Girl weighted to run the boys off their feet

Girl On The Run has been a wonderful performer on the track for owners Maine Chance Farms and there is little doubt her foals will have great stud value when she is retired to Andreas Jacob’s Robertson farm.

This five-year-old daughter of Silvano has run 21 times for six wins and 11 places and that record includes two Grade 3 victories. She won the Yellowwood Handicap for fillies and mares in 2016 and then showed her class last November when capturing the Victory Moon Stakes. She showed genuine courage to get the better of Coral Fever by a short head.

If one considers what Coral Fever has gone on to do since, winning the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes and the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge, that Victory Moon win was an exemplary performance.

She has not won since then but finished a three-length h in the Grade 1 Sansui Summer Cup and last time out ran a 2.80-length third behind Sabina’s Dynasty in the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes.

But the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained mare will face a new challenge on Sunday when she tries 2600m for the first time in a Pinnacle Stakes on the Turffontein Inside track.

She has twice raced over 2400m, finishing a 1.25-length be- hind Zante in the Grade 2 SA Oaks and then ended up a 1.40-length h behind Trophy Wife in the Non-Black Type Queen Palm Stakes at Greyville.

While the distance is questionable, what she does have in her favour is that she has won three of her four starts at the course and finished a neck second in the other. She is also the best handicapped runner and is at least 2kg be er handicapped than any other runner.

The main danger looks to be Let It Rain who won the Grade 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m last month. Aldo Domeyer comes up from Cape Town to ride this five-year- old Dynasty gelding for Ashley Fortune and it will be interesting to see if they adopt the same tactics.