Cocomelon looks ready to notch a second win

Following her victory in the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last Saturday, Fatal Flaw has formally established her status as one of the best three-year-old fillies in the country.

Prior to her victory in that event, the daughter of New Predator captured the Grade 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein. Two fillies who finished behind her have been carded to run in Race 7 on Thursday, a MR 80 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1450m on the Vaal Classic track.

Salenio Peninsula and Cocomelon finished fifth and sixth respectively but just 0.10 lengths separated the pair in a race in which they met at level weights. However, this time Cocomelon, who is trained by Sean Tarry, comes into the race 2kg better off and that should enable her to turn the form around.

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The daughter of Willow Magic did run in the Grade 3 Betway Fillies Mile on Summer Cup day but she was drawn No 14 out of 15 which is never a good place to be over 1600m on the Standside track. She ended up at the back of the field and turned for home almost 15 lengths of the leaders.

However, she still managed to make up some of the lost ground and produced the third-fastest finish in a race won by far more fancied stablemate World Of Alice. Tarry fitted her in blinkers for that race and they have been retained for this event. Calvin Habib takes the ride for the first time and she will jump from barrier No 4.

Salenio Peninsula is clearly the runner to provide the main threat. Trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, this daughter of Vercingetorix, a half-sister to Barbaresco, won her first two starts and was then caught late by another Tarry-trained runner in Mia Moo in her third outing.

That winner has already proved herself as a decent sprinter and last time finished a 2.50-length fourth in the Grade 3 Betway Carry On Alice Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein. Gavin Lerena, who rode this filly to victory on debut, will be aboard Selenio Peninsula once again.

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The other two runners to take into account are Miss Lia and Francilien. Neither has run against the class of field contested by the main protagonists but they are both lightly raced and have lots of room for improvement.

Miss Lia, trained by Paul Matchett, has a win, two seconds and a third place from her four starts and interestingly all of them, whether winning or placing have been achieved by no further than 0.75 lengths. She did run over 1400m at Turffontein last time and produced the fastest final 400m to finish 0.75 lengths behind Coral Blaze.

Philasande Mxoli has ridden her on all of her starts and will be back on board for this event. Francilien has run four times, all of them over 1200m on the Vaal straight course, and those runs have yielded two wins, a second place and a fourth last time.

In that last race trainer Lucky Houdalakis engaged 4kg claiming apprentice Girish Samo-Burthia to ride the filly but she has a tendency to hang and the young apprentice was not able to provide the necessary assistance. This time Houdalakis has called on in-form Craig Zackey to take the ride.