Juveniles go on show
The current crop of juveniles comes under the spotlight at Turffontein today with the running of the Storm Bird Stakes and the Ruffian Stakes for fillies, both Listed races over 1000m on the standside track.
Picture: AFP
No two-year-old has really stood out this season and these youngsters can improve at such a rapid rate the formbook becomes useless. There are also a number of unraced horses which makes life even more complicated.
Last year the Mike de Kock stable won both races with Banaadeer and Majmu respectively and this year they saddle another Australian-bred runner in the Ruffian Stakes – Entisaar. Like Banaadeer, she is also by More Than Ready so should have the speed to do well. According to assistant Mathew de Kock she has shown some good work. “Entisaar has shown us enough at home to be competitive. One is never sure how they will behave in their debut runs but we believe she is good enough to run in a feature first time out.”
This is a tricky race as many of these fillies have only raced once but on times, the one to beat could be Corne Spies-trained Speedy Suzy. Spies usually does very well with his juveniles and one cannot also not write off the chances of Scandal. Mike Azzie saddles Mella Maria and Spring Wonder, both authoritative winners on debut. Either could win a race of this nature.
As far as the colts are concerned, Mogok Master could be the best of the raced horses but Just As I Said, although still a maiden, has a 3kg pull for a 1.35-length defeat. It will just a matter of which runners has shown the better improvement. Johan Janse van Vuuren saddles Australian-bred first timer Brazuca and one needs to watch the betting. KwaZulu-Natal-based trainer Mike Miller runs Silver Kavalier who won his maiden at Scottsville by 4.25 lengths last time. The KZN form at this time of the year is not always that strong but this son of Kahal could be an exception.
