Trainer Mike de Kock has an exciting filly on his hands in Brazilian import Velvet Green, and even carrying top weight from the worst draw she looks like the one to beat in the R200000 grade 2 Spring Challenge for fillies and mares over 1600m at Gosforth Park on Saturday.
Punters who allowed the four-year-old to start at 10-1 12 days ago were kicking themselves as she made light of a 60,5kg burden over 1000m considered too short to come home smoking.
In the process the girl from Brazil completed a sparkling hat-trick which included her triumph in the grade 1 Garden Province Stakes at Greyville on July Day.
Just nine days before that she had trounced a graduation field by a widening 8,5 lengths at the same course.
Velvet Green had been hailed as something special when winning her first two starts by wide margins with a ton in hand.
However, she was then scratched from the Fillies Guineas in Cape Town and subsequently ran three decidedly moderate races before her hat-trick heroics.
She has already proven that as a front-runner she is extremely hard to catch, but also showed in her last win that she can produce a blistering finish from off the pace. This is worth knowing as her wide draw over this tight mile might make it necessary for her to come from behind.
De Kock has also entered the well-performed Carolina Cherry and Chinchuna, both daughters of Fort Wood, and a 1-2-3 finish for this talented trainer is hardly out of the question.
Carolina gets much more ground than this, as her victory over 2400m in the Gold Circle Oaks proved, but she did run a good second behind Velvet Green in the Garden Province.
Chinchuna has had two runs since a six-month rest and showed in her last that she is coming back to form.
Others who could challenge for places include Durban visitors Silky Dancer and Light Ice and the St John Gray-trained Marquetta.
In the first race Argentinian import Monarca Tom gets a good chance to shed his maiden ticket for the Geoff Woodruff-Brett Smith team.
He might have most to fear from Portland, ridden by Piere Strydom for his brother-in-law Louis Goosen. Keep an eye also on Alex Laird’s Al Mufti gelding Royal Mist.
In the seventh Woodruff brings out Badger’s Drift for his first run since failing to justify favouritism in the July. Top-class Nhlavini is also in the race, though, and has had the benefit of a run three weeks ago. Johnny Reb finished ahead of Celtic Grove at weight for age last week. He is clearly fighting fit and must be respected.
Another De Kock Brazilian import, Australlis, stands out in the eighth after his good third last week. A challenger may be David Ferraris’s new charge Vance, who has raced in three features since a debut maiden win over Connel Blue and drops steeply in class here.
At Durbanville Mike Bass sends out consistent Mon Cher in the R80000 Woolavington Handicap over 2400m and will have hopes of taking home the winner’s stake. He will have to confirm a recent result when Jackson Square was three lengths behind him at identical weight terms.
Dean Kannemeyer looks set to win the first race with Kissational.
Greyville best bets: Kevin’s Rule (race 2); Dare To Dream (race 7); Mystical Dancer (race 8); Siana Spring (race 9)