Trainer Alan Greeff has five of the 14 runners carded in Race 6 on Friday 20 June at Fairview, the East Cape Breeders Stakes over 1200m.
However, most eyes will be on his smart three-year-old filly Splicethemainbrace.
The Master Of My Fate filly has won 9 of her 12 starts, with two of those wins coming over this course distance. She is, in fact, unbeaten over this course and distance and her record with jockey Richard Fourie up reads 9 wins from 10 rides – the only defeat coming on soft ground over 1000m back in September 2024.
Splicethemainbrace had her confidence slightly dented last time out by her impressive stable companion My Best Shot, but that colt has since won two more races and has a shot – pardon the pun – at making the final Hollywoodbets Durban July field. She should prove hard to beat.
One filly who has pushed her in the past is the Gavin Smith-trained Happy Holly. They’ve met five times previously, with three of Happy Holly’s defeats coming by narrow margins. The other was a decisive loss on the Polytrack. Happy Holly receives 1kg from Splicethemainbrace and could be a serious threat.
Trainer Sean Tarry doesn’t raid the Eastern Cape often, so when he does, it’s worth taking note. He is represented here by the five-year-old mare Winter Greeting. While she hasn’t shown her best form for some time, she is well weighted, and it’s worth noting that she was in good form this time last year.
Earlier on the card, the two-year-old filly You’re So Special looks the best banker for all the exotic bets. Also by Master Of My Fate, she has looked unlucky not to have won either of her first two starts. Jockey Andrew Fortune now takes over from the apprentice who rode her on both occasions, and she should take Race 4, a Maiden Plate over 1200m.
Clive Robinson
