Winning In Style
Fairview 29th January: There were a number of easy victories on Friday’s turf card, but none more so than that of WESTERN WU in the not so lucky last, a MR72 Handicap. Freely available at 6/1 in what proved to be the faster of the afternoon’s two 1600m events, the son of Dynasty raced in midfield early on. He was hampered when looking to start his run 400m out, but once seeing daylight he cut through the field like a knife. He struck the front 150m from home, and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by three and a quarter.
Another to win going away by that distance was ETERNAL WINTER in the maiden plate for the girls over 1400m. The best bet on the card for many, Gavin Smith’s charge also came from midfield, and ridden to lead 100m out, won going away.
There were three races run over 1400m in total and the fastest of these was the conditions plate won by the very well weighted SUNSET TRIPP. Soon up handy in what was a ridiculously strung out field, Justin Snaith’s charge struck the front 250m out and won very cosily from the running on WITCHERY.
Titbits
NIGHT FALL and STONE TOWN both ran on well from off the pace when 2nd & 3rd respectively in the MR66 Handicap over 2000m.
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Come On You Reds
Greyville 29th January: They raced on the poly track on Friday evening where four of the eight races were staged over 1400m, and surprisingly the fastest of these (some would have you believe otherwise) was the lowly MR65 Handicap won by NOTTINGHAM FOREST. Nibbled at on course into 12/1 from 20’s, the not so reliable son of A P Arrow was always handy. He ran on stoutly in the straight and just got the better of the running on MASTER OF MISCHIEF by a half. The uneasy favourite GROOVY NEWS didn’t find the clearest of passages when running on from the rear to fill fourth position in this race.
A maiden plate over 1200m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the favourite RICOCHET FLYER. One of six in a line going through the 300m, Dennis Drier’s charge ran on best of all at the business end of the race and won going away by three and a half.
A MR80 Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and in what proved to be the slowest of the evening’s 1400m races, the 3yo ROYAL ARMOUR completed a hat-trick. Sent off a well-supported second favourite, the progressive son of Jay Peg was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front shortly after passing the 300m marker and although the well-supported favourite DO BE SNAPPY challenged strongly in the closing stages of the race, he did have that one held by a half at the wire.
Titbits
After losing two lengths at the start, ROY ROYALE ran on well from the rear when winning the MR66 Handicap over 1400m.
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Professional Treble
Turffontein 30th January: They raced on the inside track on Saturday where the fastest of the four 1600m races, a MR86 Handicap, was won by HAWAIIAN SUN. Easy to back at 7/1 on the off, Sean Tarry’s charge was content to sit at the back of the seven for most of the journey. He quickened well when the race developed into a sprint 400m out, and with the rest comfortably beaten he got the better of CAYMEN SUNSET (didn’t find the clearest of passages) by a half.
The faster of the two 1200m handicaps was the MR88 affair won by the lightly raced 3yo SPRING WONDER. She got away well when the gates opened and taken straight to the front by Callan Murray led throughout. She was always in command and won well by a length from the easy to back FINDING ALICE.
There was also two races run over 2000m and quickest home here was PYRAMUS in the MR67 Handicap. On leaving the stalls it was NOTORIOUS who elected to make the running whilst the son of Brave Tin Soldier raced close up in second. He was ridden to lead going through the 400m and won fair and square from the much more fancied BANKABLE TEDDY.
Titbits
The odds on favourites in the first three races, CAT’S WHISKERS, SPAN DIE SEILE and SCHILLACI all won their respective maiden events with authority.
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Very Smart Filly
Kenilworth 30th January: The Queen’s Plate winner LEGAL EAGLE was sent off a strong favourite to win the prestigious Gr1 J&B Met on Saturday, but on the day he found one better. Soon nicely positioned in second in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the afternoon’s two 2000m races, Sean Tarry’s charge looked to have done everything right on striking the front 400m out. The only female in the race though SMART CALL tracked him throughout, and when she in turn put her head in front 250m from home, he couldn’t go with her.
