Curious Girl will look to take advantage of the lack of a standout three-year-old colt when she flies the flag for the girls in Saturday’s (4 April) G2 South African Derby (2450m) at Turffontein in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Curious Girl arrives on a strong run of form, with the three-year-old filly’s hat-trick culminating in victory in the Oaks Trial (2000m) on 14 March.
Trainer Mathew de Kock, who prepares Curious Girl in partnership with his father Mike, confirmed it became a straightforward decision to tackle the Derby rather than the G2 SA Oaks (2450m) for fillies 35 minutes later.
“We were always intending on running in either one of those two races,” he said. “We nominated for both races, and here in South Africa, you get the draws on your nominations and she drew very well in the Derby.
“She didn’t draw too badly in the Oaks, but the Oaks looks overall like a more competitive race, so we thought we’d give the Derby a crack. There isn’t really a standout three-year-old colt going for the Derby this year. She’s a live chance and let’s hope she can do it.”
Curious Girl, who has won four of her six career starts, has drawn barrier two and will carry 5lbs less than her 12 male rivals.
“She looks like she has a lot in her favour. Obviously the unknown is running against the boys but it was also going to be an unknown running against the girls because she hadn’t met this kind of class yet,” said De Kock of Curious Girl, who flashed her stamina with victory over 2400m two starts back.
“She’s been quite a late maturer and every month that goes by she’s putting her hand up more and more saying that she’s a top horse. She’s on the upward trend and even from her last race to now, she’s improved again. It’s going to be interesting to see how she goes.”
Curious Girl’s main dangers look to come out of the Listed WSB Hawwaam Stakes (2000m), which Diogenes won from Texas Missile and Master Spy.
“It’s a pretty wide-open race. There’s a lot of talk about Diogenes and I quite liked the way Master Spy finished off his race in the Derby trial. I think those two for me are the main dangers,” De Kock said.
The lead-up to Saturday’s Derby will provide a thrilling backdrop to the three-year-old feature, with three Group 1 races setting the tone.
Double Grand Slam looks set to start a short favourite in the G1 Empress Club Stakes (1600m) after her last-start success in the G1 Majorca Stakes (1600m).
The G1 Computaform Sprint (1000m) looks to be at the mercy of Group 1-proven galloper Buffalo Storm Cody. However, defending champion William Robertson and Kingdundee are among those who will have other ideas.
The brilliant See It Again is favoured to return to the winners’ list in the G1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge (2000m) two starts after his superb victory in the G1 Cape Town Met (2000m).
The G2 South African Derby (2450m) is carded as S2-4 and will be run at 10.15pm (Hong Kong time); the G1 Empress Club Stakes (1600m) is carded as S2-1 and will be run at 8.25pm; the G1 Computaform Sprint (1000m) is carded as S2-2 and will be run at 9pm; the G1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge (2000m) is carded as S2-3 and will be run at 9.35pm.
