Woolavington – Frances Ethel and Future Girl

Frances Ethel

The Brett Crawford-trained Rafeef filly, Frances Ethel, takes her place today in the Grade One Tabgold Woolavington over the 2000M on the turf at Greyville Racecourse. She displayed her class and stamina in her last run, securing a commanding 1.75-length victory in the prestigious Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks over 2450m, brilliantly ridden by Kabelo Matsunyane.

Kabelo retains the ride today in the weight for age Grade One on the three-year-old filly, with her receiving 2.5kg from the older fillies. Being the top merit rated horse in the race, means she comes into the race on favourable weight terms and could give co-owners Messrs D Chinsammy, GS Knowles, HP Sambor, Mrs Vanashree & Mr Anant Singh and Team Valor International (Nom: Mr B Irwin) another win in a career which is on an exponentially upward trajectory.

Future Girl

On pure Merit rated terms, Future Girl has it all to do in this Grade One. She is rated a 97, which is twenty-one points lower than her stable companion, and has to give Frances Ethel 2.5 kg over the 2000M. However, she is having her third run after the rest, and was drawn 16 in her last run where she finished second to Saartjie and was running on strongly at the business end.  

Despite still being under sufferance today, she seems to have recaptured the form which saw her run second to Hold My Hand in her last start in Cape Town in the Grade 3 Summer Fling Stakes. She gave the winner in that race two kilograms whereas today they meet on level weight terms. From a much better draw of five in a smaller field, she should be cherry ripe to run a race that could be better than her merit rating.