IN what promises to be one of the best races of Champions Season, the country’s finest female sprinters clash in the SA Fillies Sprint Gr 1 at Scottsville on Saturday.
The R500 000 race makes up a quartet of Gr 1 1200m sprints, headed by the Golden Horse Casino Sprint, and is likely to be the highlight of a smashing afternoon’s racing.
Welwitschia, big runner.
The race pits the top older fillies headed by Welwitschia, Ebony Flyer and State Blue against the best of the younger generation headed by the brilliant Princess Victoria.
To his credit trainer Glen Kotzen has not shirked the contest with Princess Victoria as he knows his star filly will be up against some really classy older contestants.
The daughter of the ill-fated Victory Moon made a smart Champions Season debut at Clairwood recently beating the classy Beach Beauty and now returns to the scene of her last year’s Allan Robertson Championship triumph where she won in scintillating fashion.
However, the Mike de Kock-trained Welwitschia’s return to sprinting last month produced an absolutely stunning performance in the Camellia Stakes at Turffontein where she came from last at the half-way to win going away. It was a brilliant performance and one that Kotzen will be well aware off.
Justin Snaith saddles star fillies Ebony Flyer and State Blue but most will be watching Ebony Flyer. Her sire Jet Master was unbeatable at Scottsville and his giant daughter has inherited his looks and ability. A second operation to correct a breathing problem, which appears to have worked a treat, resulted in her winning the Klawervlei Majorca Stakes at her last start.
Both Princess Victoria and Welwitschia will have to be at their peak to hold Ebony Flyer’s challenge.
But the field is loaded with talent and Torra Bay is likely to improve on her run in the Camellia Stakes where she found plenty of traffic while former Allan Robertson Championship winner Chocolicious has also warmed up nicely for Saturday’s contest with an easy win at Greyville recently.
