Laing set for a galaxy of winners

The Listed Breeders Guineas for fillies heads up the card at Fairview on Friday and the outcome could well depend on whether The Merry Widow stays 1600m.

She sneaked home to win the Breeders Guineas Plate over 1400m last time but gave the appearance as she crossed the finishing line there was not much fuel left in the tank.

As this race for three-year-old fillies is run at level weights, The Merry Widow from the Justin Snaith yard is the best handicapped runner but the distance is a major concern. It could take all the skill of jockey Richard Fourie to bring her home at the head of the field.

For that reason it could be safer to look elsewhere for the winner and the best of these could be Star Burst Galaxy from the Tara Laing yard. This daughter of Var has been the model of consistency since arriving in Port Elizabeth, running five times for two wins, two seconds and a third place.

Her last start was also in the Guineas Plate and she finished third behind The Merry Widow, beaten just 0.85 lengths, but was finishing the faster of the pair and looks more likely to see out 1600m. She has had one run over 1600m, in a MR 73 Handicap at this course where she took on older fillies and mares and ended up in second spot, beaten 2.50 by Tricia Dupont to whom she was conceding 6kg. Callan Murray takes the ride.

Beataboutthebush is an interesting runner. She won her first three races, all over 1200m, and then ran a neck second behind Agterskot in a FM 76 Handicap over 1400m. Agterskot won again on Tuesday and franked the form. Only the race will tell whether Beataboutthebush will stay 1600m but she is bred to see it out and comes from the in-form Alan Greeff yard.

The meeting features a Pick 6 Megapool carryover of R150,000 with an estimated pool of R725,000 starting with Race 4 at 2.15pm.

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