Tallinn a capital bet
CLASSY: DE KOCK’S CHARGE HAS PROVEN HERSELF AGAINST COLTS IN A HANDICAP
➛ Spiritofthegroove will be suited by the soft going.
The Grade 3 The Citizen Fillies Mile will be run at Turffontein tomorrow but unlike the balance of the meeting, which will be run on the Inside track, this R200,000 race for three-year-old fillies will be run on the Standside track and will run as Race 9.
As expected, horses from the Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry yards dominate the race. De Kock saddles Gin Fizz, who has been priced up as the 5-2 favourite by Betting World, with another De Kock runner, Tallinn, at 4-1.
Tarry runs Spiritofthegroove, a very impressive winner of the Ready To Run Cup on 2 November, as well as Sidonie, Keep Smiling and Invisible.
Tallinn, named after the capital of Estonia, could be the horse to beat as she was unbeaten in three starts before suffering massive interference in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes which almost saw jockey Callan Murray dislodged and finished well back in the field.
Just put a line through that performance and this daughter of Vercingetorix should regain the form that has seen her easily beat the boys in a MR 91 Handicap over 1450m on the Inside track.
Based on their run in the Joburg Spring Fillies & Mares Challenge in October, Spiritofthegroove looks held by Gin Fizz but the move to the Standside track an the extra 150m should suit Tarry’s charge. She came from the clouds to beat Gaian Glory on this track in the Ready To Run Cup and she will charging at them in the closing stages. This is a stronger field but she did well on a soft track on that occasion and any further rain will suit this daughter of Visonaire.
Summer Pudding has won both of her starts and although she takes a jump in class, this daughter of Silvano must come into the reckoning.
Cockney Pride from the Corne Spies yard won the Grade 2 Golden Slipper at Greyville in July and as this will be her third run back from a rest, she could pull off a surprise.