Glen Kotzen hopes to land another Greyville Gr 1 on Super Saturday with his Judpot filly Final Judgement, who runs in the Thekwini Stakes over 1600m, and he also has a fine chance of landing a Gr 2 as he has a strong hand in the Debutante Stakes over 1200m.
Final Judgement impressed when winning the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper over 1400m from pillar to post on Vodacom Durban July day. She had been cramped for room in her previous start in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over that same course and distance, so the plan to allow her to use her long stride from pole position worked out well. However, she now has a wide draw of 12 to overcome.
Kotzen said, “She is doing exceptionally well and came out of that last race bouncing. She will need luck from the draw, but is quick out of the pens so should be able to be placed well. She certainly doesn’t have to go to the front and I am looking forward to it because she will love the step up to a mile.”
She is up against a few of the horses she beat in the Golden Slipper and will start a lot shorter than 20/1 this time. Stuart Randolph retains the ride.
Kotzen could not separate his pair of fillies, Shizam and Trippi’s Girl, in the Debutante.
They have both landed plum draws and Grant van Niekerk and Stuart Randolph are the respective riders.
Shizam by Kahal had to be scratched at the start when strongly fancied for the KZN Yearling Million due to a cut she had attained when exiting the parade ring, but the wound turned out to be superficial.
Kotzen believed she was entitled to need her next start, especially as it was her first time around the Greyville turn. She was handy and a little keen in the latter race, a handicap over Saturday’s course and distance on July 16, so considering she was up against older horses it was a fine effort to finish just 2,15 lengths back in fifth off an 82 merit rating with Randolph aboard. Kotzen believed the run to be part of a good preparation. Before that Shizam had some fine maiden form in Cape Town against good horses before winning in eyecatching style over 1200m fifth time out. The four winners to have come out of the latter maiden were beaten half-a-length, 9,75 lengths, eleven lengths and 17,45 lengths respectively, and those statistics suggest she put up a fine performance that day.
Trippi’s Girl was still green when running out an eyecatching 1,5 length winner under Randolph over 1200m at Scottsville in her second career start on July 6.
Kotzen said, “She is a gorgeous filly, very classy, we think very highly of her. She is on the up, but it is her first run at the course.”
David Thiselton
