Rings And Things can make her experience tell against smart newcomer Snowdance in the opening maiden juvenile at Kenilworth today.
Snowdance made a big impact at the National Yearling Sale when knocked down for R2 million after some spirited bidding – and little wonder. The daughter of Captain Al is out of the Fillies Nursery winner Spring Lilac, a half-sister to All Is Secret, Secret Of Victoria and Rabiya.
“She will run well and she is going to be in the firing line,” says Justin Snaith before adding the proviso. “But there have been no racecourse gallops although, that said, we are all in the same boat.”
Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)
But not the two that have already run, and Rings And Things showed plenty of promise on Christmas Eve. She played up in the pens but ran on well to take fourth and finish less than half a length behind fellow newcomer Call To Account who went on to win the Listed race on Met day.
Ostinato, the other who has the benefit of a run, ran well first time but beat only three home in that Met day Listed race. However she opened quite short at 9-2 with World Sports Betting which recorded significant support for Snowdance yesterday morning when she was cut from 28-10 to 13-10.
Rings And Things was eased to 28-10 while the Joey Ramsden R450 000 newcomer Made In Hollywood is on 11-2 with Remember This, by far the shortest-priced of Vaughan Marshall’s three, on 6-1.
Prince Alfred is even money for race two after his promising debut second five weeks ago but the form took a serious knock on Saturday when Tweak The Wind (third) and Pop The Question (fourth) managed only seventh and fifth behind Perovskia.
Andre Nel’s newcomer Dalibhunga makes more appeal at 5-2, given the stable’s good record with first-timers and the pedigree of this one. He is by Var out of the top class Joie De Grise who twice won the SA Fillies Sprint.
Of The Moon can prove rewarding in the Racing Association Maiden if yesterday’s 8-1 stays on offer. She disappointed when starting favourite last time but there were valid reasons. She lost a fair bit of ground at the start and was returned not striding out. On her previous run, only her second, she is good enough to win this.
The well bred Dance At Dawn is favourite at 7-2 and has finished second on her last two but this is her 14th attempt. On adjusted merit ratings she comes out equal top with stable companion Moonsaballoon (5-1) and Of The Moon.
Seemingly only her bad draw can stop Sister Soozie in the Summer Of Champions Maiden. The 19-10 favourite ran a cracker on debut and holds Lady Vogue and Gypsy Beauty. Elegancia (4-1) looks the one for the forecast.
By Michael Clower
