FILLIES GUINEAS

What comments abt the final field of the Cape Fillies Guineas,will be a good match Consensual/Mother Russia and Zirconeum.

Consensual will be very hard to beat.
Wouldn't discount Chiquita - better than her latest.

Zirconeum made her rivals look like Eeaws in her last start and I dont believe that she was trying very hard. She has probably come on even further after that run.

But racing in CT a different kettle of fish......going to be a great race!

Yes Consensual has 'home course' advantage, and also beat Zirconeum going away from the 16 draw when winning the Gr1 Golden Slipper at Greyville

Horses for courses and 6 months of maturing make this race a different prospect for all involved.

I give Sparkling Gem a big chance..

Last season’s Equus Champion Two-year-old Filly, Consensual, heads up a field of 11 cracker three-year-old fillies for the running of the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas (Gr 1) to be run over 1600m at Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday, December 6.

Trained by Mike Bass, who has three others entries in the race, Consensual is a five-time winning daughter of Camden Park, including last season’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1) which clinched her the Equus title. She will be partnered by Bernard Fayd’Herbe with Glen Hatt aboard Rose Reserve, Morne Winnaar on Victoriana and Chris Puller on Temair.

Also in the field is the Joey Ramsden-trained Mother Russia who recently just got the better of Sparkling Gem in a desperately close finish to the Odessa Stud Fillies Championship (Gr 2). Andrew Fortune will be in the irons.

Sparkling Gem, with stable jockey Richard Fourie doing the honours, is also in the final field and is the only one of three original entries from Justin Snaith.

Mike de Kock sends out Zirconeum with Kevin Shea up while Geoff Woodruff runs the highly promising Chiquita who will have Raymond Danielson in the irons.

The full final field is as follows:
Sc# Horse Mass MR Draw B A T Jockey Trainer
1 CONSENSUAL 57.0 102 ( 90) 6 A B Fayd'Herbe Mike Bass
2 MOTHER RUSSIA 57.0 100 ( 88) 7 A A Fortune Joey Ramsden
3 ZIRCONEUM 57.0 100 ( 88) 8 A K Shea Mike de Kock
4 SPARKLING GEM 57.0 98 ( 86) 12 A R Fourie Justin Snaith
5 JET GODDESS 57.0 93 ( 81) 11 A G Cheyne Basil Marcus
6 ROSE RESERVE 57.0 93 ( 81) 5 A G Hatt Mike Bass
7 CHIQUITA 57.0 92 ( 80) 3 A R Danielson Geoff Woodruff
8 WINTER BURST 57.0 90 ( 78) 9 A K Neisius Brett Crawford
9 VICTORIANA 57.0 89 ( 77) 10 A M Winnaar Mike Bass
10 TEMAIR 57.0 83 ( 71) 2 A C Puller Mike Bass
11 MAR DEL PLATA 57.0 82 ( 70) 1 A M Byleveld Dean Kannemeyer
12 ISABELLA'S PRINCES 57.0 76 ( 64) 4 B A * CARD SCRATCHING Yadav Singh
Couplings: (1,6,9,10)




ends



Gill Simpkins
P R Manager

The key is whether Consensual is back to best yet,as she had a virus during the winter season and the Bass stable wasn't sure that she would be ready on time.Her sprint the other day was eye catching though,and they can bring what they like from Jhb,this filly is a class above those horses.From Russia has shown she is a 1400m horse in my opinion,and the Kenilworth new course 1600m will find her out,just like she was found out at Clairwood.

The fact that she is the only filly nominated for the Colts Version on 20/12 says it all IMHO.

The question is, is the fillies a prep run then? MBR newsletter states that Mike Bass considers Zirconeum and Mother Russia as possible dangers.

Following this link for more from the horses mouth so to speak www.mikebassracing.co.za/News/news_detail.asp?Art_ID=727

I don't expect her to run there, as she has a poor draw. The relevant thing is that the Bass stable think she is good enough.

Using a Gr1 race as a 'prep' run would be rather an unusual approach.