Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas

Laverna, last season’s champion juvenile filly, heads a strong list of final stage acceptors for the R750 000 Grade 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas to be run over 1600m at Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday, December 5.



The Parade Leader filly had a blow out over 1400m at Turffontein earlier this month where her trainer, and part owner, Mike de Kock expected the strong galloper to need the outing and she ran accordingly.



De Kock has not won the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas since running first and second in 2003 with Emerald Beauty and Ilha Da Vitoria respectively. He came within a whisker in 2004, when Fair Maiden was nabbed by Shadow Dancing, and again in 2007 when Gilded Minaret just failed to grab Captain’s Lover.



De Kock would have had the Guineas in mind in terms of Laverna’s preparations this season and she should be close to her peak for this race. Her best performance to date was in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes at Clairwood in August when she gave a top class field a serious galloping lesson to win by 4,25 lengths.



Anything close to that sort of form would give her a big chance of getting De Kock back on the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas winners’ roll.



Laverna



My Kazzie, second to Laverna in the Gr 1 Thekwini and All Afire in the Gr 1 Golden Slipper, will be looking to go one better this time. Her trainer, Mike Azzie, has never been short of admiration for the daughter of Western Winter and it will be interesting to see if she has improved this term.



Another up country visitor is the Alec Laird-trained Jet Trail who recently finished second to the highly rated Australian import Sidera in the Starling Stakes.



The Justin Snaith-trained Townsend and the Eric Sands-trained Secret Pleasure, who fought out a tight finish to the Odessa Stud Fillies Championship earlier this month, head the long list of Cape-based entries.



Besides hometown advantage, the locals also seem to have had better luck with the draws which should bring the likes of Dean Kannemeyer’s Strawberry Ice and Joey Ramsden’s Possible Dream into closer contention.

Would like to have seen Case Stated in this race,sure she`s good enough for a place...

My Kazzie would be my selection here

Will Laverna run,?

If she does..... she'e gonna demolish this field

1. The filly Case Stated beat last time would 200-1 in the Cape Guineas.

2. Until the Fillies mile is run today, the only Mike de Kock starter for sure is probably Gluwein.

3. Would be nice if the people that wrote the stakes advances for the racing associations actually spoke to the trainers before putting pen to paper, so to speak.

Not saying she'll win but Croc Valley is probably a good deal better than that MR.

I'm with you Magic,

She won super impressively last time. If I had to have a small go,she would be it from that nice draw!!

Cant have Mike Azzie , bookies to lay their max...

Maybe My Kazzie will prove me wrong but the form of last season's major 2yo filly races must be the worst ever. Ghastly run from Laverna, again. Starting to like Jet Trail for Fillies Guineas.

Will Laverna run now?

I like Gluwein a lot(the filly NOT the drink - i prefer Scotch !)

It holds Jet Trail on both their meetings, and is far better drawn.
The local fillies are up against it