Dancing To Victory
Fairview 27th October: The listed Algoa Cup over 2000m topped the bill on Sunday and here we saw a smart performance from the Western Cape raider CAT DADDY. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 2/1, Glen Kotzen’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well in the short home straight and won going away after striking the front 200m from home.
Five of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1600m and in comfortably the fastest of these, a MR94 Handicap, the former Cape Town campaigner CHAKRI registered her third career victory. In touch throughout, the daughter of Dynasty ran on stoutly at the business end of the race and after a thrilling tussle with the KZN raider MASTER KEYS, she got the verdict on the nod.
In terms of distance, the easiest victory on the card was recorded by BELL TOWER when landing the MR75 Handicap over 1600m. Soon positioned close to the speed, the Ideal World mare took up the running 400m out and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three and a half.
Titbits
Freely available at 12/1 on the off, VIA SEATTLE impressed when running on from the rear to win the conditions plate over 1200m going away.
Producing The Goods
Kenilworth 29th October: The going was Good to Soft in Cape Town on Tuesday. The pinnacle stakes over 1000m was comparatively the fastest of the three sprinting events and here we saw a smart performance from the 4yo RUSSET AIR. Nibbled at on course into 17/2 from 10’s, the son of What A Winter was always handy. He quickened well from what resembled a cavalry charge 300m out and after striking the front 100m later he went on to score by a half from another of his sire’s progeny WHAT A WINNER.
The other two sprints were both maiden plates over 1200m and in what proved to be the faster of these COUNT JACK got off the mark. Making only his second race course appearance here, Brett Crawford’s charge raced fourth for most of the journey. He put his head in front shortly after passing the 300m marker and challenged strongly by the rallying pacemaker ALPHA PAPPA all the way to the wire, he only got the verdict by a third of a length.
The stable of Brett Crawford were also on the mark in the faster of the two 1600m events when KELPIE gained her third win from just six starts in the MR84 Handicap. Usually one to race handy, this dynasty filly adopted a change of tactics here and raced from the front. She was a length clear at the top of the short old course home straight, and despite the efforts of both HONEY PIE and her fancied stable companion FLAME TREE over the final 400m, she won going away.
Titbits
Only beaten a neck, the 21/20 favourite ACADEMIC GOLD didn’t find the clearest of passages, and took up a bump to boot, when running on stoutly from midfield to finish second in the opening maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1200m.
Not An Illusion
Greyville 30th October: On what was a very competitive program the only outright favourite to oblige on Wednesday’s poly track card was ENRAPTURE in the slower of the two 1400m events, a maiden plate. Soon up handy, the daughter of Querari took up the running 200m out and won going away by three from the running on BASETSANA.
Run in a time 1,31 seconds faster than that of Enrapture was the MR73 Handicap in which SPRING BREEZE also won with authority. Easy to back at 7/1 on the off, Nathan Kotzen’s charge led throughout. She raced a length clear for most of the journey before extending that advantage to three over the final 400m. Poorly drawn SAN’S DANCER ran on well from the back to finish runner up in this race.
The MR99 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1200m races and here the lightly weighted MASTER OF ILLUSION caused an upset. Freely available at 11/1 in this his first outing of the season, Dennis Drier’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead approaching the 200m pole and kept on strongly late to fend off the determined challenge of the more fancied SOCRATES.
Titbits
Not the quickest into stride, NINOTTO ran on well from midfield when winning the MR68 Handicap over 1000m.
New Course Record
Vaal 31th October: One would have expected a race to be short of pace with just four runners, but that certainly wasn’t the case in the graduation plate over 1000m.Taken straight to the front by Warren Kennedy, the aptly named filly FLY AWAY set a brisk gallop throughout. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and with the remainder some 13 lengths adrift, she beat the strongly fancied TROPIC SUN by two and a half. The time was 55,35 seconds and this was a new course record.
Surprisingly the faster of the two 1450m maiden plates that opened up proceedings was the workrider’s affair in which the well exposed KISUMU got off the mark. Soon up handy, this daughter of Soft Falling Rain was ridden to lead 400m out and comfortably accounted for the running on MY KINGDOM by a length and three quarters.
Two 2000m maiden races followed and in by far the faster of these SELL HIGH opened his account. Nicely positioned in seventh during the early part of the race, Dorrie Sham’s charge was always travelling well. He put his head in front going through the 400m and won well from the always handy OUR MAN IN HAVANA.
Titbits
Now a winner of two from eight, CAPTAIN FLYNT showed real guts and determination when holding off a spirited challenge from ZEAL AND ZEST in the middle stakes over 1800m.
Upsets Aplenty
Greyville 1st November: There were a number of upsets on Friday evening’s poly track card and none more so than the Sporting Post’s top rated runner MAA NONU when winning the faster of the two 1200m events, a MR79 Handicap. Freely available at 33/1 on the off, Lizanne Forbe’s charge led throughout. He kept on strongly in the short home straight and just had enough in hand to beat WILLIAMS LAND by a neck. The runner up didn’t find the clearest of passages and was gaining nicely at the finish.
The MR78 Handicap was the faster of the two 1600m races and here WHAT A BLAST gained his third career victory. Running on stoutly from midfield, the Visionaire gelding struck the front 200m out and won going away from the ultra-consistent TECHNO CAPTAIN.
One of just two favourites to oblige on the card, SILVA MAGIC won the faster of the two 2000m events. Making her fifth appearance in the maiden ranks here, the daughter of Master Of My Fate raced in the rear early on. She made headway quickly early in the home straight and in what proved to be a real thriller, she got the verdict by a short head over MAGIC MOUNTAIN (also came from the rear).
Titbits
Lightly raced FEVER ran on well from midfield when opening his account in maiden company over 1600m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (9) Pollymania 15
Race 2: (5) Andrea 16
Race 3: (4) Outlandos D’amour 69
Race 4: (2) Brandina 40
Race 5: (6) Tom Tom 48
Race 6: (14) Keanan’s Rock 42
Race 7: (1) Star Chestnut 68
Race 8: (9) Gimme Katrina 45
Vaal (sat)
Race 1: (2) Madame Patrice 23
Race 2: (11) Capitiana 22
Race 3: (5) Flower Of Scotland 6
Race 4: (3) Virtuosa 34
Race 5: (5) What You Are 64
Race 6: (8) Silver God 67
Race 7: (1) Green Plains 82
Race 8: (9) Soldier On 98
Race 9: (11) Indian Song 50
Race 10: (4) Itsmydarlin 32
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (2) Bollinger 11
Race 2: (1) Vikram 57
Race 3: (1) O Sole Mio 21
Race 4: (7) Black Belt 41
Race 5: (4) Search Party 87
Race 6: (10) Rush Hour Girl 75
Race 7: (5) Man About Town 82
Race 8: (7) Al Wahed 48
Race 9: (12) Duchess Of Prussia 38
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (4) Talia Al Ghul 16
Race 2: (2) Blackball 67 (nb)
Race 3: (8) Let’s Blaze 12
Race 4: (4) Baby Shooz 29 (NAP*)
Race 5: (1) Arizona Sunset 36
Race 6: (5) White Lightning 67
Race 7: (1) Nikiya 47
Race 8: (12) Buffalo Soldier 72
Top rated winners last week included
Waiting For Rain won 18/1
Chatty Cathy won 10/1
Spring Breeze won 7/1
Merlin From Berlin won 11/2
Duran won 21/4
Spiritofthegroove won 9/2
Kisumu won 4/1
Chakri won 33/10
Notebook:-
Fly Away (P Peter, Gauteng)
Williams Land (D Kannemeyer, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (turf) 27th October
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,65s slow
1000m (1) Sir Caleb 57,82
1200m (1) Via Seattle 70,17
1400m (1) Coyote Creek 86,66
1600m (5) Chakri 99,56
2000m (1) Cat Daddy 124,02
Kenilworth (old) 29th October
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 1,65s slow
1000m (1) Russet Air 59,20
1200m (2) Count Jack 73,62
1400m (1) Esteemal 87,23
1600m (2) Kelpie 100,82
2000m (1) Rosalie Runs 130,84
2400m (1) Over The Odds 155,60
Greyville (poly) 30th October
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,86s slow
1000m (1) Ninotto 57,96
1100m (1) Duran 65,46
1200m (2) Master Of Illusion 69,89
1400m (2) Spring Breeze 83,74
1600m (1) Call Me Tonight 96,70
2000m (1) Smart Sox 124,33
Vaal (classic) 31st October
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,39s fast
1000m (1) Fly Away 55,35
1200m (1) Battle Creek 69,45
1450m (2) Kisumu 88,79
1600m (1) Youcanthurrylove 96,75
1800m (1) Captain Flynt 109,45
2000m (2) Sell High 122,80
Greyville (poly) 1st November
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,67s slow
1000m (1) Coyote Girl 59,13
1200m (2) Maa Nonu 70,82
1400m (1) Orchid Street 84,05
1600m (2) What A Blast 96,87
1800m (2) Silva Magic 123,61
