Young Woodruff hopes to celebrate women’s month with feature win
Her four-year-old, Dean Street, faces the toughest task of his career in Saturday’s R80,000 Racehorse Owners Association Middle Stakes
With Turffontein hosting a meeting last Tuesday to honour women in racing, it would be appropriate if trainer Lucinda Woodruff wins the feature race at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Woodruff hails from one of the most famous families in racing. Her grandfather, Terrance Millard, is one of the sport’s legends and her father Geoff won five trainer’s titles.
Young Woodruff, now in her late twenties, looks like she could have made it as a model, but horses have always been her great love.
Also, with the spotlight on women this month, it’s interesting to recall the message she had for women in the industry in an interview with Sporting Post a year ago. She said: “Be strong, committed and always believe in yourself. No matter what. You can do it.”
Miss Woodruff has certainly “done it” with four-year-old Dean Street, who has reeled off three wins for a quintet of owners who have been steadfastly loyal to the stable.
Dean Street faces the toughest task of his career in Saturday’s R80,000 Racehorse Owners Association Middle Stakes — the sixth race on the card — as the Master Of My Fate gelding is opposed by some useful performers including Major Attraction, Maria Querol and Han Solo.
With Richard Fourie suspended, trainer Justin Snaith has had to shop around for riders for his two runners, Major Attraction and Maria Querol. He has chosen highveld-based riders Ryan Munger and Calvin Habib.
Now one doesn’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out that S’manga Khumalo is no longer in favour with the Snaith camp. They had five runners on July day and have 15 on Saturday — no sign of the guy who won the Queen’s Plate on Jet Dark on any of these horses.
Munger will be excited to be riding Major Attraction for the first time as the mare has the highest merit rating and could defy top weight of 60kg. The likeable jockey had a successful 2021/2022 season, riding 87 winners and finishing in 11th place on the national log.
Woodruff will be happy to have secured Khumalo’s services for Dean Street as he was in the saddle when the gelding ran second on his debut at Kenilworth in January.
A fifth career win for Maria Querol would be no surprise and Candice Bass-Robinson’s runner, Sugar Mountain, with bottom weight of 52.5kg, has to be very much in the mix.
A banker bet at the meeting could be the six-year-old mare Academic Gold, running from pole position in the seventh race, a fillies and mares handicap over 1,800m.
A daughter of Vercingetorix, Academic Gold has won two of her past three starts and romped home by five lengths in the hands of Grant van Niekerk on her latest outing.
The chief danger to Corné Orffer’s mount is likely to be another of Vercingetorix’s progeny, five-year-old Perfect Trust representing Eric Sands’ stable.
Orffer also has a shout of winning the fifth race on Bass-Robinson’s four-year-old Silent War. This R300,000 purchase finished a close second last time out and may have most to fear from the Snaith runner, Night Ruler.
KENILWORTH JACKPOT SELECTIONS
4th Race: (1) Air Of Royalty (4) Love Rules (7) Sparkling Crystal (8) Ella’s Delight
5th Race: (1) Silent War (3) Night Ruler (2) Van Hunks (5) Captive Moon
6th Race: (6) Dean Street (1) Major Attraction (4) Han Solo (7) Sugar Mountain
7th Race: (2) Academic Gold (3) Perfect Trust (1) Jasmine (5) Double Check