Same Jurisdiction looks the part

THE Gr 1 R1 million Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m on Saturday’s Investec Day Of Dreams meeting looks to be at the mercy of the Duncan Howells-trained Same Jurisdiction.

Now drawn perfectly after not having things go her way last time from a wide draw in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over the less suitable trip of 1800m that looks to be just beyond her stamina range. A tongue-tie was tried for the first time in the Paddock Stakes and the first hiccup was when this came off down at the start and had to be refitted. The tonguetie has been dispensed with for the Majorca. The second hiccup in the Paddock Stakes occurred when she was shuffled outward on the turn, thereby losing the cover she had. She consequently over-raced for a couple of strides and this likely contributed to her relatively flat finishing run.

It was still a good effort to finish fourth. She was reported to have returned with an overreach injury, but her partowner and veterinarian Ralph Katzwinkel said it had just been a “scrape” and was unlikely to have affected her performance. Katzwinkel is now happy with her from a veterinary perspective, describing her as “spot on” and added that by all accounts she had “come on” from her last start. She will jump from draw two over a much more suitable trip on Saturday, so will take a power of beating under the ever professional Anton Marcus.

The chief danger will be the Mike Bass-trained Inara who failed by two lengths to defend her Paddock Stakes crown and will now attempt to defend her Majorca title under her trusted partner Grant van Niekerk. Last year she jumped from pole position and this year gets another good draw of six.

She produced a magnificent late lunge last year to deny the top class Cold As Ice who had a stamina doubt over the trip. Same Jurisdiction is going to be a tougher nut to crack, especially considering she slammed Inara by 3,25 lengths over 1400m in the build up to the Paddock Stakes despite giving the latter 2kg.

Inara

However, Inara’s form over the Kenilworth 1600m is exceptional and as a Bass-trained horse is also sure to arrive in peak condition.

The Bass yard will also have the classy sprint-miler Lanner Falcon in the race and she is a dark horse from a plum draw of five under Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

The five-year-old mare finished like a train to win the Gr 2 Diadem against the boys over 1200m last time out and has a Listed win and Gr 1 place over 1600m to her name. Bass’ other contender Tafferty Tart was third in the Cape Fillies Guineas but comes from a crop who overall appear to be below par, so this will be tougher.

An interesting contender will be the Glen Kotzen Double Whammy who finished third in the Cape Fillies Guineas last season, a race that subsequently proved to be one of the best form races of the season. Kotzen said she would now be having her peak run and added the jockey had battled to pull her up last time over 1400m after she had run on well. He said she had not over raced in first time blinkers in that race, but she was obviously going to need a lot of luck on Saturday from her wide draw.

A fascinating contestant is the Andre Nel-trained Lohnromance, a classy and unbeaten five-year-old mare, who will only be having her third career start.

She had a 15 month layoff between her debut over 1400m in September 2014 and her victory over 1200m last month, but Nel said her problems were now behind her. She is in the deep end but he said in her favour was she settles well and doesn’t need to be handy due to her fine turn of foot.

The Brett Crawford-trained Alexis won last season’s Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas in fine style. Due to her good gatespeed and early pace, she should be handy and has a good kick, but she will find it tough to keep Same Jurisdiction at bay, having been beaten 4,4 lengths by her in the GR 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over this trip.

National champion trainer Sean Tarry said the yard were still assessing whether Bichette had fully recovered from her 3,75 length eighth in the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m last weekend. If she takes her place, she should stay the trip, having finished a close second to subsequent Paddock Stakes winner Smart Call in the Gr 2 Ipi Tombi Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein. However, she will need luck from a wide draw.

Eventual Angel

The Dennis Drier-trained Eventual Angel was rated one to watch for the summer by Sean Cormack before he was sidelined and she proved it with a good win over Alexis last time out over 1400m, when fighting back, which showed she would likely enjoy the 1600m trip. She is well drawn in three with Piere Strydom up.

Entisaar was a Gr 1-winner over 1200m as a two-year-old and ran the brilliant Silver Mountain to 1,5 lengths in the Gr 2 Choice Carriers Championship over 1400m, so is another dark horse, although she is drawn in ten and her useful dam was speedy so there could be a slight stamina doubt.

Of the rest Fear Not has proved herself a progressive sort who can mix it with the best and, being by the excellent sire Ideal World, should have more to come. She has a fine turn of foot and can’t be ignored with Weichong Marwing up despite a tricky draw of nine.