Kenilworth 28 December 2024 – Crawford Racing Runners

RACE 5 – Class 3 ((Open Benchmark at 60kg) = 96)) – 1600M

FATAL GEM

Age:     4 (at last run)

Sex:      f

M/Rating:          90 (at last run)

Owner:               Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert)

Breeder:            Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs G A Rupert)

Trainer:               B/J Crawford

Breeding:          Master Of My Fate – Sapphire Gem by Trippi (USA)

Fatal Gem took five runs to break her Maiden over 1600M at Durbanville. She then won her post maiden run as well and then ran a close second to the Candice Bass Robinson trained Callmegetrix at Kenilworth beating the highly rated Rainbow Lorikeet in the process. The two wins and a second place in three runs catapulted her merit rating from an 80 to a 94.

She then contested numerous feature races where she acquitted herself well, before being given a three-month break from her racing schedule. Her second run after the rest was a 1400M around the tight Durbanville circuit, She bounced beautifully from a six draw and was able to sit up with the pace as the field turned into the home stretch.

Her jockey on this occasion, Louis Mxothwa, angled her to the outside rail as they spun into the stretch and when asked she responded well under the right-handed stick, moving up well as the field approached the 200M. She was then asked to take a small gap on the outside rail, relishing the challenge and ran powerfully all the way to the line to win a good race.

Fatal Gem wins well over 1400M at Durbanville

She has had two runs since then finishing close up in a small but quality field where Red Palace and Double Grand Slam ran one and two, and in her last run she finished less than two lengths off the winner Gimmethatpearl, whom she meets at better weight terms on Saturday.

She also goes the extra furlong, and Gareth Wright will have the long Kenilworth Summer Course straight to negotiate a passage to the line for the Drakenstein owned filly from her widish draw of eight. She will be a definite contender come race time on Saturday. 

RACE 8 – Class 4 ((Open Benchmark at 60kg) = 80)) – 1200M

FESTIVAL CHIC

Age:     3 (at last run)

Sex:      f

M/Rating:          89 (at last run)

Owner:               Mr P M Murugasa

Breeder:            Klawervlei Stud

Trainer:               B/J Crawford

Breeding:          William Longsword – Jamboree by Black Minnaloushe (USA)

Festival Chic is definitely a three-year-old filly with plenty of potential. Scarlet Macaw ran second to Fatal Flaw in the Grade One Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth on the 7^{th of} December, and the Crawford Racing trained filly has run third to the Bass Racing filly in July in the soft going at Durbanville and then set the record straight in September beating Scarlet Macaw in good going in a Cape C stakes handicap also at Durbanville.

From a poor draw of nine, Festival Chic bounced beautifully from the gates, with race jockey Louis Mxothwa able to take up the running before the field had reached the 1200M mark. The Andre Nel trained Pushing Limits then went past her to take the lead as the field started turning into the stretch, and Louis just allowed his mount to sit behind the leader.

As they entered the straight, he moved her to the centre of the track, with Scarlet Macaw, who had the benefit of a one draw, making her run down the inside running rail. The Murugasa Family-owned filly quickened past the tiring pacemaker taking up the running inside the last 200M. She tired a little at the end due to her exertions of coming over from the nine draw, but still had enough in hand to hold off the finish of Scarlet Macaw, passing the post with just under a half a length in hand. A very courageous win from a young filly.

Festival Chic wins well at Durbanville in a handicap against older fillies

Her last run was in the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship. Everything that could go wrong that day did go wrong. She bounced well from her wide gate of eight but struggled to get to the lead, eventually getting the joint lead but having to get there running five horses wide around the first bend.

She then settled and took up the running at the 400M but her early wide passage took its toll, and she faded the last 200M to finish downfield. On Saturday she is brought back in trip to the 1200M, is drawn two off the outside running rail at eight and has the services of former stable jockey for Crawford Racing, Corne Orffer, to guide her down the Kenilworth stretch.

Corne is riding at the top of his game, and with the good gate speed of Festival Chic, he will be able to place her as the race develops. She has shown that she can stay the 1400M, and with the tough Kenilworth 1200M with its uphill climb to the finish suited to horses who can gallop strongly all the way to the line, she has to be contender in this Fillies Class 4 MR 80 handicap.