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SOUTH AFRICA: Fresh Igugu Runs At Greyville

2nd Jun 2011

Racing And Sports - Thursday, 2 June 2011

Durban July favourite Igugu is in good shape ahead of his lead-up in Saturday's Woolavington 2000 at Greyville.

Trainer Mike de Kock said that Igugu had been freshened up after her Triple Tiara win.

“It was necessary, so she won't be quite at 100%” he told Gold Circle.

De Kock added that he felt she would take to any track. Her only previous experience of a tight right hand track was when winning the weight for age G 3 Joburg Spring Challenge on the Turffontein Inside track over 1 450m beating such good horses as Headstrong, Miss Turbulence and Alderry.

Igugu didn't beat strong fields in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, SA Fillies Classic and SA Oaks but she won those races by a sum of 20 lengths and her times over her preferred trips in the Fillies Classic and Oaks were better than the subsequent male events on the same day.

Her stable companion Berry Blaze is getting bigger and stronger and looks to be main danger on Saturday.

Berry Blaze was beaten 11.5 lengths by Igugu in the SA Fillies Classic, but the Irish-bred filly is six months younger than her contemporaries and is improving rapidly.

She has a great presence and has impressed in her two runs at Greyville, beating a competitive field in a Progress Plate over 1 400m then losing a couple of lengths at the start in the KRA Fillies Guineas before failing by just 0.5 lengths to get to the classy Beach Beauty.

Dennis Drier has opted to avoid the Woolavington with Beach Beauty and keep her at 1600m.

James Goodman's Las Ramblas finished second in the SA Fillies Classic, beaten 10,25 lengths by Igugu, but was 1,25 lengths clear of Berry Blaze.

Her KZN form shows narrow losses to Safwan over 1600m at Greyville and Lady Magpie over 1750m at Scottsville and both of those horses went on to win Graded features.