Posted 2014-01-09 19:42:47
PADDOCK STAKES SETS UP THRILLING CLASH OF GENERATIONS
The Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes, to be run over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday, will provide a clash of the generations as a clutch of really smart, up-and-coming fillies try and dethrone the country’s established female champion.
Beach Beauty (pictured), the reigning queen of the turf, has earned her status with a string of fine performances against top class male opposition. The winner of three Gr 2 events in open company, she also has a second to Variety Club and third to Martial Eagle in the Gr 1 Gold Challenge and J & Met respectively. That’s a level of form that sees her towering above her rivals here and, lest we forget, she confirmed her superiority over her own sex when winning this race last season, later augmented by victory in the Gr 1 Garden Province Stakes at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day.
Strictly on form, Beach Beauty has this field stone cold, but the inevitable question is whether she may now be slightly more vulnerable to her improving younger rivals, as she is now six years old. There’s nothing wrong with her form thus far this season – she eased home in a very strong Pinnacle event over 1400m at the end of October and then stayed on for third in the Gr 2 Green Point Stakes behind Ice Machine, a race where she finished ahead of the likes of leading Queen’s Plate contender Capetown Noir. She was arguably slightly disappointing (by her own high standards, that is) as she went off an odds-on favourite that day, and it was noticeable that she did not produce her usual acceleration. It may simply be a case of having raced too handily in a very fast-run affair, but there has to be a nagging concern whether she may be a shade vulnerable this time around, especially from a wide draw.
Espumanti looks the main danger. The 4-year-old looked set for bigger things when winning her first three races on the trot last season, but then ensured a frustrating run of five straight defeats when upped to graded company. They key to understanding her progress lies in the fact that, having been bred in the northern hemisphere, she is up to six months behind the locally-bred representatives of her age group. She did, however, finish off last season in promising fashion, chasing home Beach Beauty in the Garden Province Stakes and turning in a satisfactory performance in the Gr 1 Champions Cup over this trip, beaten just three lengths by Jackson.
Six months down the line, she is bound to have improved even further and should now be coming into her own. She is unbeaten in both her starts this season, most recently cruising home in the Ipi Tombe Challenge, and while she faces a much tougher task here, her Garden Province effort shows that she is well up to it. Crucially, she has drawn well, and, given natural improvement, looks capable of reversing the Garden Province form here.
In The Fast Lane is the leader of the 3-year-old brigade and she looks a serious racehorse. Having first shot to prominence when flying up late to win the Gr 2 Choice Carriers Challenge, she then produced a five-star performance to win the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas. The amount of ground she made up in the straight, and the ease with which she saw off her nearest challengers in the end, marked her as a filly headed for the very top. She has the benefit of a good draw and it will be interesting to see what tactics are used this time around, as her two feature victories were achieved by flying up late from well off the pace. She is a big runner here.
The next three home in the Fillies Guineas are also taking their chances here. Lanner Falcon ran a blinder, as she was hopelessly drawn and came from stone last to run second. She’s once again drawn wide, though, and will need to raise her game even further to repeat the feat in a field that now contains a number of accomplished older fillies and mares.
Third-placed Along Came Polly, who won the Equus award for top juvenile filly last season, also caught the eye as she had no luck in running and still managed to charge through late. Piere Strydom rides and they’ve drawn reasonably. She has place prospects here if things go her way.
Alascan Maiden stayed on for fourth after hitting the front about a furlong out but, as had been the case in her previous feature race attempts, was run out of it late. She’s been game and consistent, but her failure to impose herself on her own age group means that she faces an uphill struggle in this line-up.
Moving back to the older brigade, Jet Aglow enjoyed a fine summer campaign here last season. Not only did she chase home Beach Beauty in this very race, but she also placed in the Fillies Guineas and Majorca Stakes, enhancing her paddock value mightily with those Gr 1 efforts. She was rested after finishing second in the KRA Guineas, her only effort of the winter, and has won both her starts since returning from a rest, most recently holding off Hammie’s Hooker in the Victress Stakes following an inspired ride. She’s proven her credentials at this level, should be at a peak in her third run after a break, and is one for the trifectas and quartets.
Hammie’s Hooker is not far off Jet Aglow on their past meetings, having finished ahead of her in both the Fillies Guineas and Majorca Stakes last season and having looked a winner in the Victress Stakes before Sean Cormack conjured up something extra from her rival. She looks in good form this season, having won the Diana Stakes two runs back and boasts a nice turn of foot, but does have a wide draw to contend with. At this level, she's probably best over slightly shorter, but has a place chance if she is not undone by the draw.
Doyouremember has obvious claims if she can reproduce the form that saw her win the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 and finish a brilliant third to Heavy Metal in the July. That July effort, in fact, is the only form available in this line-up that can be compared with the achievements of Beach Beauty in open company. Unfortunately, Doyouremember’s return this season has been affected by a bout of colic. She stayed on late when third to Espumanti in the Ipi Tombe Challenge, and should have come on significantly with that run under her belt. She will also prefer the extra furlong she encounters here. However, only the race will tell whether she has fully shaken off the effects of her illness and she has drawn horribly wide. It’s also her first time left-handed, so she does face a tricky task here, for all her undoubted ability.
Jet Supreme came into her own last winter, winning the Umzimkhulu Stakes and running reasonably well in defeat in both the KRA Fillies Guineas and Woolavington 2000. She kicked off the current season with a respectable third in the Diana Stakes before chasing home Priceless Jewel in a small-field conditions event. She should now be fully primed, giving her every chance of reversing the form of that last defeat, and is worth including in the larger quartets, especially as she jumps from pole position.
Priceless Jewel is a gutsy sort who often sets the pace and won her first race of the current season before going on to record her aforementioned victory over Jet Supreme. That was a small-field, highly tactical affair, though and she was then well held in the Victress Stakes. Her overall profile shows that she has a bit to find at this level.
Razzle Dazzle Rose is a rather underrated sort but she underlined her ability by winning the Victress Stakes and the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet last season. She could sneak into the minor money at best, but, not for the first time, has been unlucky with the draw, making her task even more difficult.
Europe To Africa and Maximum Jet complete the line-up and while they’ve had their moments, and certainly haven’t done badly for their connections, they look to have too much to do in this field.
It’s going to be a cracking contest, as befits a race widely acknowledged as the country’s premier fillies-and-mares event. Beach Beauty’s career record places her in a league of her own here and there’s no argument that she is the one they all have to beat. However, Espumanti is clearly on the up; she has needed time to mature and deliver on her early promise, and all the signs are there that she is now coming into her own. Her favourable draw may give her a crucial edge as well and she could signal a changing of the guard here. In The Fast Lane should be right there as well, with Jet Aglow and Doyouremember also contenders if they reproduce their best form.
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Also very well weighted here...
