Trainer Comments Fillies Guineas

Vaughan Marshall said that All Is Secret was “very, very well” ahead of the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas on Saturday, while Valdivia is “back to her best” ahead of one of the most eagerly awaited fillies sprint events seen in Cape Town for a long time, the Grade 2 Weight For Age Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m.



Marshall said about the Captain Al grey All Is Secret, who was named Equus Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for last season, “I couldn’t have asked for her preparation to have gone better. I’m not worried about her draw at all.”



All Is Secret is drawn ten, which could have been a concern for some form analysts as she ran below par when drawn eleven out of thirteen in the Grade 1 Durban Golden Slipper over 1400m at Greyville, which preceded her Grade 1 Thekwini win over 1600m at Greyville from a good draw.



However, in her seasonal reappearance over 1400m of the tight Kenilworth Old Course in the Grade 2 Choice Carriers, Anton Marcus was content to sit one wide in midfield from a wide draw and she ran on strongly to win comfortably.



That tactic clearly suited her better than the one employed in the Golden Slipper, where she was taken around runners to race up with the lead.



Valdivia, the three-year-old Var filly who was unlucky not to get closer when finishing a two length third to All Is Secret in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m at Scottsville in May, faces a field that is packed with classy speedsters from around the country.



She was slow away in her seasonal reappearance over 1300m at Durbanville, before staying on well, but in her next start over 1400m at Durbanville in the Grade 3 Weight For Age Diana Stakes she led from the off and fought gallantly down the straight but found no answer to the finishes of Super Elegant and Comtesse Dubois, who beat her by 2,35 and 2,25 lengths respectively.



She was pulling a little in the early stages of that race, so will likely appreciate the step down in trip, which will give her a chance of reversing form with Comtesse Dubois.



Valdivia, having benefitted from her last outing and being back to her best, must be a contender in the eleven horse field from what is a nice draw of eight according to the trend which appears to favour horses running down the outside part of the track in the closing stages.



Furthermore, she will have Gavin Lerena aboard for the first time, another plus.

Justin Snaith lamented the draws he had received for the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas and reckoned his trio of fillies would need a lot of luck in running, while he reckoned he could have a strong hand in the Grade 2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes as his Quartet of runners were “fit and well.”



He said that all three of his Fillies Guineas runners were “better than their form suggests” as Earth’s Orbit and Count To Ten had bad draws in their previous races, while Captainofmysoul was returning from a six month layoff last time out.



“But, when they are borderline good enough and they then get bad draws it makes it tough,” he said. “Make no mistake they are all high quality fillies. I made Earth’s Orbit a massive runner if she was drawn in the first five. She finished third in the Choice Carriers (just 1,3 lengths behind All Is Secret) having had to run three wide to get around them and go to the front. But from her draw to do the same in the Fillies Guineas, she is going to need a lot of luck in running.”



Earth’s Orbit, by Captain Al, looks to be improving all the time, not surprisingly as she is out of a Rakeen mare.



She is drawn 14, which could change to 12 if both reserve runners come out, and she will be ridden by Gavin Lerena.



Snaith continued, “Count To Ten is a progressive filly and will prefer the longer run in.”



She is the only one of the trio who is drawn well, in six which could change to five, and she will be ridden by Muzi Yeni.



She is the lowest rated of them on 86, but last time out this big, strong daughter of Count Dubois out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, showed plenty of resolve over the Kenilworth Old Course to hold off challengers in a 1600m handicap in just her fourth career start.



She had found the rail from a wide draw to sit in second and it was clearly evident that she would prefer the longer run on Saturday as she was probably only just reaching top gear as she passed the line 0,3 lengths ahead.



Snaith was impressed by Captainofmysoul’s last win by 2,25 lengths in a 1200m Novice Plate.



“She is above average and to win like that after such a long layoff took some doing. But to overcome her draw she will need a lot of luck.”



The Captain Al filly looks likely to relish the step up in trip and will be ridden from draw 16, which could change to 14, by Karis Teetan.



Snaith reckoned the Vaughan Marshall-trained All Is Secret would be “hard to beat” and rated her above Mike de Kock’s well drawn pair, Rumya and Festival Of Fire.

Snaith runs four fillies in the Southern Cross, the unbeaten Agra as well as Varikate, Comtesse Dubois and Victorian Secret.



Both Agra and Victorian Secret were scratched last time out when the latter played up badly, causing the former to burst through her stall, drop her jockey and bolt to the parade ring.



“We have schooled Victorian Secret a lot since then and she should be fine in the pens this time,” he said. “I think she will go in second last and Agra last.”



Agra was taken to the course for a gallop with Comtesse Dubois to make up for that debacle, which had been her intended return from successful knee chip surgery.



