Earlier, the Weiho Marwing-trained Australian-bred filly Sensible Lover ended the unbeaten run of the Ormond Ferraris-trained Lazer Star in the Gr 3 Three Troikas Stakes over 1450m, although she was receiving plenty of weight from the latter.

Belong To Me, a three-year-old colt by Antonius Pius, had a slight stamina doubt over the trip, but was fine value considering he finished just 3,25 lengths back to the champion Harry’s Son in the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m on the standside track, albeit when receiving 2,5kg.

He disappointed in the lucrative R2 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m at Kenilworth, but bounced back with a win over 1160m at Turffontein. The latter race gave Donavan Mansour the opportunity to get a feel of the speedy bay, who proved much more suited to the tight Inside track 1450m on Saturday than he was to the Standside 1400m.

Mansour rode a finely judged race again and his mount had enough in the tank late to just get the better of the persistent Australian-bred Mike de Kock-trained Redoute’s Choice colt Mutamakkin. The latter was backed in to 7/2 and was a touch disappointing, considering he was receiving 2kg from Belong To Me and 3,5kg from Unparalleled. However, he does have some stamina on his female side and will be better suited to further, so could still be a player in the Triple Crown events.

Unparalleled, a gelding by Lateral, was dropped out to last from a wide draw by Gavin Lerena, but finished powerfully to be beaten just 0,5 lengths. He will relish returning to the standside track 1600m of his facile Gr 2 Dingaans victory, in which he beat the Paul Lafferty-trained KZN raider Harry’s Son in testing conditions by 4,25 lengths.  He will renew rivalry with Harry’s Son over the Dingaans course and distance in the Gauteng Guineas and the latter will be hoping for faster ground.

The Tony Ruffel did nothing to quash the overall opinion that this is not a vintage three-year-old male crop, although the unbeaten Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal, who is due to meet the like of Unparalleled and Harry’s Son in the R2 million Gr 1 SA Classic at the end of March, could still prove to be something special.

The three-year-old fillies crop, on the other hand, is unquestionably strong and Sensible Lover, who is by Good Journey, a Gr 1 mile winner at Woodbine in Canada, is the latest to put her hand up. She was officially receiving 7,5kg from the Toreador filly Lazer Star, but jockey Marco van Rensburg was reportedly riding 1,5kg overweight and it was also only the filly’s third career start.

The mighty De Kock-trained Majmu will square up to the exciting Gr 1 Thekwini winner, the Duncan Howells-trained Same Jurisdiction, in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the Three Troikas one-two finishers should add to what should be a vintage field in that race. Sensible Lover will likely relish the Standside 1600m trip having rallied to just get the better of Lazer Star on Saturday. The Fillies Guineas will tell whether it was the trip or the weight that was the Lazer Star’s undoing.