Homely Girl has run some decent races in her short career and has been remarkably consistent.
In her 10 runs she has won twice and placed in another seven events. Even in her one unplaced race she finished fifth, and only beaten 2.95 lengths. She even had excuses for that defeat as it came in the Non-Black Type Ready To Run Cup and she was drawn No 13 of the 16 runners, and over 1400m at Kenilworth that is not an easy obstacle to overcome.
Trained by Justin Snaith in the Western Cape, she won both her races as a two-year-old. Included in that was the Listed Lady’s Slipper over 1400m at Fairview in Port Elizabeth.
Her best performance, however, came in the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas in which she ran a 2.45-length third behind Chansonette.
Shortly after that race she moved up to the Highveld to be trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren. She made her debut for his yard towards the end of March and ran a 1.50-length second behind stable companion Tuscan Winter over 1160m at Turffontein.
He second start was over 1450m on the Inside track at Turffontein and once again she finished a runner-up, this time one length behind Barneys Pride. She was well supported in the betting that day but probably lost her chance at the start when she was slow out of the stalls.
On Sunday she returns to the Inside track to contest the Listed Syringa Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m and she looks a very hard filly to beat. She will have settled in well by now, fully acclimatised to the altitude and will prefer this distance.
She is also drawn at No 5 which is decent enough over this course and distance and will have Keagan de Melo in the irons.
Once one looks past her the race looks quite open. Caralluma came back to her best last time with a narrow win over1450m on the Vaal Classic track and Sean Tarry’s charge could continue to improve.
The main concern is that she has yet to win over 1600m, although she has performed well enough over 1400m, and 1450m.
Warren Kennedy takes the ride and they are ideally drawn in barrier No 2.
Mike de Kock saddles two runners in Bureau Des Legende and Florentine and both uld have a say in the finish.
Clive Robinson
