Picture: Double Grand Slam wins last year’s Gr 1 wfa Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes and will have to overcome a tough draw to successfully defend her crown (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes is the main supporting feature on Hollywoodbets Durban July day and the defending champion Double Grand Slam has drawn wide in 14 out of the 16 entries as opposed to her 8 out 13 draw when she won last year.
Double Grand Slam has been looking in fine shape at Summerveld and will be a hard horse to beat even if she does have that tough draw. Andrew Fortune rode her to victory last year and has been penciled in next to her name already for this year’s race.
Last year’s runner up Mon Petite Cherie was drawn six last year and is drawn 8 out of 16 among this year’s entries.
On paper she has a hard task with Quickstepgal, who beat her a shorthead in the Gr 2 HKJC World Pool Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m and is now 3kg better off. However, on the other hand, she will probably enjoy the 1600m trip more than Quickstepgal, whom trainer Tiene Prinsloo believes is more comfortable over 1400m.
Quickstepgal did win the Gr 1 WSB Fillies Guineas, but was allowed to dictate that day and the other jockeys will be wary of a repeat. However, the Vercingetorix filly has the winning attitude her phenomenal sire imparts and is sure to be right there. In her 12 start career a fifth place on debut has been her worst placing and since then she has had six wins, three seconds, one third and one fourth. Eight of those starts have been at Graded level and one at Listed level.
Mon Petite Cherie promised to come into her own this season and her run in the Tibouchina proved it as she was actually caught wide throughout in that race, so did very well to get so close to Quickstepgal even if she was getting 2kg from the younger filly. With better luck in the Garden Province she should be in the shake up.
Keukenhof has often caught the eye with her strong finishes from off the pace but she doesn’t get much luck with draws and she has another difficult draw of 12.
Callmegetrix has some class but she has been no match for Double Grand Slam, being beaten 5,95 lengths in last year’s Garden Province and she was a 5,80 length third to her when Double Grand Slam was a runaway winner of the Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes, which is Johannesburg’s biggest Gr 1 wfa mile for fillies and mares.
Callmegetrix did beat Garden Province entry Rainbow Lorikeet in the Empress Club, but the latter was clearly below par on the day.
Nevertheless from a plum draw Callmegetrix can’t be written off.
Rainbow Lorikeet is an admirable sort and she reversed form with Callmegetrix in the Gr 2 Woolavington 2000 on May 30.
Both of them were well beaten in a race in which the leader was able to dictate and to get away from them.
However, Rainbow Lorikeet might have needed the run after probably being freshened up after her below par run in Jo’Burg. A better reflection of her class is her 0,30 length second to Double Grand Slam in the Gr 1 wfa Majorca Stakes over a mile at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, a race in which Mon Petite Cherie proved her class again with a 1,30 length second, while Keukenhof was beaten 2,40 lengths into sixth.
Rainbow Lorikeet’s effort in the Majorca followed a 0,70 length third in the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m, She is sure to give a good account of herself from a good draw in the Garden Province.
Hazy Dazy is a Garden Province entry, but is likely to run in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
The ones mentioned are the ones that make most appeal.
The full field is shown below:
Event-2 R1 500 000 1600m (Turf)
GARDEN PROVINCE STAKES (Grade 1)
2 Callmegetrix Sean Tarry 115
14 Double Grand Slam Justin Snaith 125
10 Educator Dean Kannemeyer 101
11 Hazy Dazy Corne Spies 117
15 Hierarchy Duncan Howells 114
12 Keukenhof Dean Kannemeyer 115
16 Kisshoten Tony Peter 109
6 Ladyofdistinction Michael Roberts 95
1 Lou Lou Michael Roberts 73
8 Mon Petit Cherie James Crawford 117
9 Quickstepgal Tienie Prinsloo 120
3 Rainbow Lorikeet Candice Bass 113
7 Rodeo Drive Sean Tarry 113
13 Scarlet Macaw Candice Bass 104
5 Tulip Fields Dean Kannemeyer 102
4 Whistle The Tune Candice / Tammy Dawson 115
(16)
