In the Money
Scottsville 14 August: The two non-black type Bloodstock SA Million races for 3yo’s topped the bill on Sunday. In what proved to be the fastest of the three races over the distance, the 1200m event was won by the red hot favourite HACK GREEN. A fluent winner of both of his previous outings, the son of Gimmethegreenlight raced in midfield early on. He battled to find a clear passage when looking to start his run, and only really saw daylight 350m out. He ran on stoutly from there onwards and after a thrilling tussle with another unbeaten runner in GREEN PEPPER he only got the verdict on the nod.
Pocketing first prize in the 1600m event was another son of Gimmethegreenlight in LEGEND. Backed into favouritism at the track (6/1 into 28/10), Duncan Howells’ charge also came from off the pace. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and comfortably accounted for the running on OUTLAW by a length and a half.
There were four races run over a mile in total and the fastest of these was the MR70 Handicap won by the 5yo BALTIC AMBER. Soon at the head of affairs, the son of Alado led throughout. He was two lengths clear coming off the bend and that proved to be just enough to beat the running on favourite PIROGUE.
Titbits
The 3yo MAPLE STORY ran on well from off the pace when getting off the mark in the girl’s division of the maiden 1200m.
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Easy Victories
Flamingo Park 15 August: A MR62 Handicap got proceedings underway in the Northern Cape on Monday and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1000m events on the card, victory went to the uneasy favourite FIRST LAW. Allowed to ease out to 15/4 from 5/2 at the track, the Newton gelding was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m pole, went on to score with authority by three and a half.
Another to win with lengths to spare on this card was PENA PALACE in the faster of the two 1600m races, a MR61 Handicap. Always handy, the Judpot mare took up the running early in the straight and cruised clear over the final 400m to score by six and a half.
The faster of the two 1200m races on my clock was the bill topping MR79 Handicap in which Dukes Idol registered her fourth career victory. On leaving the stalls it was the uneasy favourite CARIBBEAN BAY who elected to make the running whilst the Kahal mare raced close up in fifth. She put her head in front shortly after passing the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three.
Titbits
The newcomer YELLOCLOVER was always travelling well when winning the fastest of the afternoon’s three 1400m races, a maiden plate.
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Colourful Farming
Kenilworth 16th August: The going was once again soft in Cape Town on Tuesday and with a head wind to boot the times were not surprisingly slow. Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1200m and quickest home amongst these was PURPLE TRACTOR in the opening maiden plate for 3yo’s. Sent off a strong favourite at 18/10, Brett Crawford’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front going through the 400m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by four and a quarter.
The stable of Brett Crawford were also on the mark in the faster of the two maiden events over 1600m when EDICT OF NANTES won the boy’s affair. Backed into favouritism at the track (33/10 into 2/1), the Count Dubois colt was always handy. He quickened well at the top of the short old course straight and won well by three quarters after striking the front 200m from home.
They also ran two races over 1400m, and stopping the clock in the fastest time here was the 3yo I TRAVEL LIGHT. Sent off a joint favourite at 6/1, Joey Ramsden’s charge lost a length after jumping outwards at the start, and very quickly found himself positioned in the rear. Once in the straight though he ran on well, and despite not finding the clearest of passages, he won going away after striking the front close home.
Titbits
The R2M newcomer ONE DIRECTION ran on well from the rear, and with the rest well beaten, he only went down by three quarters to the useful 11/20 favourite ROCK OF AFRICA.
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Repeat Performance
Vaal 17th August: They raced on the outside track on Wednesday where quickest home in the three 1600m races was MAN’S INN when winning the MR77 Handicap. Cleverly ridden by Gavin Lerena, Lucky Houdalakis’ charge took up the running 700m out. He was a length and a half clear going through the 400m and although his well-supported stable companion COUNTERSTROKE chased hard in the closing stages of the race, he didn’t relinquish an inch of his advantage.
Marginally the faster of the two 1200m races was the MR68 Handicap won by RARING TO GO. A winner over this distance on the inside track just six days ago, the daughter of Windrush again made all. She kept on doggedly at the business end of the race and just as she did last week, she only held on by the narrowest of margins.
Another to make all was RONIN WARRIOR when winning the faster of the two 1000m races, a MR72 Handicap. Holding an advantage of just three quarters of a length passing the 400m pole, Sean Tarry’s charge kept on strongly at the business end of the race and added a length to his superiority.
Titbits
Having her first outing since relocating from Cape Town, MY CHERRY burst clear 200m out when winning the maiden plate for the girls over 1600m very easily by five and a quarter.
