KZN-Bred Fillies For Saturday Scottsville Sprint Gr1 Festival

The KZN-bred fillies racing on Saturday’s big Gr1 sprint day at Scottsville include several entries into the Gr1 Allan Robertson, whilst Paul and Beth Gadsby-trained Vision To Kill will contest the Gr1 South African Fillies Sprint.

The daughter of Kildonan, bred and owned by ex Chairman of Gold Circle Robert Mauvis in partnership with Sam Osman, born and raised at Yellow Star Stud.

Koos De Klerk of Yellow Star Stud recently said as he stood looking at the foaling barn (whilst Paddy Kruyer inspected their yearlings for the upcoming KZN Yearling Sale at Sibaya Casino), that produced Futura and Dancewiththedevil (the latter in a stallion share scenario with Craig Ramsay and St John Gray) that he wished to have a bronze plaque made remembering these great Gr1 winning horses that were born in the modern red brick barn – “but we are waiting for Vision To Kill to capture a Grade 1 first(!),” he says with a chuckle.

Vision To Kill will be ridden by Muzi Yeni, the recent winner of the Gr2 Betting World 1900 aboard Ten Gun Salute. Racing over 1200m and remembering that her own sire blitzed the course record at Scottsville in the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint over the likes of previous winners JJ The Jetplane, the filly has won three and placed twice, unlucky to finish half a length behind The Secret Is Out in the Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m at Scottsville.

Ashburton trainer Paul Gadsby was concerned the three-and-a-half metre strip on the inside which was protected at the last meeting would now “be like gold” and everybody would be trying to dive on to it.

Gadsby confirmed the Kildonan three-year-old Vision To Kill would be the elect of his two runners in the race. Gadsby felt Vision To Kill was a touch unlucky last time over course and distance in the Gr 3 Poinsettia Stakes when flying late and being beaten 0,5 lengths by The Secret Is Out. “I felt the winner had a clear run the whole way and we did not,” he said.

However, Vision To Kill will now be 3kg worse off, as The Secret Is Out was carrying a Gr1 penalty in that race. Vision To Kill will also be 2kg worse off with Live Life, whom she beat by a short-head. One factor favouring Vision To Kill is she clearly loved the step up to 1200m and jockey Muzi Yeni will now know that, whilst he went into the last race unclear whether she would enjoy the step up from 1000m.

Vision To Kill has a low draw of two. However, Gadsby said if the going on the inside does prove on the day “to be gold” he was not sure whether this would work for or against Vision To Kill as she might in that case have to be used up early to hold her position.

The Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship is represented with several KZN fillies including Brave Mary (Brave Tin Soldier), 4-time on the trot winner Daring Diva (King Of Kings), Twelve Oaks (Pathfork – Graystone Stud) and Victory Trip (Trippi – Rathmor Stud).

The Gr1 Allan Robertson has been won in the past with the likes of KZN-bred Chocolicious. Brave Mary is trained by Paul Matchett and bred by Rupert Plersch, the filly out of exceptional broodmare sire, Rich Man’s Gold. The filly has four times at the Vaal and Turffontein to win and place in three of her starts, over 1000m – 1160m.

Daring Diva is an exciting entry; the Gerald Kalil-bred and owned filly by King Of Kings out of Delightful Diva is by the speed king of his day, The Sheik. Trained by Barend Botes, the filly has been no slouch winning her first four starts on the trot including the Ruffian Stakes Listed. She has approximately a winning length of almost 10 lengths from her first four starts, and her last start saw her finish third to Green Plains just two lengths off. This will be her first KZN start.

Twelve Oaks is bred by St John Gray of Graystone Stud, who has bred, owned and trained several champions including five-time Gr1 winner, Dancewiththedevil. The Pathfork filly was born and raised on St John’s behalf at Cathy and Jonathan Martin’s Hadlow Stud.

St John should never be ignored when raiding and is a shrewd conditioner of prepping horses for feature races, hardly ever going home empty handed. His smart filly has won twice from three starts and finished just four lengths off Green Plains in the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery. Out of Land Of Wilkes by Diesis, she is a half-sister to three other winners.

Victory Trip will be flying the flag for breeder Rathmor Stud, who recently had a stunning National Yearling Sale and achieved a staggering average of over R525 000 for eight yearlings sold.

The Dennis Bosch-trained filly owned by Mario Ferreira will likely find herself a future match for their outstanding sire Noble Tune; the cross of [his sire] Unbridled’s Song and Trippi mares already Gr1 successful with dual Gr1 winning grey stallion Liam’s Map at Lane’s End (who stands alongside Noble Tune’s own dual Gr1 winning half-brother, Honor Code).

Victory Trip’s Noble Tune half-brother sold for R220 000 at the National Yearling Sale to Team G Racing – out of the very well-bred Solskjaer mare, Victory Garden, from one of Summerhill’s leading families that produced Imbongi, Spring Garland and American winner, Mahubo amongst others.

Victory Trip shed her maiden tag in her last start, after three close places from her first four starts. She maintains Eric Ngwane as her jockey and he will have the advantage of knowing her well after riding her in four of her previous five starts, including her win – the first over 1200m which she relished.

Saturday is one of the highlights on the Champions Season’s calendar and we look forward to the results!