Coolmore and Darley go head-to-head in the G1 South African Fillies Classic over 1800m at Turffontein this Saturday.

While the arch-rivals will be otherwise engaged at the Dubai World Cup meeting, their South African showdown is shaping up as a beauty between Igugu (Galileo) and Hollywoodboulevard (Street Cry).

There’s a distinct Australian flavour to the clash as both fillies were bred and sold here.  The SA Fillies Classic is the second leg of the Triple Tiara and Igugu went one up with an emphatic victory in the G2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas at Turffontein on February 26.

Igugu (3f Galileo – Zarinia by Intikhab) was purchased for $65,000 at the 2009 Inglis Melbourne Premier and was resold later that year for R1,000,000 at the Emperors Palace Ready-to-Run Sale.  She is raced in partnership by Summerhill Stud owner Mick Goss with Andre Macdonald, Rodney Thorpe and Roger Zeeman.  

She opened her black-type account in the G3 Joburg Spring Fillies & Mares Challenge at Turffontein in October and was always travelling like a winner in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas last month.  She defeated Hollywoodboulevard by four lengths and will be favoured to deliver a repeat performance on Saturday.

Hollywoodboulevard sprang a $26 surprise when defeating Igugu in the valuable Ready To Run Cup last November.  She then added G3 victories in the Fillies Mile and Three Troikas Stakes.  

Hollywoodboulevard (3f Street Cry – Soneria by Filante) races best when reserved for one final sprint and she will conceding plenty of ground to Igugu in the final furlong.  She was sold by Bridgeview Stud for $6,000 as a foal at the 2008 Magic Millions National weanling sale.  Sent to South Africa, she was purchased by Charles Laird for his major client Marcus Jooste for R900,000 at the 2009 South African Ready To Run 2YO Sale.

Igugu will join Australian bred filly Mahbooba as a South African Group 1 winner by Galileo if successful on Saturday.  Mahbooba is out of a Red Ransom mare and Igugu is from a mare by Red Ransom’s sire son Intikhab.

Both fillies are trained by Mike De Kock and Mahbooba will be one of the favourites in the G2 UAE Derby at Meydan on Saturday.

Mahbooba was a G1 winner of the South African Golden Slipper at Greyville and she added a Listed victory in the UAE 1000 Guineas earlier this month.  

De Kock will also saddle up Galileo filly Reem in the UAE Derby.  She was second to Mahbooba in the UAE 1000 Guineas before scoring a five length victory in the Listed Al Bastakiya at Meydan last month.