The performances of the local two-year-old fillies have been one of the highlights of the season for Nelson Mandela Bay Racing.
The fillies have been winning races all over the country and will again be in the spotlight on Friday and Saturday.
At Friday’s meeting, which is scheduled for the Fairview Turf track in Greenbushes, the fillies top the bill.
The feature race, race seven on the card of nine races, will be the R150, 000 Lady’s Slipper Stakes over 1400m.
The champion combination of trainer Alan Greeff and jockey Richard Fourie will be aiming at three wins in a row in the Lady’s Slipper.
They won it last year with Splicethemainbrace and before that with Luna Halo.
The quality of the local fillies will also be measured at Saturday’s prestigious meeting at the Scottsville track in Pietermaritzburg, where the best sprinters in the country will strut their stuff.
It is great to see that the two top Fairview stables of trainers Greeff and Gavin Smith will be represented at this high quality meeting.
The meeting is part of the South African Champions Season and the event for the two-year-old fillies is the R1 million Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m.
The Champions Season is now in full swing in KwaZulu-Natal, leading up to the big race, the R5 million Hollywoodbets Durban-July on July 5.
Hopefully we will see more of the best East Cape horses in action during the Champions Season, especially in the Durban-July itself where My Best Shot can possibly take his place.
The Greeff and Smith stables were in fine form at this past Friday’s Fairview meeting. Greeff saddled a treble and Smith a double.
The Greeff-winners, including Mercantour, who won the Fairview 1400, were all ridden by Fourie who reached a new record for the most winners in an East Cape season.
Fourie is on 122 winners, and with 11 Fairview meetings still remaining in the season, he is going to end off with a tremendous record.
“This is probably my most rewarding season ever. Things are falling into place and I am very happy.
“The trainer (Greeff) helps me to break records by picking the right races for the horses,” Fourie said.
Greeff is also on track to better his East Cape trainers’ record of 176 winners in a season. He is now on 143 and should reach his target of 180.
Smith, who won the Milkwood Stakes with Paris Lass, is also enjoying another successful season.
Paris Lass also won the Milkwood last year. This time she had Stallone Naidoo in the saddle for Smith’s 99th winner for the season.
Fairview dates
May 30: Lady’s Slipper Stakes
June 6: Wedgewood Handicap
13: Poly meeting
20: Turf meeting
27: Turf meeting
