Greyville, Durban, plays host to the final classic test of the season for three-year-old fillies, the R500 000, Group 1 Woolavington 2000 over 2000m at set weights.
Headlining the card together with theR1 million Group 1 Daily News over 2000m, the race gives the fillies with Vodacom Durban July aspirations a final chance to secure a place in the R3 million Group 1 season feature at Greyville on July 7th .
The 2011 renewal of the Woolavington saw the winner do just that as superstar Igugu(AUS) cantered away from start to finish to win by 2.75L from Emerald Cove and Berry Blaze(IRE) in third.
Igugu then went on to win the Vodacom Durban July, again leading from start to finish, to record her eighth victory, and her fourth Group 1.
This year sees another Australian import, the Vaughan Marshall trained Dubai Gina(AUS), taking on the local opposition.
Dubai Gina won the Listed Sun Classique Handicap (2400m) at Kenilworth in her penultimate start on January 14th.
Marshall confirmed that Dubai Gina had needed her last start in the Listed East Coast Handicap over 2000m at Clairwood on May 20. Carrying 61.5kgs against older horses, the filly moved up well, but found the weight too much in the final stages, finishing fifth, 2.05L behind the winner.
Competition will come in the form of Bambina Stripes(ARG) from the in-form stable of trainer Dennis Drier. The classy filly by Equal Stripes has only been unplaced once when clipping heels and dislodging Alec Forbes, shortly after the start of the Group 2 KRA Fillies Guineas (1600m) at Greyville on 5 May.
Bambina Stripes now has the services of experienced international jockey, Kevin Shea, who combined with Drier to win the Group 1 Tsogo Sun Medallion with Potent Power last Saturday.
Drier has already collected three Group 1 trophies this Champions Season, and Bambina Stripes, who won the R1 million, SA Fillies Classic over 1800m at Turffontein, Johannesburg, in her penultimate start, could add number four.
Not to be outdone, the stables of Brett Crawford and Mike de Kock both have fielded powerful opponents with live Vodacom Durban July chances.
Crawford saddles Thunder Dance, in position 13 on the Vodacom Durban July log, and the winner of the R1 million WFA Group 1 TBA Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth in January. De Kock saddles Ilha Bela, in position 14 on the log, who is owned and bred by Mary Slack's Wilgerbosdrift Stud.
Ilha Bela finished third, 0.25L behind Bambina Stripes in the SA Fillies Classic, but she ran away from a strong field by 6.25L in the Group 2 SA Oaks over 2450m at Turffontein in her last start on the 28th of April.
The Woolavington 2000 is race 6 at 4.40pm South African time on the ten race Greyville card.
