By Mark van Deventer
Star filly, DOUBLE GRAND SLAM has only missed the money at two of her 15 starts, with seven victories, including Gr 1, Gr 2 and Gr 3 medals to her name over a range of distances – and at three different courses. That is quite some resume, and it seems highly probable that she will embellish her CV on Saturday.
Justin Snaith’s filly takes on six opponents in the Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes Gr 1 over 1600m. Regular jock Richard Fourie remains on top.
She comes in off a career top, having run a peak figure in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m. The final time of the race was equivalent to what classy Rascallion recorded in the Premier’s Trophy over the same distance, but Double Grand Slam’s finishing fraction was noticeably quicker than what Rascallion, or indeed any of those older Graded male horses, managed.
Those powers of acceleration should again prove decisive and enable her to run down World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas winner, FATAL FLAW (7) and regular rival, Glen Kotzen trained, RASCOVA (2) who ran second in this contest last year to Princess Calla. Both like to move up front, and the race shape will hinge on how the lead is contested, and the resultant early pace set by these front-runners.
SCARLET MACAW (6) is a nuggety little Horizon filly with real athleticism and the ability to quicken. She ran on determinedly at Fatal Flaw in the World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas, getting within two lengths of Brett Crawford’s strong galloping filly.
KINDA WONDERFUL (1) has a nice turn of foot and will do better than her World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas fail when suffering a wide/no cover trip. She finished close in the false run, Fillies Championships, staying on purposefully, which is a better reflection of her ability.
CELTIC RUMOURS (5) will need to improve on her recent form – even her best might be insufficient to trouble the main candidates.
That leaves ROCCAPINA (3) as the dark horse. Candice Bass Robinson’s 3YO closed sharply after switching to get within half a length of Asiye Phambili in the Cartier Sceptre Stakes over 1200m and now tries 400m further. The stretch-out may elicit improvement from this sparingly campaigned filly in which case she could give older, established rivals a scare.
MARK VAN DEVENTER’S SELECTIONS:
4 – 3 – 2 – 7 – 6
