Gimme A Shot (JC Photos)
The Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimme A Shot must be one of the unluckiest horses of the season to date and deserves a change of fortune in Saturday’s Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes.
The hot ante-post favourite for the Empress Club, Princess Calla, is skipping the race as a precaution after suffering an elevated temperature a couple of weeks ago, which also caused her to miss some work.
Gimme A Shot was regarded as difficult to beat in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas after an easy victory in the Grade 2 Betway Ipi Tombe Challenge over 1600m, beating the crack older filly Under Your Spell by 3,50 lengths, and then following that with an equally easy win in a Graduation Plate against the boys at odds of 1/3.
However, she drew wide in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and was always on the back foot because while she was caught wide and trying to slot in the big-striding Lady Of Power was relaxed out in front and dictating.
Instead of cruising up under the hands on the back of a strong pace and then using her turn of foot, Gimme A Shot instead spent the entire length of the straight chasing Lady of Power and had had enough by the end, finishing a 2,05 length fifth.
The Azzies stuck to the mile and took the bold step of taking on older males in the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, although that followed a defeat in a Pinnacle event over 1600m where nothing went right for her.
In the Horse Chestnut she found a good spot with cover in midfield and was creeping up dangerously in the straight.
The eventual winner Trip Of Fortune ranged up on her outside, but the small filly responded and went with him.
She was in with every chance of winning when the front-runner suddenly veered left and she was completely squeezed out between that horse, MK’s Pride and Trip Of Fortune.
She lost all momentum and instead of finishing what looked likely to be in the first two at least, she could only be gathered to stay on for a 3,60 length sixth, a result that did her no justice.
She faces Under Your Spell again on Saturday and this time does not have a 2kg advantage like she had in the Ipi Tombe (Under Your Spell had to carry a 2kg penalty in the Ipi Tombe for a Grade 2 win).
Under Your Spell might also have needed the Ipi Tombe outing, it being her second run after a layoff.
Gimme A Shot is in fact only the third favourite.
The favourite is the enigmatic Desert Miracle.
Desert Miracle proved how good she is when winning the Grade 1 Schweppes Majorca Stakes, beating Captain’s Ransom, but she was subsequently beaten 5,50 lengths by stablemate Humdinger in a Pinnacle event over 1400m, although she did give the latter 4kg and it was likely just a preparation outing.
Humdinger has come on in leaps and bounds and can’t be ignored on Saturday in the Empress Club.
Three-year-old Feather Boa, who beat Gimme A Shot by 1,80 lengths in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, will also be dangerous, especially taking into account the strong finish from off the pace she is capable of.
Marigold Hotel has class but has always been just a bit behind the best at this level.
Miss Daisy is the other runner and is capable on her day, but has not built on her good Grade 3 HSH Princess Charlene Stakes victory over 1400m, beating Feather Boa narrowly, and her form has instead deteriorated.
It is a small seven horse field, but is one of the best renewals of this race in recent times and to borrow the name of one of the contenders it is going to be a humdinger.
