Jack Milner
Alan Greeff has had a wonderful year raiding all over the country with a bunch of outstanding two-year-old fillies who all performed brilliantly, winning Graded races wherever they went. Now it will be interesting to see if they can still retain the same level of form as three-year-olds.
Unfortunately for the yard, hitherto unbeaten Anotherdanceforme let the side down when she came to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth to contest the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship over 1600m on the winter course.
She proved to be a difficult ride for Richard Fourie as she tended to hang, perhaps because it was her first race on a left-handed turn.
On Saturday Greeff is bringing his other two fillies – Golden Palm and Direct Hit – to contest feature races at Kenilworth, this time on the Summer Course with the long straight.
Master Of My Fate filly Golden Palm suffered defeat on debut, but she has impressed since then, winning her last five starts, including a Grade 2 and a Grade 1.
Three of those wins were in the Eastern Cape, but she also raided Gauteng in March, where she won the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m, and KwaZulu-Natal in July when she landed the Grade 1 Thekweni Stakes over 1600m at Greyville.
While Anotherdanceforme scraped home in her first run returning from a rest Golden Palm doddled her race, beating All Systems Go by 6.75 lengths to win the Listed Racing Owners Association Stakes over 1600m.
It was a top-class effort despite the fact she was racing against her own age group, but she was taking on mostly geldings and had to concede weight to all.
All five of her wins were with Richard Fourie in the irons, so it is interesting that Fourie is not riding her this time around. Instead, former champion jockey Keagan de Melo gets the ride for the first time.
Fourie, who is contracted to ride for Ridgemont, will be aboard unbeaten Reet Petite. This Rafeef filly has won all three of her starts, and the further she has gone, the better she has looked.
Her most recent win was achieved with ease, showing clear superiority over her rivals. Fourie rode her in all three victories and will know what is required to beat Golden Palm — but the question remains - will she?
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer has an excellent record in Grade 1 races, and Princess Of Gaul showed she is still improving when beating a number of these rivals over 1400m at Kenilworth a month ago. The Vercingetorix filly has won three of her four starts, and it is worth noting that Craig Zackey is unbeaten in his three rides on her. She also benefits from a good draw and could get the run of the race.
One race earlier (Race 6) unbeaten Direct Hit will line up in the Grade 3 WSB Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m.
This daughter of Canford Cliffs is a half-sister to five-time winner Smashing who is also in the Greeff yard, and she has already won at the track as Greeff raided with her in February and scored a facile win in the Grade 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery, where she took on the boys and went on to beat Winter Snap by 2.75 lengths.
It is worth noting that Good For You, who she beat by seven lengths, went on to win the Grade 1 Gold Medallion at HWB Scottsville a few months later.
On the same day Direct Hit won the fillies’ event, the Grade Allan Robertson Fillies Championships in 0.81 seconds quicker.
This is a top-class filly and although she faces a tough field she will be hard to beat. And this time, as she is owned by Ridgemont, Fourie will be in the irons.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 3 Sweet Green, 6 Catwalk King, 7 Rabdan, 2Le Concierge
Race 2: 5 Loving Prague, 7 Red Wave, 3 I Am Sam, 11 Fast Train
Race 3: 3 Give It Laldy, 1 Fort Yukon, 10 Sugar Daddy, 5 Volegov
Race 4: 9 Note To Self, 4 Baton Rouge, 2 Miami Summer, 3 Captains Alliance
Race 5: 4 Ahead Of The Facts, 1 Holding Thumbs, 7 Umfula, 2 Congressman
Race 6: 1 Direct Hit, 3 Asiye Phambili, 4 Roccapina, 12 Green Diamond
Race 7: 7 Golden Palm, 8 Reet Petite, 3 Princess Of Gaul, 5 Lowveld Lily
Race 8: 1 Touched By Angels, 5 Delta Pride, 2 Gran Canaria, 4 Mexican Pete
Race 9: 5 Kattekwaadkwadraad, 10 Beach Verse, 8 Act Of Grace, 7 La Landonne
Race 10: 1 Sports Fan, 2 Pink Pigeon, 8 Alltheboysiveloved, 14 Lady Look Alike
BEST BET
Race 2: 5 Loving Prague
VALUE BET
Race 9: 5 Kattekwaadkwadraad
BEST SWINGER
Race 7 7x8
BIPOT
R24
Leg 1: 5
Leg 2: 1, 3
Leg 3: 2, 4, 9
Leg 4: 1, 4
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 7, 8
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R96
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 2, 4, 9
Leg 3: 1, 4
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 7, 8
Leg 6: 1, 3
Leg 7: 1, 5
PICK 6
R1680
Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 7
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 7, 8
Leg 5: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9
Leg 6: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
JACKPOT 1
R40
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 7
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 7, 8
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9
JACKPOT 2
R420
Leg 1: 7, 8
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9
Leg 3: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 14