On The Comeback Trail
Vaal 25th October
They raced on the inside track on Tuesday where fastest in the three 1200m races was SWIFT SARAH when winning the MR86 Handicap. Returning from a five month layoff here, Sean Tarry’s charge was always handy. She put her head in front as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for another returning from a lengthy absence in JUNGLE MIST by a length.
They also ran three races over 1400m and quickest home here was FOREST FOX in the MR86 Handicap. Another to race handy, Paul Peter’s charge took up the running going through the 300m and won going away from DAKIWE by two and a half.
The best bet on the card for most was RAYDAVERIC in the opening maiden plate over 1400m and the son of Seventh Rock didn’t let down his supporters. Alec Laird’s charge was taken straight to the front when the gates opened and led throughout. He was always in command and won without any anxious moments by two.
Titbits
The well-supported newcomer ETERNAL SPRING (5/1 into 28/10) ran on well from midfield, and with the rest some seven lengths adrift, she beat the other joint favourite ROUGE ALLURE by a length and a half.
Extra Power
Scottsville 26th October
This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place on Sunday 23rd October. The going was soft in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday where quickest home in the four 1200m races was EXECUTIVE POWER when winning the bill topping MR95 Handicap. Taken straight to the front by Alec Forbes, the deposed favourite led throughout. He was challenged strongly by the newly installed favourite HIGHWAY EXPLORER over the final 200m, and after a thrilling tussle he asserted his authority late to score by a length.
Three of the remaining five races were run over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was RIKITIKITANA in the MR80 Handicap. Sent off joint favourite at 7/2, Sean Tarry’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride and as a result he raced in the rear early on. Once in the home straight though, he quickened best of all and won well by a length and a half after striking the front 200m from home.
A maiden plate over 1200m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a nice performance from the Dennis Drier trained SEATTLE SKYLINE. A running on third after being hampered on debut, the son of Mambo In Seattle was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the always handy MAJIX by two and a quarter.
Titbits
The 2/1 favourite ROY’S MARCIANO had the rest well beaten when comfortably getting the better of the front running TUTTA MAGEE by a length and three quarters.
Couple To Follow
Kenilworth 26th October:
They also raced in Cape Town on Wednesday where the action took place on the old course. There were some very smart performances, amongst them the victory of the KZN visitor PREMIER DANCE in the fastest of the three 1200m races, a MR84 Handicap. A fluent winner of her only previous outing over 1400m at Greyville, this daughter of Silvano raced sixth of the nine early on. She took up the running approaching the 300m pole and with the rest well beaten she held TRIPPI’S GIRL by three quarters.
Another to win in very good fashion here was the newcomer QUICK BROWN FOX when getting off the mark in the second division of the maiden plate for 3yo fillies over 1200m. Backed into favouritism at the track, Brett Crawford’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She quickened nicely after having to switch out for a run 300m from home and after hitting the front 150m later won going away by two and a quarter.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1600m and despite just four runners going to post, the graduation plate won by the odds on favourite WHISKY BARON was still the quickest. LORD MARSHAL made the running whilst the talented son of Manhattan Rain sat close up in second. He took up the running shortly after passing the 400m pole and won with plenty in hand by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Now a winner of two from four, the 3yo PILLAR OF HERCULES kept finding, and gave the impression of having some in hand when landing the MR86 Handicap over 1000m.
More Going On
Vaal 27th October
Off a penetrometer reading of 27 the going was posted as soft at Thursday’s Vaal classic meeting, but the times recorded did not support that. Indeed, when winning the faster of the two 1200m races, a MR104 Handicap, WILL PAYS broke the course record recently set by BRITISH ROYALE by 1.19 seconds. That’s over 6,5 lengths. Always handy in a very tightly bunched field, Michael Azzie’s charge took up the running 400m out and comfortably accounted for the 6yo GREASEPAINT by a length and a half.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was the veteran BARACAH when registering his eighth career victory. Now an 8yo, Sean Tarry’s charge raced in the rear during the early part of the race. He quickened well under a vintage ride from Piere Strydom and cruised clear to score by two and three quarters after striking the front 100m from home.
