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Lady Of Power In A Better Space Ahead Of Oaks

By March 31, 2023SA Racing

Lady Of Power winning the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas trained by Joe Soma – she is now with Mike and Adam Azzie and runs in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks on Saturday (JC Photos).

Sheela On Track For The Computaform Sprint

Mike and Adam Azzie had the unusual bonus of inheriting a classic winner shortly after she had earned the title.

A sale apparently fell through and there were other ructions among the connections of the former Joe Soma-trained Lady Of Power shortly after she had won the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

She was consequently moved to the Azzie yard.

However, Mike said it was soon clear from her work she was not herself in her new surrounds and was “as flat as a pancake.”

The owner obviously wished to still take a chance though as she was still an alive candidate to land the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara, which comes with a R1 million bonus.

Under the circumstances she did well to run a 4,75 length fifth.

Mike said she had come on tremendously since then.

She had been putting in very good work and her blood picture was good so he hoped she would give a better account of herself.

There is quite a lot of speed on her female line, but being by Master Of My Fate out of a Fort Wood mare gives hope she can see out the 2450m trip of the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer Oaks at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.  

The Azzies have a strong hand at the meeting. Bartholdi runs in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1000m; Far Away Winter will have a fine chance in the Grade 3 Europa Point Man ‘O War Sprint; crack filly Gimme A Shot has not had things go her way in her last two starts from wide draws and has the ability to beat the boys in the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m from a better draw; African Torrent runs in the Grade 1 WSB SA Derby and looks up against it at first sight but, being a full brother to White River who won the Maiden Cup over 2400m in Mauritius and broke all sorts of records on the island in his unbeaten first season there, he could still raise his game.  

The Azzies have always had a high regard for Sheela and Mike confirmed that the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint on April 29 was her chief mission.

Sheela won easily on debut in the February of her two-year-old season despite a slow start in the 1000m event.
 
She then lived up to the high praise the Azzies had given her by winning the Grade 2 SA Nursery over 1160m by a cosy length.
 
She started hot favourite for the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and finished a decent 3,85 length third behind two good Sean Tarry-trained fillies, Under Your Spell and Sound Of Warning.
 
Sheela won her last start as a Juvenile back on the Highveld.
 
Considering the billing she had been given it was a disappointment that she only ran three times as a three-year-old.
 
She finished second to subsequent Grade 1 winner Alesian Chief in a Listed race first up.
 
However, she then finished unplaced in the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap over 1160m on Summer Cup day 2021. The going was soft and she had a tough low draw, so could be forgiven. 
 
She was next seen on Hollywoodbets Durban July day last year at Hollywoodbets Greyville in the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m and considering she had not run for seven months she ran an excellent 1,60 length third.
 
Next time out she finished a 0,30 length second in the Listed Topbet Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m on Turffontein Inside in September last year.
 
She was allowed to start at 9/2 next time out in October in the Listed The Citizen Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m on Turffontein Standside and that was perhaps because she had to carry 60,5kg topweight against the boys and had a draw of six in the 12 horse field which was more towards the perceived disadvantageous inside than the advantageous outside.
 
However, she lived up to her billing that day. She was up with the pace and fought off the late challenge of Constable, to whom she gave 8,5kg, and won by 0,70 lengths with the rest of the field well beaten.
 
It was clear she had no problem with the soft going that day.
 
She looked a good thing at the weights last Saturday over the same course and distance, once again in soft going in a 1000m Conditions event.
 
She was returning from a layoff of nearly five months.
 
However, even the most confident of the pundits did not quite expect the performance they received. She has blossomed into a monster of a filly and simply toyed with the field despite jumping from draw one in the six horse field. She gave the Grade 1 Allan Robertson-winning three-year-old Sweet Pepper 2kg plus the 2,5kg claim the latter had and cantered home to beat her by 4,25 lengths easing up under S’Manga Khumalo.
 
Khumalo commented that there was “definitely more to come.” 
 
Adam Azzie then revealed that her two long layoffs were for a reason and that she had suffered two major setbacks.
 
However, she looks to be in a great space at present.
 
Adam said the race should have “boosted her confidence, she should come out of it stronger and it should put her in the right place for the Computaform Sprint, which has always been her aim.”
 
The big race is to be run over 1000m on Champions Day on April 29.
 
The Azzies will also have another good filly sprinter in Kiss Me Captain running that day in the Grade 2 Camelia Stakes over 1160m.
 
This Captain Of All three-year-old filly was unlucky to not make it five wins from seven starts last time out in the Grade 3 Sycamore Sprint over 1160m when carried across the course towards the inside in the closing stages. The Azzies were not able to object because it was not the winner Alula’s Star who had caused the interference but rather the the third-placed Cold Fact.
 
Mike confirmed she “is a very nice filly” and he is just hoping Princess Calla avoids the Camelia, two weeks after running in the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes.
 
The Azzies also have a promising two-year-old in the Gimmethegreenlight filly Amber Rock, who was caught late by the smart colt Lucky Lad and beaten 0,40 lengths in the Grade 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.  
 
That was her debut and she had an unfavourable low draw, so looks to be one with a future. She was certainly all the rage before the race so must have had the dogs barking at home.  
 
 
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