The fastest of the afternoon’s three 1000m races was the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to GULF STORM. Always handy, Brett Crawford’s charge quickened very nicely late and in a blanket finish he only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins over the running on BRUTAL FORCE.
There was also three races run over 1600m and the fastest of these was the MR80 Handicap won by MR WISE GUY. The seventh of eight winners on the card for trainer Justin Snaith, the Visionaire gelding was content to sit in the backend of midfield early on. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m pole and kept on strongly late to beat the running on VILAKAZI by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
The 3yo STAR EXPRESS came from the rear when winning the MR87 Handicap over 2000m going away by three and three quarters.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (mon)
Race 1: (2) Sportstrader 14 (NAP*)
Race 2: (4) Petite Paramor 10
Race 3: (3) La Myst 2
Race 4: (9) Bolt Of Light 75
Race 5: (14) Sky Full Of Stars 49
Race 6: (7) Dynamite 42
Race 7: (7) Pataudi 56
Race 8: (1) Bella Spumante 49
Kenilworth (tues)
Race 1: (6) On The Right Path 8
Race 2: (5) Eighth Wonder 57
Race 3: (9) Jingle Belle 11
Race 4: (6) Preoccupation 37
Race 5: (7) Boomtown Belter 40
Race 6: (9) Midnite Zone 82 (EW)
Race 7: (5) No Resistance 57
Turffontein (tues)
Race 1: (2) Rivarine 24
Race 2: (6) Fursa 22
Race 3: (5) Captain Chips 25
Race 4: (1) Truly 15
Race 5: (1) Trophy Wife 72 (NAP**)
Race 6: (4) Amsterdam 106
Race 7: (1) Dollar Dazzler 91
Race 8: (8) Delighted 38
Greyville (wed)
Race 1: (2) Glimmer Of Silver 7
Race 2: (13) Whirl Away Lad 11
Race 3: (1) L’attitude 8
Race 4: (2) Destined For Dawn 25
Race 5: (5) Killarney House 15
Race 6: (6) Dellavera 14
Race 7: (6) Lady Ming 83
Race 8: (3) Ho’oponopono 50 (NAP*)
Race 9: (8) Ostentation 43
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (1) Topography 15
Race 2: (4) Miss December 72
Race 3: (1) Vee Man 10
Race 4: (1) De Lujo 15
Race 5: (12) Shine Bright 18
Race 6: (7) Duke Nukem 73
Race 7: (7) Charanga 60
Race 8: (1) Abashiri 60 (NAP**)
Race 9: (12) Tip Of The Glacier 34 (nb)
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Top rated winners last week included
Acaciawood won 14/1
Smart Call won 8/1
Hawaiian Sun won 7/1
Mr Wise Guy won 5/1
Taketotask won 28/10
Marchant won 11/10
Eternal Winter won 13/20
Cat’s Whiskers won 9/20
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Notebook:-
Smart Call (A Laird, W-Cape)
Star Express (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Western Wu (A Greeff, E-Cape)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (turf) 29th January
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1200m (1) Vauclair 66,84
1400m (3) Sunset Tripp 83,16
1600m (2) Western Wu 96,16
2000m (2) Jam Tart 124,47
2400m (1) Taketotask 153,30
Greyville (poly) 29th January
Going Standard
1200m (2) Ricochet Flyer 70,42
1400m (4) Nottingham Forest 83,49
1600m (1) Juds Express 97,78
1900m (1) Canigao 115,77
Turffontein (inside) 30th January
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1000m (1) Cat’s Whiskers 58,41
1200m (2) Spring Wonder 72,64
1600m (4) Hawaiian Sun 96,95
2000m (2) Pyramus 125,22
Kenilworth (new) 30th January
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1000m (3) Gulf Storm 58,92
1200m (2) Captain Swarovski 72,21
1400m (1) Qing 87,48
1600m (3) Mr Wise Guy 99,63
2000m (2) Smart Call 123,17
2800m (1) Ovidio 181,73