Another to win with authority on this card was the well-bred daughter of Dynasty DELIGHTFUL DANCER when getting off the mark in the maiden plate for the girls over 1600m. Swiftly guided over from a wide draw by the in-form Piere Strydom, David Nieuwenhuizen’s charge raced close up in second. She put her head in front going through the 600m and with plenty in hand won very cosily by three and a quarter.
Titbits
The 4yo MOVIE SHOW ran on well from midfield when winning the MR68 Handicap over 1000m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Honest Ally 16
Race 2: (5) Lord Windermere 16
Race 3: (1) Aspen Fire 10
Race 4: (11) Apoc 52
Race 5: (5) Themla 32
Race 6: (9) Dance In The Woods 62
Race 7: (2) Party Tibbs 34
Race 8: (4) Quera 37
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (4) Starsky 22
Race 2: (2) Arabian Party 18
Race 3: (10) Joshua’s Answer 57
Race 4: (8) Astroman 49
Race 5: (5) Peach Delight 60
Race 6: (14) Thaler Point 45
Race 7: (8) Roy’s Dollar 46
Race 8: (1) Matresse 9 (EW)
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (9) Romi’s Boy 35
Race 2: (15) End Game 28
Race 3: (8) Fortissima 82
Race 4: (12) Henry Higgins 83
Race 5: (2) Unagi 63
Race 6: (2) Favour’s Pride 39
Race 7: (16) Irish Pride 104
Race 8: (2) Buffalo Soldier 52
Race 9: (3) Muscatt 87
Race 10: (7) Easy Lover 85
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (2) Oh Behave 16
Race 2: (7) Keep On Chooglin 65
Race 3: (1) Whispering Light 14
Race 4: (4) William The Brave 26
Race 5: (5) Taffety Tart 67
Race 6: (11) Chestnut Wild 44
Race 7: (8) Led bury 45
Race 8: (5) Mount Keith 22
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (5) Missibaba 19
Race 2: (6) Path To Glory 11
Race 3: (12) Kilmokea 41
Race 4: (5) Je Suis Silver 13
Race 5: (2) Faberge Style 52
Race 6: (3) Swakopmund 62
Race 7: (8) Greatfiveeight 57
Race 8: (7) Dawn Calling 73 (NAP*)
Race 9: (3) Queen Diva 16
Top rated winners last week included
Miracle Rising won 50/1
Boomtown Belter won 28/1
Consequentially won 8/1
Swift Sarah won 7/1
The Stone Thrower won 5/1
Raydaveric won 15/10
Biblical Susan won 5/10
Whisky Baron won 3/10
Notebook:-
Delightful Dancer (D Nieuwenhuizen, Gauteng)
Eternal Spring (A Laird, Gauteng)
Premier Dance (D Drier, W-Cape)
Quick Brown Fox (B Crawford, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Vaal (inside) 25th October
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 0,34s fast
1000m (1) Minnesota 57,24
1200m (3) Swift Sarah 68,97
1400m (3) Forest Fox 82,72
1800m (1) Master Switch 108,74
Scottsville (inside) 26th October
Penetrometer 28 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 1,79s slow
1000m (1) Roy’s Marciano 57,58
1200m (4) Executive Power 69,69
1400m (1) Millrace 86,02
1600m (3) Rikitikitana 97,91
Kenilworth (old) 26th October
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,29s fast
1000m (1) Pillar Of Hercules 58,21
1200m (3) Premier Dance 71,98
1600m (4) Whisky Dance 97,79
Vaal (classic) 27th October
Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 1,23s fast
1000m (1) Movie Show 56,65
1200m (2) Will Pays 67,96
1600m (4) Baracah 96,87
1800m (1) Netflix 110,08
