Oh Susanna starts her campaign

OH SUSANNA, who made history in the Sun Met, begins her bid to repeat the feat in the Supabets Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow. Richard Fourie’s mount has the proverbial stone in hand as she is rated 6.5kg superior to the best of the opposition and it’s hard to argue with her opening price of 11-20.

True, she has not raced for the best part of six months but she looked in fine fettle when galloped over 1 400m on the course at the end of last month and her two main dangers are also running for the first time this season.

You could argue that the triple Grade 1 winner’s price is too short because she only beat Lady In Black (4-1 to win this) by three-quarters of a length in the Woolavington but Justin Snaith has long maintained that KZN did not suit her. Certainly the form she produced at Greyville was way below what she showed in the Cape season.

If there is to be an upset Brave Move (6-1) looks more likely to cause it. She has been off since the Final Fling at the end of July when she chalked up her sixth consecutive win with consummate authority but she has been pleasing Adam Marcus in her home work, and she is almost certainly better than her rating.

Fresnaye

Fresnaye, beaten a length and three-quarters in the Final Fling, renews rivalry on 1.5kg worse terms but has had a more recent run. However it is difficult to see her turning the tables and that is why you can get 14-1.

Hashtagyolo (10-1) is unbeaten but has not raced since New Year’s Eve last year. In the interim she has had a particularly vicious virus and been switched from Johannesburg to Durban to Cape Town. Love To Boogie and Goodtime Gal are close on their Diana running and have the considerable advantage of race fitness. They also receive 1.5kg from the big guns and at 14-1 are attractively priced. But not so attractively that you could envisage them toppling the favourite. Mastagambit and Silva’s Fling, who dead-heated for second on their debuts on the Greyville poly at the end of July, head the market in the opening maiden but preference is for Engage And Beware who is taken to make amends for last time’s Durbanville disappointment.

Princess Penelope went into the Winnings Ways notebook after last month’s encouraging Durbanville debut and she may just be able to account for Waldorf Astoria in race two.