Mike Bass is to take on the best two-year-old fillies in the country with Wake Up Maggie after Aldo Domeyer’s mount decisively floored the odds laid on stable companion Extradite in the Juvenile Fillies Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Daughter Candice Robinson said: “Wake Up Maggie will probably soon travel to Durban and she might run in the SA Fillies Nursery (April 30) at Turffontein from there. Either that or she will go for the Allan Robertson at Scottsville on June 4.
“We rated her even before she ran. She has a good cruising speed and a great turn of foot – and that always makes for a good horse.”
Domeyer said: “Her home work suggested she had come on tremendously since her first run – I told everyone she had improved out of sight – and I thought this performance was full of merit.”
The winner carries the Markus Jooste colours and Domeyer added: “I just hope Anton Marcus wasn’t watching!” Some hope – the owner’s retained jockey misses nothing and reads the form book for breakfast.
Justin Snaith is to adopt a much more low key campaign with Michael Leaf’s Bishop’s Bounty (Richard Fourie) who ate up the ground in the other Juvenile Plate as hungrily as the hordes of Easter egg-hunting children let loose between races.
Snaith said: “I won’t rush into anything with him and he won’t be going to Durban or anywhere else. I know his brothers (Red Ray and Brutal Force) are fast but I don’t think he is a sprinter. I feel he needs to go round the turn.”
Riaan van Reenen, trainer of Elevated who ran on well to finish a length second, will be disappointed to read this because he had been hoping to take on the winner again in the Somerset 1200 on May 8.
He said: “They would have to give mine weight in the Somerset and I reckon they won’t be able to do that. This was a good run from Elevated as he hadn’t been on grass since his win on Queen’s Plate day.”
Fourie may not want to commit himself to becoming anyone’s stable jockey at the moment but he has wasted no time in resuming his profitable relationship with Snaith Racing and five of his six rides were for the former champion trainer who, in turn, was full of praise after Fourie made almost every metre to spring a 16-1 surprise on Drakenstein’s Entrechat in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap.
Snaith said: “When the others let Richard go to the front like that they do so at their own peril – and that was a great ride.”
The stipes ordered a vet’s report on Captain’s Companion who started 5-1 second favourite and finished with only two behind her. She appeared to be hanging and the vet said she was fatigued.
The legendary Terrance Millard, now 86, has suffered a minor stroke but he received a welcome tonic when newcomer Mission Control made a most convincing winning debut in the Michael Baigel Maiden. Indeed his partner Nola Rathbone declared: “That’s the best medicine Terrance could have.”
Paddy Kruyer says there is plenty more to come from the R210 000 Captain Al colt out of the 2008 KRA Fillies Guineas winner Rei Rei, adding: “I should have had him at the track a bit earlier but he had a high suspensory that was bothering him. He should get 1 400m and he will come on from this.
“This was a weakish race and I knew he would open up favourite the minute the bookies saw I had Aldo Domeyer on him. But we weren’t betting so it didn’t matter.”
Joey Ramsden reckons the fast ground could be the reason for Sugar Frosted striding short when starting favourite last time. The filly gained compensation under Donovan Dillon in the Eleste Bain Maiden and Ramsden said: “The ground is quite firm and maybe she was feeling it.”
Vaughan Marshall had particular cause for satisfaction when Banderos came good under MJ Byleveld in the last as the Milnerton trainer reported that the 7-1 shot had overcome a “career-threatening injury.”
BLOB The NHA is leaving no stone unturned following last year’s increase in the number of positives and pre-race blood samples were taken from ten of the runners.
By Michael Clower
Picture: Wake Up Maggie (Liesl King)
