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By Citizen Reporter

Journalist


Maybe third-time lucky for Dame Kelly

Punters looking for a Pick 6 banker at Turffontein could do worse than side with Dame Kelly in the final leg of the exotic bet, a Maiden Plate over 1400m.


Ormond Ferraris’ charge is badly drawn in No 14 stall but will have the expert services of Anthony Delpech, who is en route to winning his third South African jockeys’ title. The two-year-old has run two promising races to date, most recently finishing third behind Rockin Russian over 1200m on the Inside track.

The form is working out fairly well, with the winner going on to finish fourth in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m and runner-up Let It Flow winning next time out.

Being by Dynasty, Dame Kelly should enjoy this 200m longer distance.

Mike de Kock-trained Front Club is showing no signs of going to Hollywood, having only two fourth placings to show from her five career starts.

However, she started out in two 1600m races, was upped to 2000m and then brought back to 1700m. Her closest finish to date came over the straight Vaal 1400m last time out, when she finished a 1.25-length fifth behind Perfect Dawn. I Am Titanium and Shepherd’s Delig                                                                                                                                                                                 ht were just ahead of her that day, but the result was so close, Front Club might offer the best value for Places and Exactas.

Place Accumulator players should rely on London Secret to follow up on her good debut win last month in Race 2 over 1160m.

The form of that race is most promising with Strawberry Pavlova, who finished far back in her debut that day, winning next time.

The Gimmethegreenlight two-year-old represents the powerful team of Sean Tarry and S’manga Khumalo, who are the most successful trainer and jockey at this track this season.

Takingthepeace, also making her debut, finished 2.55 lengths behind London Secret after being stubborn loading. With normal improvement she will go close again, and if she behaves at the start, she could even give the favourite a huge fright.

Delpech could get punters off to a good start by winning Race 1, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m, on Robbie Sage-trained Boatswain.

He is taking a big step down in class from the Grade 1 SA Nursery over 1160m in his second career start. He finished a 7.50-length fifth behind Mustaaqeem but was hurt in the race.

His debut effort yielded a good third, 2.15 lengths behind Barrack Street in the Protea Stakes over 1100m.

Although two-year-olds all mature at different rates, those two races were much better than any of the other runners’ exposed form to date and he should be hard to beat.

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