Kenilworth Wednesday

The Fillies race looks a cracker and something to look forward to...

Gale force south easter is gone so will see if River Jetez will pass the front running Sparkling gem.....methinks so!RJ a BIG runner in the MET....

Hotline Fishing Handicap ? Any fancies?

The Victress Stakes over 1600m at Kenilworth tomorrow is studded with stars and looks more like a Grade 1 race than a mere Listed event.



Last season’s Equus three-year-old filly of the year, Lady Windermere, lines up against one of the other stars of last season’s sophomore crop, Sparkling Gem, while the six-year-old River Jetez finished just a length behind her brother Pocket Power in last season’s J&B Met and has an excellent record over 1400-1600m.



Then there is the Kwazulu-Natal filly, Goat, who was very unlucky in the Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas over 1600m at Greyville in May, when still beaten only 1,75 lengths, before going on to win the Grade 2 Gold Circle Derby over 2400m and the Listed KZN Breeders over 1600m, both at Clairwood.



Silver Fantasy, a 0,3 fourth in the Grade 1 garden province Stakes, also lines up as does Love Is In The Air, who took two of the Winter Classics in the Cape last season, and the unbeaten Irish-bred Katici Princess.



Glen Kotzen said that Lady Windermere is in very good shape and is over the respiratory problem that affected her last run. She shouldn’t have to deal with soft ground either, which she clearly doesn’t enjoy.



Kotzen said his other two, Silver Fantasy and Kaitici Princess, were also very well.



Justin Snaith said recently that Sparkling Gem continues to improve, despite her giant size, while jockey Felix Coetzee believes she does get the mile.



River Jetez from the Mike Bass yard has a record that suggests she doesn’t need a lot of racing to be at her best, so she could be the one to beat, especially considering she gets 1kg from both Lady Windermere and Sparkling Gem.



Goat, from the Paul Lafferty yard, will be the dark horse as nothing went her way in her two KZN Champions Season attempts against the best of her crop, while the long straight at Kenilworth will suit her style.



Kaitici Princess is unexposed and carries joint-bottom weight of 56kg. This run will show how good she is.

Think Saluki a big runner....Noble House will run an improved race in the last.

Interesting comment about Noble House Hotline, and Felix rides....would he have the choice of rides in the 9th?

Marcus stable has a strong hand tomorrow imo.

Goat definitely the right outsider for me. I am sure Laff does not what the repeat dissapointment of Pinero not qulifying for a big race a few years ago and Goat would need to just about win to secure a place in the Met IMO.

Go Goat - Bring one home for the KZN-ites please.

Greg, i would put all his runners in the p/a today...

Al, I'd love you to be right for Laff and his merry band of gentlemen, but objectively I can't see it. I cannot see beyond the Big Three in the race.

Laff did say that she may have a grade 1 in her, when being interviewed after winning 2 in succession in the KZN season.

I know this is not a grade 1 but with opposition that she is up against, it should very well be a grade 1.

Blind support for KZN trainers again I suppose - so be it.

Objectively I have to side with you Magic and wont be bankering the farm animal in exotics.

RXP

JACK MILNER
IN last year’s Victress Stakes River Jetez found Dancer’s Daughter too good but with Justin Snaith’s grey mare now off the scene, it paves the way for the sister of Pocket Power to go one better in this Listed race over 1600m at Kenilworth on Wednesday.

As this is a conditions race and the weights are set, Mike Bass’ six-year-old mare is handily placed to beat her rivals. She will carry 59kg and gets 1kg from two younger rivals, Lady Windermere and Sparkling Gem.

After a head loss to Mother Russia in the Golden Bracelet (G2) at Greyville in August, River Jetez had break of close on four months. She returned to action last month in an Allowance Plate over 1400m at Kenilworth and took a while to get going before taking off late to beat Flying West by a neck.

She clearly needed that run and should be close to peak fitness now. Under the conditions of the race, she looks the one they all have to beat. Bernard Fayd’Herbe will be in the saddle.

Once again her chief threat comes from the Snaith yard. While Sparkling Gem is unlikely to reach the heights of Dancer’s Daughter, she is talented and has won six of her 16 starts.

She is a strong front-runner and the current windy conditions at Kenilworth may suit her. On Sunday Bass mentioned that horses were struggling to come from too far off the pace because of the strong headwind in the straight.

Sparkling Gem is a massive filly and keeps up a relentless gallop. In the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes last time out it was only on the post that Fabiani got up to beat her. Felix Coetzee has ridden her to two victories and will take his place on the filly again.

Lady Windermere won two Grade 1 races during the KwaZulu-Natal winter season but was most disappointing in her comeback this season when trailing in at the back of the field, beaten 14.75 lengths by Kapil, in the Grade 2 Betting World Merchants.

Glen Kotzen’s runner is much better than that run but would need vast improvement to feature.

Katici Princess is unbeaten in three starts but faces an acid test as she is 10kg under sufferance with River Jetez.

Al, it was actually Delpech who said she would win a Gr 1. The same Delpech who said Lord London was the best 3yo in the country...but of course I will be ecstatic if he was right about Goat.