Packed With Class
| Packed With Class 25 May, 2012 – Lisa Barrett |
KZN racing is gearing up for a massive weekend of racing, with several top class races on the cards. All eyes will be on Scottsville on Saturday 26th May, where the SA Fillies Sprint and the Allan Robertson (both Grade 1) take place.
Both races promise to be mouth-watering affairs, and once again KZN racing is hoping that its star fillies can once again bring home the silver for the province. First of the main feature races is the Allan Robertson should be a cracker of a race, with several top class fillies lining up in the race. Trainer Vaughan Marshall has a strong hand in the race, with two entries: Valdivia the unbeaten half-sister of KZN champion sprinter, Val De Ra and All Is Secret, the talented daughter of Captain Al.
They will be up against some formidable opponents in the form of SA Nursery heroine, King’s Temptress, the promising 2YO Rebel Queen, and the Pretty Polly Stakes (Grade 3) winner, Franny. It is hoped that King’s Temptress can repeat the scintillating form which saw her win the SA Nursery in by over 5,5 lengths in April. It would be a fantastic boost for her sire, King Of Kings, who currently stands in 4th place on the Leading Sires of 2YO’s log.
The other highly anticipated race is likely to be the Grade 1 S.A.Fillies Sprint. The race pits the “older generation” Welwitschia, Ebony Flyer, State Blue against the best of the young pretenders lead by Princess Victoria. Champion trainer, Mike de Kock has a lone entry in Welwitschia, the multiple Group winning daughter of Oasis Dream, who will be looking to repeat the impressive form which saw her take the Camellia Stakes (Gr.2) in April at Turffontein. She will be carrying top weight (60kgs) though, and the tough Scottsville straight can take a toll on those who are not at their fittest.
Justin Snaith has a double hand in the race, with Ebony Flyer and State Blue, the consistent performing National Assembly mare. Even though Ebony Flyer is coming off a lengthy rest, she could face some stiff competition from Princess Victoria, the multiple Group 1 winner, who is in the form of her life after her impressive victory (wfa) in the Grade 3 Poinsettia Stakes at Clairwood in April. Along with the Herman Brown Jnr entry, Backworth Stud’s Chocolicious and She’s A Stunner it should be a cracking race, and one can only hope that the best horse wins, and shows the rest of South Africa, that there’s good racing in them hills here in KZN.
| Lisa Barrett – Guest Writer “Lisa Barrett”, her psuedonym, currently works at a stud farm in the KZN Midlands – a position she has held for the past eight years. She describes herself as “absolutely and totally besotted by horses” and she is in a fortunate position to work with a stallion she idolises every day. She describes herself as “continually fascinated by every aspect of the racehorse business, especially pedigrees!” |