Eyes on Madame

MADAME Dubois is an interesting runner in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson to be run over 1 200m at Scottsville on Saturday, added to the fact that Robbie Sage has booked Piere Strydom for the ride.

Sage said about her three-length win over 1 000m at the Vaal on debut, “I don't work horses very hard before their first runs unless they are doing everything themselves and sometimes they come out and surprise you. She is very well in herself but this will be her first time at the track so how she will handle it is an unknown.”

However, on the downside she has landed a high draw which by trends is unfavourable. She started at 20/1 on debut and what made the win even more impressive was that she jumped from a high draw on the Vaal’s inside turf track, where the low draws are invariably more favourable.

She also recorded a time 0,45 seconds quicker than the facile winner of the next race, Just Africa, a Paul Peter-trained Just As Well colt who is one of only ten horses standing their ground in Saturday's Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion.

Furthermore, Madame Dubois's form has been franked as the runner-up Faberge Style won by 10,25 lengths next time out over 1000m on the Vaal sand and third-placed Aldiara also came out and won next time out over 1200m on the turf.

Sage said a lot would depend on how she travelled, adding that this was always an unknown quantity with young horses.

He was still waiting for the final field to be published before planning the journey, but said Friday was the likely date of travel. Owner Colin Bird will have a double interest on the day as Jet Belle, a top class filly he owns in partnership with Drakenstein Stud, runs in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint. Jet Belle was originally trained by Sage and is still trained by him when campaigning on the Highveld but she is otherwise conditioned by Glen Kotzen. Madame Dubois is by Count Dubois, who is 14th on the season's national sires log despite having significantly less runners than all of the horses above him. Madame Du Bois’s fourth dam was the champion sprinter of Argentina, but her first dam, Miss Jet Set, who was also trained by Sage, won from 1 400-1 600m.

Sage will therefore see how she runs on Saturday before planning a possible tilt at the Gr 1 Golden Slipper over 1400m at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day.