When One Dance made her debut in the Eastern Cape for trainer Kelly Mitchley on 23 January, she was the talk of the town to win that race.
Whoever one spoke to about that meeting, while pundits may have been split on the other races on the card, they all spoke with one voice about that particular race – One Dance was the best bet on the card.
The daughter of One World was sent off a deep-in-the-red odds-on favourite but failed by one stride to win that race, going down by the width of a piece of paper to aptly named Kamakazi.
She did have excuses that day as she lost ground at the start and was reported to be coughing post-race. It was also her first race on the Polytrack so perhaps that race is best overlooked.
The four-year-old filly will line up in Race 3 at Fairview on Friday and will return to racing on the turf in this Conditions Plate for fillies and mares over 1400m.
While she does meet stronger than last time, One Dance will carry 9kg less so will have just 52.5kg on her back.
Her form in the Western Cape is pretty good and although she just notched up just one victory, she did place in five of her other six starts. She also improved when blinkers were fitted which has been the case in her last three starts. Those runs have yielded one win and two close-up second spots.
Muzi Yeni, who rode her last time, will be back in the irons once again and will jump from barrier No 6 in the seven-horse field.
As is so often the case at Fairview, her biggest threat will come from an Alan Greeff-trained runner with Richard Fourie in the irons.
Hoerikwaggo has won both of her starts over this distance, one on the turf and the other on the Polytrack, and is better drawn in gate No 2.
However, she will have to give 4kg to One Dance and that could prove a tough ask.
Clive Robinson