“Agra with Anton Marcus aboard is going to be very interesting,” said Snaith of the filly who won her debut comfortably in December last year and followed up by winning the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes on J&B Met day in equally impressive fashion. “Her work at home has been very good and she’s very sound. She could be the dark horse. She comes from a very long layoff and the run will show what she’s capable of.”



His three-year-old Var filly Varikate was impressive last time over the Kenilworth 1200m as she had to be switched late but still won by a length with a surging finish.

“She is very good and progressive. I’ve thrown her into the deep end, but she’s done nothing wrong to date.”



He said of the three-year-old Captain Al filly Victorian Secret, “She is not a bad filly, but I’m not too sure that this might come too soon for her and she might be outgunned.”



He said of four-year-old Count Dubois filly Comtesse Dubois, “The 1000 is a bit on the short side, but we will always put her in black type races. She always runs a good race and is very consistent.”



Snaith runs Cape Flying Championship hopeful Cap Alright in the Listed Val De Ra South Easter Sprint and said, “He’s a big strong horse and is doing well, but has a big weight and has to give 11kg to a nice Joey Ramsden-trained horse (the unbeaten four-year-old Var gelding Happy Forever).”



He also has Great Fox in this race and said, “He has a small chance as it is not one of the stronger races.”

Zietsman Oosthuizen Wrote:

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> Rumya a superstar in the making......needed run
> badly after rest and still won.......nothing in
> this field have the turn off food she has,and de
> kock wont go down under if she wasnt ready now,
> cant see them beating her with plum draw and
> stable jock on....banker in everything

Current betting as per Betting World, All Is Secret (2/1), Rumya (22/10) & Festival Of Fire (4/1) - one can hardly say this suggests it will be a one horse race in Rumya's favour, if anything, the bookie is thinking quite the opposite and is prepared to take her on. If Rumya is really as good as touted, why is she not even money or deep in the red? If the rumour mill is to be believed, bond the house, because 22/10 is too big a price - right?

bayern Wrote:

>
> Current betting as per Betting World, All Is
> Secret (2/1), Rumya (22/10) & Festival Of Fire
> (4/1) - one can hardly say this suggests it will
> be a one horse race in Rumya's favour, if
> anything, the bookie is thinking quite the
> opposite and is prepared to take her on. If Rumya
> is really as good as touted, why is she not even
> money or deep in the red? If the rumour mill is to
> be believed, bond the house, because 22/10 is too
> big a price - right?

The big boy money will come on race day......just after she eats up all her Epol.....

pirates Wrote:

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> the 4 timer happens to be in a group one magi it
> could have been in a progress plate but mdk knows
> the bigger picture here


No problem Pirates, but abstaining from puntin 4 timers has stood me in very good stead over the many years. So I will look for the best fixed place value in the race , but obviously include Rumnya in the exotics for the coupling. (tu)

yes muhti, just like big boy money came for igugu in this race after she ate up her epol and then got smashed by ebony flyer.lol.

Muhtiman Wrote:

---

> bayern Wrote:
>
> >
> > Current betting as per Betting World, All Is
> > Secret (2/1), Rumya (22/10) & Festival Of Fire
> > (4/1) - one can hardly say this suggests it
> will
> > be a one horse race in Rumya's favour, if
> > anything, the bookie is thinking quite the
> > opposite and is prepared to take her on. If
> Rumya is really as good as touted, why is she not
> even money or deep in the red? If the rumour mill is
> to be believed, bond the house, because 22/10 is
> too big a price - right?
>
> The big boy money will come on race day......just
> after she eats up all her Epol.....

That's my point Muhti, if you fancy Rumya and you anticipate the big players will snap up the 22/10 come race day/time, why settle for a smaller price, be bold and secure the current odds, surely that makes more Rands and cents.

and on the flip side to Bayern's point.... if you fancy Festival of Fire.. wait for the flood on Rumya and get 11/2 to on FOF (tu)

winzip Wrote:

---

> yes muhti, just like big boy money came for igugu
> in this race after she ate up her epol and then
> got smashed by ebony flyer.lol.

yes..... and which horse turned out to be a better horse after that little exercise.....

Barry Irwin can boast that his horse was only on of 2 horses to beat Igugu in SA.....but none the less even great horses on Epol are beatable...... and the exotics with floaters the way to go......

Please guys let's just take a chance and banker mdk in p6!
He owes us after last saturday.lol

Magi Wrote:

---

> and on the flip side to Bayern's point.... if you
> fancy Festival of Fire.. wait for the flood on
> Rumya and get 11/2 to on FOF (tu)

FOF is currently trading at 5/1 at Marshalls, i actually think this is the one that will start shorter on Saturday.

You guys r dreaming if you think fest will beat Rumya