This Saturday will see Kenilworth host the final Cape race meeting of the 2015-2016 season.

The eight race card will be headed by the Gr3 Champagne Stakes, a WFA (plus penalties) sprint for fillies and mares over 1200 metres.

Run for a purse of R250 000, the Champagne Stakes (which has a wide open look to it this year) gives fillies the opportunity of picking up some valuable black type.

Highest rated runner in the Champagne Stakes is former Laisserfaire Stakes winner Victoria Lavelle, one of two in the race for former champion trainer Justin Snaith. Before an unplaced run (when making her debut on the surface) on Greyville’s polytrack, Victoria Lavelle had excellent form –and finished just over 4.5 lengths back in the Gr1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint and run a close third (to Fillies Sprint winner Real Princess) in the Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes. A big runner here.

Her stable mate Acaciawood was making her first start in three months when beaten in Port Elizabeth last time out but needs to recapture earlier form to feature here. (Stable mate companion Victoria Lavelle holds on her on their Laisserfaire meeting).

Vaughan Marshall will saddle the in-form Varumba, who has won her last two on the bounce. A daughter of speed king Var, former Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery third Varumba has yet to win over the 1200m but did finish third previously over 1400m and is clearly in good form. She also acts in soft going –which given the current Cape weather conditions can only be in her favour in Saturday’s Gr3 contest.

Another filly in good form, and who acts in the soft, is the Shane Humby trained Neala, who won a good race in very soft conditions last time out. Third to the top class Chevauchee two starts back in the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes (over the same course and distance as Saturday’s race), the consistent Neala has finished out of the first four just twice in ten outings and she will be looking to pick up some more black type here.

The top class Double Whammy will be attempting to give in-form trainer Glen Kotzen yet another feature race win. However the daughter of Judpot (and former Gr3 Diana Stakes winner) has not been at her best in her most recent outings. Should she recapture her earlier form, Double Whammy would be a serious contender here. Her stable mate Aliysa’s Prize (making just her second start in feature race company) was beaten a length by fellow Champagne Stakes runner Quine last time out. However, Aliysa’s Prize is 3kgs better off with the Andre Nel runner which should see her turn the tables with that undefeated Querari filly.

Another high class filly who has not been at her best of late is the Bass runner Come Fly With Me. An own sister to Gr1 winning sprinter Fly By Night, the daughter of Jet Master put up her career best runner when running second to her multiple Gr1 winning stablemate Inara in the 2015 Gr3 Diana Stakes but has been unplaced in all six subsequent outings.

Trainer Brett Crawford saddles two in the race –Beach Goddess and Secret Society, and riding arrangement suggest the former is the yard’s elect. A lightly raced daughter of Kildonan, 4yo Beach Goddess has had just six starts, and was just touched off by Chevauchee last time in the Olympic Duel. A leading contender here!
At the ratings, Secret Society needs to improve here –she is by some way the lowest rated horse in the race, even if her overall form

Ocean’s Swell was beaten nearly 15 lengths last time out in the Listed Ladies Stakes and clearly needs to improve to feature here.