Mon Petite Cherie (right) got up in her seasonal reappearance easier than the margin suggested (Picture: Crawford Racing)
One of the talking points of the WSB Met meeting has been the decision by the peerless Richard Fourie to ride Mon Petite Cherie in preference to Reet Petite in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes.
Both fillies are trained by James Crawford and owned by Ridgemont Stud and Devin Heffer and as Richard is retained by Ridgemont he had to choose one of them.
He used to be the partner of the champion filly Double Grand Slam, but lost the ride due to his agreement with Ridgemont.
Richard was aboard Mon Petite Cherie when she was runner up to Double Grand Slam in last season’s Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes over 1600m.
She was a touch unlucky in that race as she was forced wide in the straight, while Double Grand Slam found a path through towards the inside and won by only 0,80 lengths.
However, most expected Fourie to stick with Reet Petite, because she was a fast finishing runner up in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and she was runer up again in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock, failing by just half-a-length.
However, some observers were not surprised by his choice.
On reappearance this season Mon Petite Cherie looked to have filled out a touch and had hence blossomed into a very classy looking sort.
She won her reappearance over 1200m narrowly, despite being well in at the weights in the Progress Plate, but she was really toying with the runner up My World.
She was then not disgraced when 3,55 lengths back in the Gr 2 Ridgemont Green Point Stakes over 1600m against the boys, with a lot of the best horses in the country in the field.
She then ran 2,80 lengths back in the Gr 2 Cartier Sceptre Stake over 1200m.
She now gets the opportunity to prove that she has indeed blossomed into the real deal this season as she goes for Gr 1 glory against her own gender.
As a miler this race must have been James Crawford’s target for her all along and she should be cherry ripe.
Reet Petite, on the other hand, gave the impression in the Paddock Stakes that she would prefer further than the 1800m trip, because she was overtaken by Wish List and one or two others but was coming back at Wish List at the line.
That could be another reason Fourie opted for Mon Petite Cherie.
Both fillies have landed plum draws with Mon Petite Cherie drawn two and Reet Petite three.
Gareth Wright gets the ride on Reet Petite.
Double Grand Slam will be ridden by Andrew Fortune, who was aboard her for the Garden Province.
She has been widely tipped to land her third career Gr 1.
However, she won’t have it easy from draw ten.
Mon Petite Cherie is by Rafeef out of a Joseph O’Brien-trained Galileo mare called Exotic, who won on debut over a mile-and-a-half and never won again in seven further starts.
Mon Petite Cherie is thus a nice mixture of speed and stamina.
Reet Petite is also by Rafeef and is out of a Daylami mare whose four wins included a Gr 3 over 1800m and a Gr 3 over 1400m.
Double Grand Slam is by the peerless Vercingetorix and is out of twice winner over 1000m and 1200m, the Captain Al mare Princess Peach.
She has plenty of speed and a mile is her ideal trip whereas the 1800m of the Paddock Stakes stretches her, even if she has won it before.
Double Grand Slam is generally about 11/10 with the bookmakers and both Mon Petite Cherie and Reet Petite are 6/1 chances.
Gimme What I Want, Minogue, Rainbow Lorikeet, Keukenhof, Asiye Phambili, Fatal Flaw, Mia Moo and others will ensure the Majorca is a great contest.
