Wylde Style coming home lonely in the Tote Free Handicap in December.

Those who believe in racing certainties will be sure Fillies Classic winner Wylde Style will win the Zimbabwe Guineas at Borrowdale Park on Sunday. Not being completely daft I have to agree ….but can never forget we are dealing with sentient beings not machines.

Wylde Style has never put a foot wrong and will more than likely add the Guineas to her list of laurels. She has dealt with the majority of the Guineas runners before, but racing being what it is one must consider the rest of the field.

This is the race most of these three-year-olds have prepared for. At the last two race meetings the going has been heavy – will there be any improvement on Sunday?

So back to the mind games, even if you are only trying to work out minor placings.

Without doubt Wylde Style’s owner and trainer, Amy Bronkhorst, has the strongest hand of all…the in-form Swanson stable will saddle Flasher On The Run and Haga Haga… Bridget Stidolph’s trio have me guessing….while Penny Fisher throws a bit of a dark horse (filly) into the mix.

Go well, Wylde Style – and the rest of this field.

FLASHER ON THE RUN. Drawn 3. Sherman Brown. Kirk Swanson. 5 starts 1 win 4 places. By Bold Silvano out of a National Assembly (CAN) mare. Won 1700m Maiden Plate on February 5, beating subsequent winner Don’tfencemein by 4.25 lengths in heavy going. Has finished in front of Megagram but apart from Don’tfencemein has not met the rest of this field. Interesting runner.

HAGA HAGA. Drawn 7. Callan Murray. Kirk Swanson. 9 starts 2 wins 5 places. By Mullins Bay (GB) out of Brashee (GB) mare. Third to Wylde Style in the 1600m Tote Free Handicap, receiving weight, and won his last outing over 1600m. Has improved over more ground and can deal with softer conditions underfoot. Like most of his peers this is more than likely the race he has been prepared for, but will have to pull out more stops to vanquish the champion filly.

DETERMINATION. Drawn 5. *Calvin Habib. Bridget Stidolph. 9 starts 1 win 4 places. By Right Approach (GB) out of She’s Game (AUS). Won his first start over 900m finishing ahead of Rhythymical Reply and Kevin Barry. Well beaten on several occasions by Wylde Style, Kevin Barry. Finished 20 lengths off Haga Haga in the 1600m Allowance Plate on February 5 but chances are he didn’t appreciate the going. Sunday’s runners Devil In Command and Karatu further back. Six and a half lengths off stable mate El Gallo over 1200m at the last meeting.

DEVIL IN COMMAND. Drawn (8). Ryan Munger. Amy Bronkhorst. 9 starts 1 win 4 places. By Great Britain (GB) out of Albert Hall (GB) mare. Occasionally a devil out of command at the start. Left the maidens in April, beating What’snewpussycat over 1000m by 4 lengths. Three and a quarter lengths off Wylde Style in the Tote Free, receiving weight. Well beaten in his two subsequent outings both in heavy going. Hard to overlook on breeding – perhaps the best is yet to come.

KARATU. Drawn 6. Fanie Chambers.Bridget Stidolph. 7 starts 1 win 2 places. By A P Answer (USA) out of a Rich Man’s Gold (USA) mare. Won 1600m Maiden Plate on December 3 (penetrometer reading 12 and wearing blinkers) narrowly beating Supalumina and Aloft. Megagram (4th), at level weights, 1.10 lengths back. Last start on February 5 when Karatu finished behind Haga Haga in the Allowance Plate (penetrometer reading 32) too bad to be true. Hard to assess.

MEGAGRAM. Drawn 4. Brendon McNaughton. Bridget Stidolph. 9 starts 1 win 6 places. By Tamburlaine (IRE) out of a Sobieski (USA) mare. Won 1800m Maiden Plate on December 18, beating In The Oven, Danger Dan and Aloft. Second to Haga Haga over 1600m on February 5. Has not raced against Wylde Style before. If the going is yielding on Sunday Megagram could be the pick from the Stidolph yard.

WYLDE STYLE. Drawn 1. Randall Simons. Amy Bronkhorst. 10 starts 6 wins 4 places. By West Man (USA) out of Soul Seeker (ZIM). Hard to find better form than this considering two of Wylde Style’s four places were achieved when taking on some of Zimbabwe’s best sprinters. Last time out she came from midfield to take the 1600m Fillies Classic from Solinski in heavy going. Zimbabwe’s two-year-old 2015/16 Champion Filly gave the colts and geldings dollops of weight in the 1600m Tote Free Handicap in early December – and beat them. Difficult to suggest she won’t do this again when she will be receiving her filly allowance of 2,5kgs from the whole field, other than Don’tfencemein!

DON’TFENCEMEIN. Drawn 2. Hennie Greyling. Penny Fisher. 4 starts 1 win 3 places. By Fencing Master (GB) out of Century Stand (AUS) mare. Lightly raced and shed her maiden certificate over 1600m at the last race meeting, finishing five lengths clear of Danger Dan. Came up against Flasher On The Run over 1700m prior to that, and ran second, 4.25 lengths behind. Second to Shepparton in September, her first start, and that day Megagram was further back. Did not run in the Fillies Classic but I would not be surprised to see Don’tfencemein finish in the minor money.