs, I am leaning towards CALL TO UNITE and DAIMYO to fly the flag for the Champion trainer.
The third Feature on the card is the R225 000 Laisserfaire Stakes L for fillies and mares over 1100m and there is every chance that the in-form Southern Skies will complete a four-timer. That this is her toughest test to date goes without saying, but she ever so slightly holds the early market leader NORDIC QUEST at the weights. SUMMER LILY steps back in trip but sports blinkers for the first time and she could be competitive in a quality field. ASIYE PHAMBILI has 63,5kgs to shoulder but she is a big strong and impressive looking mare, and she could make light of the heavy weight she has been set to carry. Earlier this year she was beaten just a neck in the Sceptre Stakes Gr 2 by subsequent Gr 1 winner October Morn, when giving away 3,5kgs and a repetition of that performance brings her into the race with solid claims at generous odds.
