Fish River can swim the mile
THE Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas is the first leg of the Triple Tiara and the two chief protagonists, Fish River and Folk Dance, both look to be milers so should be going all out on Saturday.
Fish River by Canford Cliffs has stamina limitations on pedigree but Mike de Kock said after her 2,1 length victory in the Grade 3 Three Troikas Stakes over 1 400m, in which she found another gear late to win easing up, “On this run she will see out a mile … I think the mile will be her limit though.”
De Kock sent her to owners’ Mauritzfontein Stud’s paddocks for a while last year and she came back strengthened and improved.
Her penultimate start, when beating older fillies and mares in a handicap over 1 400m off an 86 merit rating, was just as impressive as her Three Troikas effort.
In her favour on Saturday is her good gatespeed, but the unknown is how well she will settle over this step up in trip from a tricky draw of nine.
She did take a keen hold from draw seven in her penultimate start, but last time out responded well when asked to switch off.
Folk Dance
Folk Dance is by Tiger Ridge, who has sired a Triple Tiara winner before in Cherry On The Top, but he imparts plenty of speed too and Folk Dance’s female line is also full of speed.
Folk Dance is proven over a mile, but she clearly over raced in the early stages of the Grade 3 Fillies Mile from a fair draw of four, before settling upon finding cover and winning easily.
She now has a wide draw of eleven and races fresh, so Gavin Lerena might not have an easy task settling her.
Radiant Splendour has been backed so must be highly regarded. She will easily stay this trip on pedigree. She is unbeaten in two starts and second time out when stepped up to 1 400m in a handicap she came from last and doddled it.
However, she was only racing off a 77 merit rating, so still has a lot to prove. Her good draw will help.
Silver Thursday
Silver Thursday has a shout from a plum draw. In the Starling Stakes over 1 400m last October she came from some way back to run Folk Dance to halfa-length.
She was receiving 2kg and Folk Dance was widely drawn, but that trip was too sharp.
In the Cape Fillies Guineas she was caught wide throughout from a wide draw.
Next time out in the Victress Stakes over 1 800m she stayed on strongly from pole position for a decent fifth to some top fillies. The 1 800m might be her better trip, but she will love the Turffontein galloping track with its long straight and she will be improving being by Silvano.
Cashel Palace made a bold bid from the front from a wide draw in the Fillies Mile.
She hasn’t raced since but is by Fort Wood, so should have strengthened and improved, but she now has the widest draw of all to overcome.
Aurelia Cotta had the run of the race in the Fillies Mile and ran on to pip Cashel Palace for second.
She was too far back last time from a wide draw in the CTS Mile but could earn here from a fair draw under Piere Strydom.
Takingthepeace and Green Top are both decent sorts who were running on in the Three Troikas for fourth and fifth respectively.
Takingthepeace has a long stride and should relish the step up in trip.
Green Top is by Gimmethegreenlight out of a SA Fillies Classic winner so should also love the trip, despite her half-brother by Captain Al, Doosra, appearing to prefer shorter than a mile.
Pearl Of Bahrain
Pearl Of Bahrain is an imposing daughter of Western Winter out of the decent staying mare Arabian Pearl and she won her maiden easily second time out after stepping up to 1 500m.
This is a big step up but she could be anything and she has a fair draw of seven.
Awfaa ran on well after a slow start to win a handicap last time over this trip off a 78 merit rating. She is a classy looking daughter of Silvano so will be improving and is a dark horse, although she has a tricky draw.
Pale Lilac is a big galloping sort who won from start to finish last time over this trip at the Vaal last time so has an ideal pole position draw if this tactic is to be repeated. However, she was running off just a 76 merit rating in that three-year-old fillies handicap so this will be a lot tougher.
Dame Kelly gave Fish River some cheek from a handy position in the Three Troikas but was a well beaten third in the end so has a bit to find.
Rockin Russian will have a point to prove having been left out of the CTS Mile despite running second in the Grade 1 Thekwini over this trip last year.
The horse she finished third to in her penultimate start in a Progress Plate over 1 400m, Elusive Heart, came out and won the Grade 3 Prix du Cap easily and her second last place in the Majorca was against a top class field, so she should not be written off.