Fatal Flaw cruises to an easy win in tihe Gr 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes (JC Photos).
Brett and Jame Crawford have their first runners together as an official training partnership at Hollywoodbets Kenwilworth on Saturday and they have a good chance of big race success with Fatal Flaw (New Predator) and Mon Petit Cherie (Rafeef) running in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, while Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Oriental Charm and Mercury Sprint winner Surjay run in the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes over 1600m.
James had to sit his trainer’s examinations to become an official partner in the yard and passed with flying colours, getting a mark of around 85% to 86% and he said, “It’s everything I’ve worked for and everything I wanted to achieve, so it’s nice for it to become reality. Just got to show the results now, that’s all.”
James said Fatal Flaw (New Predator), who arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday, had been doing well and had come on a lot from her last start.
She is currrent ruling favourite for the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas at 2/1 with the sponsor, despite drawing 13 out of 13, while stable companion Mon Petit Cherie (Rafeef) is drawn in pole and is a 6/1 shot.
In her last start in the Gr 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes over 1400m, Fatal Flaw showed her usual exceptional gatespeed under Piere Strydom and set good fractions out in front without overracing.
In the straight she went further and further clear using an impressively big action, although Strydom was just sitting still and holding her together.
This filly clearly has good natural cruising speed.
Strydom looked around at the 200m mark and just shook the reins to keep her going before easing her down at the end.
Runner up World Of Alice was thus flattered by the winning margin of 2,25 lengths.
The form has since been franked by World Of Alice coming out and beating the classy Fiery Pegasus in the Gr 3 Betway Fillies Mile on Saturday.
The draw should not be a problem for Fatal Flaw due to her exceptional gatespeed.
The guess is that Strydom will probably try and find the rail in front, but the wily tactician tends to do what is least expected. Nevertheless, the assets of gatespeed and high natural cruising speed will be handy weapons to have at his disposal.
Furthermore, Fatal Flaw has already proved she stays the trip.
She used her fine gatespeed to claim the rail from draw seven in the Gr 1 Douglas Whye Thekwini Stakes in her last start as a two-year-old. Strydom then allowed Lock And Key to go ahead of her. In the straight she ran on well and was only bested by the sensational Quid Pro Quo. She was beaten only 1,40 lengths. The third-placed horse Frozen Fantasy was beaten 4,30 lengths and World Of Alice was next best, beaten 4,70 lengths with the fifth-placed horse Spirit Of Levana beaten 6,80 lengths.
Fatal Flaw is thus a worthy favourite.
Mon Petit Cherie comes off a victory in the Gr 2 Westen Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m.
Richard Fourie dropped her out from a wide draw in that race.
She had a lot to do at the top of the short Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Winter course straight but Fourie managed to weave his way on to the inside rail where she stayed on well and won by a shorthead.
It was not a flashy win but this filly should relish the step up in trip being by Rafeef out of a Galileo mare who won on debut over a-mile-and-a-half at Galway. She should be staying on resolutely under the Richard Fourie drive on Saturday.
It is a wide open looking Cape Fillies Guineas, but Crawford should both go close, although Fatal Flaw perhaps has the more eyecatching form and is visually more impressive.
Brett has won the Cape Fillies Guineas three times before with Bad Girl Runs in 2005, Front And Centre in 2018 and Make It Snappy in 2022.
James said about Oriental Charm, who makes his season reappearance in the Green Point, “He is flying. He is very, very well. His last gallop was very good.”
Asked whether the trip was on the sharp side for the July winner, he replied, “Not for the first run of the season, I wouldn’t say so. You’ve got to start somewhere and you aren’t going to start over 2,000 metres, that’s for sure.”
Surjay was a hard-knocking big race sprinter before finally landing a big one, the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the last weekend of last season.
He has only tried 1600m twice in his career, finishing 7,35 lengths back in the Gr 1 Cape Guineas in his fifth career start and a few runs later he finished a 1,25 length second in a 1600m handicap at Hollywoobets Kenilworth off an 87 merit rating.
Interestingly, he is by the same sire as Gladatorian i.e. Vercingetorix. Gladatorian has had a new lease of life since stepped up from sprints and Surjay could do the same.
Surjay’s damsire is the stamina influence Badger Land.
His dam Something Of Value won twice, both over 1400m, but she is a half-sister to Natural Selection (Western Winter), who won a Gr 2 over 2000m, was second in the Summer Cup, third in the Premiers Champions Challenge and tie fourth in the July. Something Of Value had produced eight runners and one of them won over 2400m, although that one was by stamina influence Dynasty.
Surjay made his seasonal reappearance in a 1400m Cape A Stakes race carrying 61,5kg and was beaten only 2,90 lengths by crack filly Rascova.
Oriental Charm and Surjay are in a field of just six runners for the Green Point.
