The fillies sprinting division suddenly has a strong look to it around the country and this is emphasised by the field which lines up for the Gr 2 World Sports Betting Southeaster Sprint over 1000m at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The new sprinting sensation Little Genie was travelling down to Cape Town yesterday and her Vaal-based trainer Dominic Zaki felt the key to her race would simply revolve around how well she travelled because her preparation had gone very well. The four-year-old Judpot filly has won her last five in a row and proved in no uncertain terms last time out in the Listed Gardenia Stakes over 1000m that none of her exceptional speed is “cheap”. Her usual brilliant gatespeed enabled her to find the front in that race and she then used her tremendous early pace to open up a lead. However, when the Gr 1-winner Carry On Alice ranged up alongside her she found another gear and got up to win by a head. She was running off a mere 97 merit rating to Carry On Alice’s 115, yet was receiving only 1,5kg. She now faces Carry On Alice on 0,5kg better terms and the tough Kenilworth course should suit her down to the ground as she has won over 1200m with ease before.

Carry On Alice will have had the advantage of having been down in Cape Town for three weeks, having travelled the day after her meeting with Little Genie on November 14. She took it easy for a week upon arrival and has been doing well since. She is also suited to the Kenilworth track as one with high cruising speed, a range of gears and the ability to stay up to a mile. In her only start over the course and distance in last season’s Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship over 1000m she had to wait for an age in the stalls due to a horse breaking through the gates, while some of her rivals were allowed to be unloaded, yet she still finished a fine 1,55 length third to Alboran Sea.

The Mike Bass-trained Fly By Night is one of the other horses in the field who carry a 2kg penalty and will do better than her seasonal reappearance in a Conditions Plate over course and distance in which the front-runner Jo’s Bond went to the front before pulling away. She is six-years-old and Candice Robinson said, “I struggled a bit to get her ready at the beginning of the season and she then proved more in need of that last run than I originally thought. Hopefully we have got her ready this time, she is certainly working well, but it is a strong field and she has usually been better over 1200m.”

Robinson also lamented Kenilworth running very fast at the moment meaning the front-running speedsters often prove hard to catch and if that proves the case on Saturday Little Genie will have an advantage.

Fly By Night’s stablemate Lanner Falcon showed her speed and class in the same Conditions Plate Fly By Night ran in last time as she was still able to make up ground at the finish. She is also well and Robinson expected a good race, but pointed out the 1000m was very much too sharp for her and she didn’t know whether she was up to beating some of the best in the race. She concluded by saying Fly By Night would be the stable elect if at her best.

The Mike de Kock-trained Entisaar is the third of the Gr 1 winners in the race. The yard have opted for this race instead of the GR 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas so likely believed she would not stay the mile, having been caught last time out by Silver Mountain in the Gr 2 Choice Carriers Championship over 1400m. She showed good pace throughout when winnning her previous start, the Gr 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m at Scottsville before finding a late kick. She could be a threat as she also showed good early pace when winning the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m at Turffontein, which she won easily despite a tardy start and jumping from the wrong side.

Another horse with both speed and class is the Brett Crawford-trained Alexis, who won the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas against a strong field and subsequently beat Carry On Alice when running fifth in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. This four-year-old Dynasty filly has only had nine starts and has won twice over the Kenilworth 1200m. This will be her first start over 1000m and the Crawford yard are known for having them fit first up, so she could be the dark horse. Alexis’s stablemate Cuvee Brut is a fair sort but looks a bit outclassed here.

The Duncan Howells-trained Querari filly Cosmic Light is the only unbeaten runner in the field and is another with both speed and class, but she had a slight injury setback upon arriving in Cape Town which delayed her progress and she has consequently missed her main aim the Cape Filllies Guineas. Howells felt that due to it being too sharp for her, coupled with the strength of the field, he will be happy if she finished three or four lengths back.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Princess Royal was unlucky in the Allan Robertson and has had the benefit of one run under the belt. She is notoriously temperamental and is another whose plan to run in the Fillies Guineas has been abandoned in favour of this sprint. She is a half-sister to the brilliant Princess Victoria and her speed and class make her a factor.

The Justin Snaith-trained Jo’s Bond showed what she is capable of last time and won’t be under-estimated again by the rest of the riders. This race will show just how good she is, although the CTS Million Dollar is likely her main target.

Rock On Baby is the lowest rated horse in the race but shouldn’t be underestimated as she was only 2,5 lengths behind Jo’s Bond last time at level weights (if the apprentice claim on Jo’s Bond is included) and Dennis Drier’s horses have all proved in need of their first runs in Cape Town.

Real Princess has always been highly rated by Dean Kannemeyer and with one run under her belt, when running on for third to Jo’s Bond, she could earn despite officially having it tough at the weights.

Priceless Jewel is a sprint-miler with speed and class but this trip proved a touch sharp for her last year.

The draw is also going to be a factor and recently retired top jockey Karl Neisius provided some insight into the factors which decide which side of the course they go.  The southeaster headwind blows from the left, from the jockeys’ perspectives, and tends to see them going to the outside because sitting to the right of a horse’s quarters provides a wind shield and the outside horses then tend to quicken better. However, Saturday’s wind as a mild South Wester of ten knots will come from the jockeys’ right, so they may well stick to the inside. It can also depend on where the speed in the race is, so with Little Genie drawn ten, it is anybody’s guess which side they will go.

The prevailing fast going will suit Little Genie. However, Entisaar is given the nod from Carry On Alice and Little Genie, with Alexis and Princess Royal next best.

By David Thiselton