Princess Of Gaul Rises In The Pecking Order

The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Princess Of Gaul’s win in the Gr 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday has set up a possible clash with Alan Greeff’s Gr 1-winning star Golden Palm in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas, although it will not be a two horse race as there have been a few other fillies to have shown classic credentials and if jockey Craig Zackey’s advice is taken Princess Of Gaul might go down in trip to 1200m anyway rather than up in trip to a mile.

The Alan Greeff-trained Anotherdanceforme had arrived at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday unbeaten in six starts, including beating Quickstepgal by 1,40 lengths in the Gr 2 Splashout Golden Slipper over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Hollywoodbets July day.

Anotherdanceforme had hung across Quickstepgal that day and the latter’s trainer Tienie Prinsloo was not the only one in the country who was viewing the Western Cape Fillies Championship as chiefly being about Quickstepgal’s chance at revenge.

The pair dominated the early market.

However, Stormwatch, who had caught the eye finishing strongly in her previous start in the Gr 3 Schweppes Diana Stakes, came in for stong support and this saw her shortening to 5/1.

Anotherdanceforme and Quickstepgal drifted out to 13/10 and 6/1 respectively, which was a reflection of how strong the field was.

Meanwhile, Princess Of Gaul drifted out from 8/1 to 10/1, with some believing a line could be drawn through her previous start when cramped for room on the inside, while others believed the speed she had shown over sprints put a question mark on her suitability for races beyond sprints.

However, pedigree is often the best guide to stamina capacity and Princess Of Gaul is in fact closely related to Hawwaam, who won five Gr 1s including three over 2000m. Her sire Vercingetorix is a son of Hawwaam’s sire Silvano and her one time-winning dam Miss Marmalade is not only by stamina influence Duke Of Marmalade but is a half-sister to Hawwaam’s Equus Broodmare of the Year dam, Halfway To Heaven.

Princess Of Gaul jumped well from draw two and was able to slot in behind the pacemaker She’s My World, the winner of the Diana Stakes.

Quickstepgal was caught without cover one out and one back and did not settle perfectly prompting Gavin Lerena to rein her in. She sat a length behind Princess Of Gaul who was on her inside.

Anotherdanceforme looked nice and relaxed behind Quicktepgal and the writing seemed to be on the wall for her opposition.

However, in the straight Craig Zackey went for home down the inside as soon as Princess Of Gaul had come off the false rail and it was soon clear he had read it well.

Quickstepgal was staying on, but she was not making inroads and Anotherdanceforme was battling to overtake Quickstepgal.

In the end it was the 100/1 outsider, the Justin Snaith-trained Legislate filly Loweveld Lily, who got closest to Princess Of Gaul (1,50 lengths). She had sat two positions behind Princess Of Gaul on the rail in the running and was the only other horse to go down the inside.

Princess Of Gaul’s stablemate Keukenhoff (The United States) came from a similar position as Lowveld Lily, albeit on the outside, and was only a shorthead behind the latter in third.

Quickstepgal was a gallant fourth, just ahead of the widely drawn Wish List, who ran on.

Princess Of Gaul had never looked like losing after quickening into the lead, but the question mark is whether she will stay the WSB Fillies Guineas trip? Her pedigree, as already mentioned, suggests she will, but Craig Zackey believes 1400m is her maximum trip as he said she was packed with speed and had taken a strong hold in the Western Cape Fillies Championship.

Quickstepgal can’t be written off considering it didn’t pan out well for her.

Lowveld Lily, Keukenhof and Wish List will also have supporters considering they ran on well on Saturday over the 1400m trip.