The Andre Nel-trained Vercingetorix filly did not have a perfect passage in her reappearance in the Grade 3 Diana Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville and was beaten half-a-length by the Candice Bass Robinson-trained 106 rated Santa Maria, to whom she was giving 3kg.
She quickened well after being caught one wide without cover near the front and most expected her to go on to victory. However, she was returning from an eight month layoff and, having drifted from 5/10 to 15/10 in the betting, was caught late.
She will have come on from the run but now faces two progressive daughters of Silvano in the Bass-Robinson-trained Marina and the Justin Snaith-trained Silver Darling.
Marina, a full sister to July winner Marinaresco, was beaten only a neck by Chansonette in last season’s Grade 1 Paddock Stakes.
She will be using this reappearance as a preparation run.
Silver Darling, the winner of the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000, is also making her reapperarance.
However, Chansonette, like those two, will also be targeting the Paddock Stakes, so will not be at her peak either.
Marina and Silver Darling can be expected to be better horses this season and should come into their own, but the same can be said for Chansonette, who is by Silvano’s best son at stud.
All three fillies carry 62kg and Marina is drawn 1 under Aldo Domeyer, Chansonette 3 under Grant van Niekerk and Silver Darling 4 under the flying Richard Fourie.
They have to give the rest of the field between 6kg and 12kg, which won’t be easy considering they all have bigger fish to fry.
Nevertheless, on handicapping terms Chansonette, having won the Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and then just been pipped by Captain’s Ransom in both the Paddock Stakes and Grade 1 Majorca Stakes, is well in at the weights today.
On official merit ratings she is 3kg better off with the Marina and 5kg better off with Silver Darling.
The other four runners are between 5kg and 15kg under sufferance with Chansonette.
The three-year-old Dynasty filly Make It Snappy receives 12kg, and although 15kg under sufferance on official merit ratings, this is only her third start so she is unexposed and could still be anything. She does have to carry 1kg overweight under Kabelo Matsunyane though.
Kailene is also not out of it on paper considering she was only 3,10 lengths behind Silver Darling in the Woolavington and receives 6kg, although this is her second run after a layoff and she seems to reserve her best for Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Do Angels Cry showed promise last season and is distance suited. Carrying just 52kg she is only 5kg under sufferance with Chansonette on official merit ratings.
Winter Scout is also distance suited and is 6kg under sufferance with Chansonette carrying 50kg.
Chansonette will be hard to beat, but all things considered it would be brave to take the 12/10 on offer with Hollywoodbets at the time of writing.
