Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Bank on Badger’s Cove

BRENDAN PATHER
It’s been slim pickings of late for the Joey Ramsden yard with just one winner from their last 40 odd runners but that bleak stretch would become a distant memory if they landed top honours in Saturday's Grade 3 Champagne Stakes at Kenilworth. The yard has three runners in this Weight-For-Age sprint for fillies and mares, including the best weighted runner in the race, Badger’s Cove. The five-year-old Joshua Dancer mare showed an affinity for this track and trip from an early age finishing second in the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes as a three-year-old. She went one better a year later in the Sceptre, her biggest win to date, and she confirmed the improvement with a close up fourth to Sunsational in the Prix Du Cap in February. The handicappers had also noticed the improvement and bumped her up to a rating of 103 and she has been racing at the highest level ever since. She spent the winter in KZN and kicked off her Champions Season with a good second behind Purple Lake in the Poinsettia. She followed that up with a creditable fourth behind Captain’s Gal and Gibraltar Blue in the SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville but struggled from a very wide draw at Greyville in her next outing.
Badger’s Cove was not far off when back up the straight in her last Champions Season start, running on after the fact on a fast-running track.
A return to her home base could see her add a few lengths on to her Champions Season form which would give her strong claims at these conditions.
Her main dangers on paper are Dance With Al, Purple Orchid and Strawberry Ice – all of whom are also returning from Champions Season campaigns. Dance With Al did not feature in the SA Fillies Sprint but seemed to be peaking as the KZN season wound down and went close in the Garden Province Stakes on July day. She should be spot on for this race and is ideally course and distance suited.
Strawberry Ice was also well beaten in the SA Fillies Sprint but her two-length second to Gibraltar Blue over 1400m in the Tibouchina last time was impressive, especially as she had to give the winner 1,5kg. The 1400m trip appears to suit her best but she is hard to ignore on form.
Purple Orchid did not seem to enjoy her winter stint in KZN and was well beaten by Badger’s Cove in both the Poinsettia and SA Fillies Sprint but she could easily bounce back to her best over her favourite track and trip. She was not far behind Badger’s Cove in the Sceptre Stakes this summer and would have a chance on best form. Seal Of Approval did not find her feet in KZN either but is worth including in quartets back on home turf.
She provides solid back-up to stable-companion Badger’s Cove although the latter is preferred at these weight terms.

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