The Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas, to be run over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday, is one of the most coveted prizes for fillies on the racing calendar and the 2014 edition has attracted a high-quality field, as befits an event of this stature. Topping the rankings is last season's champion juvenile filly, Majmu, and the Mike de Kock-trained daughter of Redoute's Choice looks hard to oppose.

A winner of four of her five starts - all in feature races - Majmu's sole defeat came in the Spring Challenge at the beginning of October when she encountered dreadful luck in running, unable to get any galloping room when it mattered and having to settle for a frustrating fourth. Normal service quickly resumed, however, in the Gr 3 Starling Stakes a month later, as she made light of top weight and cruised home with a minimum of fuss. This is her first attempt beyond 1450m but she is bred to go even further than this and it's hard to see her being beaten here.

If the applecart is to be upset, though, there is a trio of smart locally-trained fillies who are well-placed to take advantage should the favourite, for any reason, fluff her lines. Cold As Ice easily accounted for Double Whammy and Jet Set Go when they filled the first three places in the Choice Carriers Championship over 1400m a month ago and she looks a serious prospect in her own right. However, while there should not be much between these three, the step up to a mile means that the form may well be reversed. Double Whammy, badly drawn in that race, had to go out and make the running and battled on gamely after her early exertions, although unable to cope with Cold As Ice's turn of foot. She is now drawn in pole position and, given her strong galloping style, should relish the step up in trip. Likewise, Jet Set Go, who stayed on for a rather one-paced third, but who has a pedigree crying out for more ground, may prove to be a much bigger threat over this course and distance.

The trifecta and quartet are most likely to be dominated by the above group but there are two other contestants with feature race form to their names, on the strength of which they could challenge for the placings. Ataab, stablemate to Majmu, ran a creditable third in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile at Turffontein on Saturday but it was a hard-fought finish and she faces a gruelling task in making the trip to Cape Town and competing against such hot opposition in the space of seven days.

Sunset Tripp also deserves a mention after a very creditable third in the Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes over 1400m. Taking on male opposition, it was no disgrace to be beaten home by the seriously talented Zambezi River, while second-placed Brutal Force looks a horse who is going places as well. However, as strong as the form appears, she faces a challenge in jumping from the widest draw of all and she may well have to make the running again. She doesn't look an obvious miler at this stage and may well have to revert to slightly shorter to do herself justice.

Grey Light showed shades of promise going into the Choice Carriers but failed to make an impact. She is almost certainly better than that, but she would need to raise her game considerably to trouble the leading contenders here.

Inara was not disgraced when fourth in the Choice Careers but looks comfortably held by the trio that beat her home that day and faces a tough task here.

Cuvee Brut has shown some promise with two wins from three starts and seems to be improving nicely with each run, but she is up in class and distance here and, on bare form, this looks to be too much, too soon at this stage.

Jeweller's Joy did not fare too badly when sixth in the Lanzerac and, being much better drawn on this occasion, may get a lot closer to Sunset Tripp this time around, especially as she is proven over a mile. However, her profile still leaves her with plenty to do in this field and she may once again have to settle for finishing on the heels of the placed runners.

Majmu's sole defeat confirmed the adage that there are no certainties in racing and that things can go awry during a race. It also showed, however, that it would take exceptional circumstances to lower her colours and she must be a clear-cut selection here, based on the sheer class that she has shown. Double Whammy is taken to chase her home ahead of Jet Set Go and Cold As Ice.

Earlier in the day, a competitive field of fillies and mares lines up for the Gr 2 Tony Taberer Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m. De Kock has a strong hand here as well with 3-year-old Alboran Sea. She is one of only two Gr 1 winners in the race and has more scope for improvement than her rivals. She is clearly one for the short-list but will face stiff opposition from some very well-performed older fillies and mares.

Fly By Night has bragging rights on form, having won the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint in open company and earlier coming within a whisker of catching champion Via Africa in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint. She warmed up with a workmanlike victory in a conditions event over this trip last time out and would be hard to oppose if she can reproduce her Gr 1 form here.

Varikate is also a graded winner in open company, having landed the Gr 2 Post Merchants in July. She was well below her best when fourth in Fly By Night's conditions event and is worth another chance here. At her very best, she will be tough to peg back if she gets away from them early.

Priceless Jewel is tremendously versatile, having run well in graded company over distances ranging from 1200m to 2000m and she is in fact the highest-rated runner in the field. There's no doubt about her ability but the minimum trip might just prove to be on the sharp side for her, although she is a must for trifectas and quartets.

Lanner Falcon is another one who might just battle for out-and-out speed over this trip, although she does pack a strong finish and ran a cracker when fourth in the Cape Merchants against highly competitive male opposition.

Rosier showed promise as a juvenile last season and her sprinting form is hard to fault. She ran Fly By Night close last time out and looks best of the rest.

Sandwiched between the two ladies' features is the listed Val De Ra Southeaster Sprint over 1100m. Daring Dave, who ran the race of his life when caught late in the Cape Merchants, is a model of consistency and could get his reward here. Stablemate Cap Alright is not in great form at present but, at the weights, would be a factor if anywhere near his best.

Happy Forever must be a serious contender for top honours as well but the most intriguing runner is topweight Captain Of All, who showed brilliant promise as a juvenile but only ran once as a 3-year-old. Dennis Drier's charge clearly had his share of problems and has spent nearly 13 months off the track. It will be interesting to see if he shows signs of his early ability here as he really looked the goods in Gr 1 company two seasons ago. His stablemate Captain On The Run is handily-weighted and is another one worth considering.