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SOUTH AFRICA: All Speed At Scottsville

3 minute read

It will be all speed at Scottsville on May 26 when four G1 races over 1200m will be one of the highlights of the KwaZulu-Natal winter season.

The four races are headed by the R600,000 Golden Horse Casino Sprint. The others are the South African Fillies Sprint, The Tsogo Sun Medallion for two-year-olds and the Allan Robertson Championship for two-year-old fillies, each worth R500,000.

The Allan Robertson Championship could be the most exciting if all the chief protagonists accept.

The event has attracted the top juvenile fillies including the unbeaten Valdivia, being hailed as a new superstar after three big wins.

On debut at Kenilworth she beat Hammie's Hooker by 6.75 lengths and that youngster has gone on to win her next four starts, including two feature events.

Hammie's Hooker is among the nominations for the Allan Robertson Championship but Bass is undecided about his plans after a scare before her latest win.

"She was coughing and not eating which raised concerns about her participation," Bass reported.

"Fortunately she recovered well, and again showed her class by winning under another hands ride by jockey Bernard Fayd'Herbe.

"She has had a hard season for a young filly but looks up for it and we may well make the trip with her to join our Natal string and have a crack at a Grade 1 filly's race later in the season.'

Also among the entries are the best youngsters on the Highveld – Franny and King's Temptress.

Franny won her first two starts easily but could only manage third place in the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery on Champions Day behind King's Temptress.

Trainer Coerie Lensley brought this unraced filly from Kimberley and she mowed down the opposition to win going away by two lengths.

The South African Fillies Sprint is headed up by Princess Victoria. She won the Allan Robertson Championship last year and will be hard to stop from scoring a G1 double at Scottsville.