Glen Kotzen’s classy three-year-old Captain Al filly Princess Royal was a touch unlucky in last year’s Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship and could possibly make amends in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday, where she is drawn in barrier one with regular pilot Anthony Andrews up.
Kotzen also runs the classy Silvan Star on the day, whose intended big race season is probably over due to some hiccups, but they are now getting her back on track.
Princess Royal (Liesl King)
Carry On Alice is the obvious horse to beat, but Kotzen pointed out Princess Royal had beaten her (by 1,6 lengths) when winning the Gr 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m on January 16.
He added, “I don’t know if Carry On Alice was at her best that day, but if we beat her once we can do it again.”
The weights will make it tougher for Princess Royal this time, because Carry On Alice was carrying a 2kg Gr 1 penalty in the Sceptre, whereas Saturday’s event is a pure weight for age contest.
Kotzen continued, “Princess Royal ran two weeks after arriving at Summerveld (finishing a 3,05 length fifth in the Gr 3 Ponsettia Stakes over Saturday’s course and distance) and she just needed that run. She has been working exceptionally well and has come on a heck of a lot.”
Princess Royal, who is by Captain Al, is a half-sister to the Kotzen-trained champion Princess Victoria, who won the Allan Robertson in 2011.
She is known to have a less than ideal temperament, but Kotzen said her quirkiness had been worked on and she had “without a doubt” improved in that regard.
Everything went “pear shaped” for Silvan Star, upon arrival at Summerveld for her SA Champions Season campaign, including attaining a hoof abscess.
She also has another wide draw to contend with in the fourth race over 1600m, but Kotzen, who rates her highly, said, “She galloped on the grass the other day and wasn’t blowing, so doesn’t take a lot of work. But, she might be a big ring rusty. She might just need it, but I think she will still definitely finish in the first three.”
This filly is a three-parts sister to Vodacom Durban July winner Bold Silvano, being by Silvano out of a half-sister to the latter, but she does face a decent field in tomorrow’s MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares.
By David Thiselton
