Woman’s World & Duchess Of Paloma

Race 6, Greyville, Saturday, 20th June 2026

Distance: 2400m Class: Grade: A Going:

LUCKY FISH WINTER FILLIES’ STAKES (Grade 3)

For Fillies and Mares

Woman’s World (#1)

Woman’s World enters this Grade 3 feature in fine fettle, having won on the Highveld at her last start over a distance shorter than her optimum. She has a great draw of 1, an important factor over the Hollywoodbets Greyville circuit, even though the field must negotiate the marathon distance of 2400M. She travels down to Hollywoodbets Greyville following that determined victory at the Vaal on 21 May 2026 over 1600m, where she overcame a slow start to win going away by half a length under a polished ride by Mickaelle Michel.

Prior to that, she demonstrated her effectiveness at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 02 May 2026, leading the field into the straight in the Independent on Saturday Insider East Coast Cup (Listed) over 2000m event and fighting on bravely all the way to the line to finish third, just 0.70 lengths behind the winner, second favourite for today’s contest, Gerbera.

Women’s World runs a gallant third to Gerbera at Greyville in a Listed Event

Women’s World wins at her last start on the Highveld

From a handicapping perspective, she is one of the most dangerous runners in the lineup. She shares the top “Best Weighted” rating of 102 and holds a solid merit rating of 98. Most impressively, her time metrics reveal a “Best vs Ave this Distance Category” of +2.07, which is significantly higher than any other horse in the race, suggesting she is exceptionally well-suited to the demands of a true stayers’ trip.

This five-year-old daughter of Global View is owned by Messrs E G van den Berg & M B Bloemstein. Women’s World will have the expertise of Richard Fourie in the saddle, and from the one draw and in peak form she will be a big runner in this Graded event. Currently trading at odds of 5.56 on Hollywoodbets,

she represents a good value bet given her affinity for the distance and her tactical advantage from the inside rail and being guided by a jockey riding at the top of his game.

Duchess of Paloma (#4)

Duchess of Paloma is another representative from the Crawford Racing yard, and while she is currently priced at 10.00, there are several reasons to believe she could run better than her odds. Her form this year includes a gutsy win at the Vaal on 05 March over 1800m, where she strode away from the field to win well under Craig Zackey. While her last start at Greyville on 02 May saw her finish sixth, it is crucial to note that she was “in season” during that run, which most likely hindered her performance, finishing midfield.

Duchess of Paloma strides away in impressive fashion to win her penultimate start

Her breeding suggests that the step up to 2400m is exactly what this daughter of Royal Mo needs, noting that the increased distance could suit her better than her previous shorter outings. She comes into the race on a merit rating of 91 and is weighted competitively within the field with a good speed rating, which indicates that she should have the tactical speed to stay in touch with the leaders before the final 400m run-in.

Mickaelle Michel takes the mount for Crawford Racing, bringing her 8.7% win strike rate to the partnership, which included the two Graded wins on Star Major in May 2026. The filly is owned by a large syndicate including Stone Hill Stud (Nom: Mr H C W Rix), Mrs C Appalsamy, Messrs M Appalsamy & C Van Rooyen. If she has moved past the physical issues that plagued her last Greyville appearance, her stamina could make her a factor in the closing stages.

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Race 6, Greyville, Saturday, 20th June 2026

Distance: 2400m Class: Grade: A Going:

LUCKY FISH WINTER FILLIES’ STAKES (Grade 3)

For Fillies and Mares

Analysis

Curious Girl (#6) is the prohibitive favorite at 1.25 and arguably the horse to beat. She has a good career record, finishing in the top three in 88% of her starts with 5 wins from 8 runs. She holds the highest speed rating in the race (84) and is the top-rated runner by Computaform at 65. She finished third against males in her last start on 30 May, her previous collateral form shows she beat Hodgepodge over this exact course and distance in February, confirming her staying credentials.

Gerbera (#7), currently priced at 3.03, enters as the highest-rated runner on the “Best Weighted” scale at 102. She is coming off a good win at Greyville on 02 May where she beat several of today’s rivals, including Woman’s World, Plum Pudding, and Duchess of Paloma. Her only attempt at the distance saw her run unplaced, but her running style suggest she could still be on an upward trajectory.

Plum Pudding (#3) is a model of consistency (68% Top 3) and is currently at the same odds as Woman’s World at 5.56. She holds the second-highest speed rating in the field (83) and has proven herself over staying trips previously, having won over 1900m at this track in December. Though she finished fifth behind Gerbera last time out, her strong Computaform rating of 62 suggests she remains a primary contender.

Summary –

All eyes are on the heavy favorite, Curious Girl (#6), who boasts an exceptional career record of five wins from eight starts and is currently trading at 1.25 odds. While she is coming off a third-place finish against male competition, her high-class form and field-leading speed rating of 84 make her the horse to beat. Her primary challenger is expected to be Gerbera (#7), who comes into the race after a good victory in her last start after her recent victory over 2000m where she defeated several of today’s key rivals.

James saddles two major contenders in Woman’s World (#1) and Duchess of Paloma (#4), both of whom possess the stamina to factor into the finish. Richard will guide Woman’s World from the advantageous inside rail (draw 1), looking to leverage her field-best distance suitability metric of +2.07. Mickaelle takes the mount on Duchess of Paloma, who is expected to show significant improvement stepping up to 2400m after her previous run was affected by being in season. Rounding out the primary threats is the highly consistent Plum Pudding (#3), a proven stayer who remains a leading candidate for the minor placings or an upset victory.