Trainer Frank Robinson scratched his classy filly Olma from her last start out of concern for the betting public, while in the Summerveld training ring next door to his Dennis Drier’s expectedly strong South African Champions Season string could well be bolstered by the up and coming filly Mater Familias.

Olma missed some crucial work in the lead up to her intended last race on February 10 due to rain affected training tracks, so Robinson asked permission from the stipendiaries to scratch her because in his opinion the 5/10 price would likely be misleading to the public.

The classy four-year-old Dynasty filly has come into her own and made it two in a row when winning the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m at Greyville last time out in cosy fashion. She is now being targeted at the Gr 3 Acacia Handicap over 1600m at Turffontein on Guineas day, February 27, where she will run off a 101 merit rating.  Olma has run twice at Turffontein before, finishing tenth in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas against an ultra strong field, and then sixth in the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m, a distance which Robinson now believes was too far.

The three-year-old Trippi filly Mater Familias powered to a 5,75 length victory over 1400m on the Greyville poly last Friday night under Anton Marcus and still looked to have plenty in hand at the line. On debut she dwelt at the start before running on over a too sharp 1000m, but a subsequent re-schooling session did the trick because she jumped on terms on Friday night. The yard are not getting carried because she did not beat much and said they would take it “one step at a time”.

The horse she beat on Friday night, The Alyson Wright-trained Ovelord four-year-old filly Overly Impressed, now has two seconds and a third to her name, not bad for one who cost a mere R10,000. She started 7/10 favourite on Friday night, but was coming off an interrupted preparation and the yard also believes she is looking for 2000m.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Olma (Nkosi Hlophe)