Will Greeff’s Golden Palm Make History At Turffontein?

Allan Greeff-trained East Cape filly Golden Palm runs in the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery on Saturday at Turffontein. (Pauline Herman Photography).

Some racegoers will remember an East Cape filly called Geepee S winning the Gr 1 Allan Robertson and the Kimberley-based first-timer King’s Temptress winning the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery, but has there ever been an East Cape filly winning a big two-year-old race in Johannesburg?

Would the Allan Greeff-trained Golden Palm become the first to do it.

Goldkeeper filly Geepee S was trained by “Oom Nic” Claassen and dead-heated with the Mike Azzie-trained Western Winter filly On Her Toes in the 2008 Allan Robertson.

Geepee S had won three out of her four previous starts, including the Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery by 2,25 lengths.

However, she started at odds of 25/1 for the Allan Robertson and under Bernard Fayd’Herbe got up to dead-heat with the 11/2 shot One Her Toes, who was ridden by Weichong Marwing.

However, the victory of King Of Kings filly King’s Temptress in the SA Fillies Nursery was a far greater shock result.

There were more than a few who shook their heads and chuckled when they saw a first-timer from the country’s weakest centre, Kimberley, entered in a Gr 2 race in Johannesburg.

However, Corrie Lensley was able to cock a snoot at them later because the always underrated jockey Fanie Chambers brought her home to a two length victory at odds of 150/1.

The Greeff-trained Varsfontein-bred Master Of My Fate filly Golden Palm was green on debut and was beaten 2,35 lengths at 50/1 odds over 1000m on the Fairview turf.

She then showed bettter pace second time out over the same course and distance and pulled away at the business end to win by 5,50 lengths in the excellent time of 55,63 seconds.

Golden Palm is out of the Varsfontein-bred Var mare Croisette, who won on debut at Kenilworth in 2019 by 4,50 lengths.

Richard Fourie has opted to ride Golden Palms in the seven horse field SA Fillies Nursery.

She is quoted at 7/2 third favourite.

The field is shown below: