Brett Crawford’s ten season sequence of winning at least one Grade 1 came to an end last season, but his yard have bounced back in no uncertain terms and are currently third on the national log.
He has a chance of winning Saturday’s Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas with either of two Dynasty fillies, Make It Snappy or Happy Chance.
The Justin Snaith-trained runner Tipsy Tarragon is also by Dynasty.
Dynasty’s son Jackson, who was trained to three Grade 1 wins by Crawford, also has a representative in the Justin Snaith-trained Bonika.
Dynasty is also damsire of the race’s favourite, the Snaith-trained Ciao Bella.
Crawford has won the Cape Fillies Guineas with a Dynasty filly before, doing it with Front And Centre in 2018.
That was Dynasty’s second success in this race as he was also sire of the Joey Ramsden-trained Just Sensual, who won it in 2016.
Make It Snappy displayed her promise by downing Marina and Chansonette in the Non-Black Type Summer Bowl over 1600m on 19 November.
Her jockey that day Kabelo Matsunyane was riding 1kg overweight, so she was effectively receiving 11kg from both of the aforementioned pair, who are merit rated 117 and 123 respectively.
She was only 4kg better off than weight for age in the Summer Bowl and yet won by three lengths, a fine performance.
Her time was 0,95 seconds slower than Cousin Casey’s Grade 2 Cape Punters Cup winning time, which is a fair time considering there were only seven runners in her race and she had them spread out like the washing.
Furthermore, that was only her third career start, so there should be considerable scope for improvement.
Luyolo Mxothwa, who lost the ride last time due to suspension, is back aboard.
However, on the downside, the Dynasty filly has a wide draw of eleven to contend with.
Nevertheless, it says something that Mxothwa has chosen her above Happy Chance.
The latter scooted in by 6,25 lengths in her last race, which was in a handicap over the Guineas trip.
She was only running off an 80, but carried 57kg to a time that was considerably quicker than either of the other two 1600m events that day.
She has landed a fair draw of six and Matsunyane rides.
Tipsy Tarragon is out of unraced Gimmethegreenlight mare Chartreuse, who is an own-sister to Grade 1 SA Classic third-placed Youcanthurrylove and a half-sister to stakes-placed Var sprinter Garibondy.
The twice-winner over 1400m should relish the step up in trip, but does have 6,45 lengths to make up on Ciao Bella from the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship.
She is drawn five and Muzi Yeni rides.
Bonika is a very interesting candidate.
She defied topweight last time in a handicap to win over 1200m off a 94 merit rating.
However, being by Cape Derby and Daily News 2000 winner Jackson out of a Captain Al mare who won three times from 1000m to 1400m, she should be effective over this trip.
She has in fact already proved it by winning the Listed Irridescence Stakes over 1500m in soft going in her final start as a juvenile.
She now has pole position.
Last year Grant van Niekerk won this race from pole position with Chansonette and he is now aboard Bonika.
Ciao Bella is the daughter of the three-times Grade 1-winning champion Dynasty filly Bela-Bela.
Snaith-trained Bela-Bela as well as Ciao Bella’s sire, Gimmethegreenlight.
Ciao Bella is living up to her pedigree and has to date won three out of five starts, including the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship, in which she beat eight of her rivals in Saturday’s big race.
She has landed a plum draw of three and Richard Fourie retains the ride.
