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The most intriguing runner in Saturday’s Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas is the Brett Crawford-trained Australian-bred Quick Brown Fox, who has had two career starts, both over 1200m, and won both of them impressively. The big question is whether she will stay the 1600m trip.
Her sire Foxwedge won five races, including a Gr 1, over trips from 1100-1200m. Her unraced dam is the daughter of a mare who won two races over 1200m and 1406m respectively and who has only produced sprinters to date, including a Listed winner. So, Quick Brown Fox’s pedigree has speed and more speed bursting off the page at first sight.
However, her unraced dam is by Hold That Tiger, who won a Gr 1 over seven furlongs in France as a two-year-old, and later that season finished third in the Gr 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile over a mile and one furlong (1800m). He ran on from the back in the latter race and at the finish was staying on under pressure, despite having cornered wide. This gives some hope for Quick Brown Fox staying 1600m. She has used her electric turn of foot to come from off the pace in both of her starts and has won both of them going away by comfortable margins.
However, the list of horses who have failed to stay further despite effortless, running on wins over shorter is a long one. A top class sprinter’s natural speed would allow them to be in cruise in lower grade sprints and Quick Brown Fox has to date only run in a Maiden and a MR 76 Handicap for fillies and mares, where she ran off a merit rating of 82.However, in her favour is she can be switched off easily, and this has been confirmed by jockey Greg Cheyne. Hopefully, this will mean she will not over race on Saturday. She also has the pole position draw, which should allow her to find a position for free.
The purists will be watching on with more than passing interest and so will punters as she has been backed in from 8/1 to 6/1 already with the sponsors World Sports Betting.
Another strong contender from the Cape is the Joey Ramsden-trained Just Sensual, who will be ridden by Anton Marcus. She is well bred being by Dynasty out of the Equus Champion two-year-old filly Consensual. She relaxed beautifully in her last start when cruising to a 3,5 length victory in a MR 72 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1400m carrying 60kg off an 84 merit rating. On pedigree and racing style she will easily get the trip, so looks the best value in the sponsors betting at 14/1. Her draw of 12 is tough, but being such a relaxed type it should not present an insurmountable problem.
Querari Falcon won the Gr 1 Thekwini over this trip as a two-year-old and did it in impressive style, having had to switch out wide on the turn and again in the straight. She has not disappointed in two outing this season and is duly the favourite at 33/10.
Sail, who was a 1,15 length third in the Thekwini, is a robust filly who always looked likely to come into her own as a three-year-old. She is not the easiest horse to deal with, so it was noticeable how well she relaxed in the running last time over 1400m when taken to the front. From a wide draw here she might have to try the same tactic and connections will be hoping for a slow early pace.
However, Red Light Girl, by Captain Al out of Thekwini winner Roxanne, might ensure a decent pace. She was unlucky from the front in the Gr 2 Choice Carriers over 1400m when jumping a shadow close to home. However, she was being reeled in by eventual winner Ektifaa and it will be even tougher leading from pillar to post on Saturday.Safe Harbour franked the Thekwini form, where she finished a 2,15 length fourth, by winning the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m two weeks ago from pole position. She looks likely to relish the 1600m trip as it took her a while to reach top gear in the latter race and she has an impressive stride. She has another plum draw of two.
She’s A Giver comes off an impressive annihilation of the Gr 3 Starling Stakes field over 1400m at Turffontein. She has a wide draw to overcome and travelled quite strongly in the Starling Stakes after showing good gatespeed, but on pedigree she should stay the trip. She is by Philanthropist and her half-sister by Captain Al, the 90 merit-rated Val Et Al, has won over 1700m.
The classy Maleficent, should have come on from her Starling Stakes run, where she finished a pleasing running on second.The long-striding Final Judgement can’t be ignored as she did not have much luck in her seasonal reappearance in the Choice Carriers over 1400m but still managed a close up third and she now has Strydom aboard.
Thekwini runner up Dawn Calling ran a flat race over 1200m on the Greyville poly but now has her third run of the season over her preferred trip.
Lady Of The House has a similar profile to the one Elusive Gold had when winning the Cape Guineas for Brett Crawford three years ago, so can’t be ignored as she is a likely improver.Smokey Affair also looks to be a progressive sort.
Whose That Girl didn’t have much cover in the Choice Carriers, so could improve, but has another tricky draw.
Captain Gambler went close in a MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over this trip off a 90 merit rating in a crawl sprint affair and this long strider looks to have plenty of scope so can’t be ignored.
Visuality’s disappointing effort in the Ready To Run Stakes has put a dampener on her chances here.
This looks like a quality renewal of the prestigious race and is not to be missed.