Backed into 2/1 from 4/1 at the track, FLIGHT MODE won the maiden plate over 1000m going away by two and a quarter.
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The Right Time
Turffontein 18th August: Three of the eight races on the old stand side track on Thursday were staged over 1160m and surprisingly the quickest home on my clock was ARAMOUSE in the MR69 Handicap. Always handy, the son of Kahal was ridden to lead approaching the 200m pole and won well by a length and a tail from the running on QUATTRO.
There was a major upset in the faster of the two 1800m events, a graduation plate, when the worst weighted runner in the field LET IT RAIN registered his second career victory. Priced up as the rank outside of the six horse party at 28/1, Weiho Marwing’s charge made all. He was a length and a half clear for most of the journey, and doubled his advantage after the more fancied runners challenged strongly 300m out.
There was also a major upset for some in the MR72 Handicap over 1400m when KING AND EMPIRE did the business for the column. Freely available at 20/1 on the off, the son of Brave Tin Soldier raced towards the rear early on. He ran on best of all in the straight and under a well-judged ride from the up and coming Lyle Hewitson, he got up late to deny the second favourite DE LUJO.
Titbits
Lightly raced JACKMAN quickened very nicely late when only beaten by the narrowest of margins in the opening maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1160m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (18) Southern Sunset 12
Race 2: (15) High Fashion 49
Race 3: (2) Forest Lawn 18 (NAP*)
Race 4: (1) Diamond Dynasty 36
Race 5: (12) Consonance 48
Race 6: (5) Harry Lime 75
Race 7: (1) Cat And The Moon 68 (EW)
Race 8: (11) Wild Night Out 45
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (1) Purple Rock 9
Race 2: (6) Roman Discent 66
Race 3: (11) Possibly Me 6
Race 4: (13) Words Of Wisdom 44
Race 5: (2) Fire Master 67
Race 6: (10) Valerio 43
Race 7: (9) Boomtown Belter 42
Race 8: (10) Desert Wisdom 21
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Flying Dream 8
Race 2: (2) Mister Matchett 66
Race 3: (1) Pearl Valley 13
Race 4: (12) Zeal And Zest 17
Race 5: (8) Inala 60
Race 6: (5) Royal Honour 69
Race 7: (10) Roaring Tiger 41
Race 8: (5) Spring Dance 39
Race 9: (2) Ronin Warrior 42
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (2) Purple Splash 10
Race 2: (1) Indian Tractor 12
Race 3: (9) Online 19 (NAP*)
Race 4: (1) Palace Mystery 20
Race 5: (1) Juddering Angel 50
Race 6: (10) Pirogue 76
Race 7: (7) Texican 49
Race 8: (1) Barbosa 95
Race 9: (6) Lily Gray 44 (EW)
Race 10: (2) Out My Way 55
Race 11: (2) Ho’oponopono 51
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Top rated winners last week included
King And Empire won 20/1
Northern Ballet won 12/1
My Cherry won 11/2
Thrust won 22/10
Edict Of Nantes won 2/1
Flight Mode won 2/1
Purple Tractor won 18/10
Hack Green won 11/20
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Notebook:-
Hack Green (D Drier, KZN)
Legend (D Howells, KZN)
One Direction (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Yelloclover (S Miller, N-Cape)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 14th August
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,22 seconds slow
1000m (1) Swakopmund 56,97
1200m (4) Hack Green 68,91*
1600m (4) Baltic Amber 97,37
2400m (1) Sky Arrow 155,57
Flamingo Park 15th August
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,48 slow
1000m (2) First Law 57,53
1200m (2) Dukes Idol 73,38*
1400m (3) Yelloclover 86,47
1600m (2) Pena Palace 100,82*
Kenilworth (old) 16th August
Penetrometer 30 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 3,39 slow
1200m (3) Purple Tractor 75,29
1400m (2) I Travel Light 90,73
1600m (2) Edict Of Nantes 103,89
2000m (1) Northern Ballet 131,00
Vaal (outside) 17th August
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,93 slow
1000m (2) Ronin Warrior 57,71
1200m (2) Raring To Go 71,03
1400m (1) Jubilee Line 82,44
1600m (3) Man’s Inn 96,23
Turffontein (stand side) 18th August
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,88 slow
1000m (1) Evening Breeze 57,12
1160m (3) Aramouse 68,15
1400m (1) King And Empire 86,18
1800m (2) Let It Rain 112,33
2000m (1) Sergeant Pepper 127,73
