Woman Of Power and Virginia Beach set to clash

Some decent fillies and mares are carded to line up in Race 7 on the Vaal Classic track in a FM 92 Handicap over 1000m on Thursday. However, while there are quite a few with winning chances, the race could be fought out by two improving three-year-olds in Woman Of Power and Virginia Beach.

On form it is very difficult to separate the pair as they met last month over the same distance under lights on the Turffontein Standside track with Mike de Kock trained Woman Of Power getting the upper hand by one length. This time Virginia Beach is 1kg better off but is that enough to reverse the places as many argue that over 1000m, 1kg does not equate to one length.

On the other side of the coin, Virginia Beach was returning from a five-month layoff and that last run would have brought on the daughter of Silvano, trained by Tony Peter. But some pundits will then put forward the theory of the possibility of a flat second run after a layoff.

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What is perhaps most relevant is that Virginia Beach made the pace and was then caught by Woman Of Power who then shifted out when the crop was applied in the latter stages. Therefore, the winning distance could have been more than a length.

In any case, it is poised to be a real humdinger and with just 54kg on her back and proven fitness, it could be the daughter of Vercingetorix who retains her advantage over Virginia Beach. Kabelo Matsunyane rides Woman Of Power for the first time while Calvin Habib is aboard Virginia Beach.

Of course, it would be naïve to think these are the only two runners with winning chances. Rose For Trippi, stable companion to Virginia Beach, finished a two-length second in the race won by Woman Of Power and is now 3.5kg better off with the winner and 2.5kg better off with Virginia Beach.

That has to bring her right into contention although the two three-year-olds undoubtedly have more room for improvement.

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Then, if one likes Rose For Trippi, one has to take a close look at Sean Tarry-trained Troppo Veloce who holds Peter’s charge at the weights on a previous outing. She last ran in the Grade 3 Magnolia Stakes and finished a 2.75-length fourth behind Stable companion and race favourite Mrs Browning.

This is a drop in class for the daughter Rafeef although she did get a 1kg penalty for her performance in the feature, which means she will have to give 4kg and 5kg to Virginia Beach and Woman Of Power respectively. But with S’manga Khumalo in the irons, she must also come into contention.