Trainer Justin Snaith, who will be looking to win the race for a fourth year in a row, will be strongly represented in Saturday’s G3 Final Fling Stakes at Kenilworth.
This Grade 3 contest, set to be run over 1800m for a prize of R250 000, sees a line up of 15 fillies or mares line up in a bid to secure some valuable black type.

Former champion trainer Justin Snaith has no fewer than three of the runners entered, with his line-up including last year’s winner Cat And The Moon and the regally bred Galileo filly Gift Of Rain. Cat And The Moon, a daughter of Black Minnaloushe, sports the highest merit rating in the field –and is currently rated 97. However, she has had just one outing since January –when finishing unplaced (she returned distressed post-race) in the Listed Ladies Mile last time out and she has does need to answer some questions here.
In comparison, Gift Of Rain, a facile two and three quarter length winner last time out, would appear to have a lot to do at the weights –she currently sports a MR of just 69 and also has drawn poorly here.

However, jockey arrangements suggest that Acrostar could be the right one of the Snaith runners. The daughter of Danehill Dancer (who was just beaten into second in the 2014 Final Fling by stable mate Jet Supreme) comes into the race off a fair fourth to the hugely exciting Chevauchee in the Listed Ladies Mile and gets the services of top jockey Richard Fourie here. Acrostar was just touched off by Petty Officer (who was third) in the Ladies Mile and there should not be much separating the pair again here.

However, both Acrostar and Petty Officer have ground to find with Moonlight N’ Roses (who finished more than a length clear of those rivals in the Ladies Mile). A somewhat highly strung daughter of Captain Al, Moonlight N’ Roses is one of two runners for the Mike Bass, with stable jockey Grant Van Niekerk set to partner stable mate Sublime Lady.

The pair finished ahead of the Adam Marcus trained Fear Not (who has a shocker of draw in 15 for Saturday’s race) who re-opposes here, as well as fellow Final Fling contender Moonsong Magic. The latter was beaten all of 9.35 lengths and needs to find her best form to feature here. However, the Windrush filly has done well in soft going and she may well get those conditions on Saturday.

The red hot Joey Ramsden yard also look to be well represented in the Final Fling, with the Ramsden runners including the up and coming three-year-old Jetano, who finished a pleasing third in the Listed Winter Oaks. Typical of her sire Silvano, Jetano looks likely to improve with age and time, and this progressive filly could well improve further here. She is dropping back in trip however, but her form looks encouraging and the stable’s deadly form makes them dangerous to ignore.

Jetano, however, is held on Winter Oaks form by Harlem Shake, who finished second (and more than two lengths clear of Jetano). The latter had beaten Harlem Shake on their previous outing –however that daughter of Warm White Night was conceding Jetano no less than 5.5 kgs! Both 3yos could well be in the shake up here.

Trainer Brett Crawford has a trio of runners, with his string including the highly rated 3yo Icy Fire, Amarillo Rose and Elusive Wave, and it could be 3yo Icy Fire to lead her stable mates home. The blue blooded daughter of champion sire Western Winter has only won once –but did run an encouraging fifth to the very smart Captain’s Flame in the Listed Stormsvlei Fillies Mile and her pedigree suggests she will relish the step up in trip to 1800m.

Lowly rated Hilaria looks to have it all do here, as does the once promising filly Indaba, with both fillies looking hard to fancy at the weights and ratings.