Thrown In On Best Form
Kenilworth 31st May: After a spell in the wilderness the once highly regarded PURE POWER bounced back to form last time out and still racing off a mark some 16 points below that of her former best she repeated the dose in the fastest of the two 1200m events here, the Olympic Duel Stakes (L). Sent off at 8/1 to win what in real terms was a handicap, Mike Bass’ charge raced in the rear for most of the journey. She quickened well going through the 400m and under a well-judged ride from Robert Khathi she got up late to deny the friendless SURFER GIRL. LANNER FALCON also ran on very well from the rear in this race.
The Gr3 Winter Classic over 1800m topped the bill and here the stable of Mike Bass were also on the mark when the Rebel King gelding ROYAL DREAMER made it three wins from eight starts. Allowed to drift right out to 8/1 from 9/2 at the track, Royal Dreamer also came from the rear. He finished best of all and got up in the dying strides to pip another drifter SAIL FOR GOLD (7/2 out to 6/1).
The first of the afternoon’s three feature races to be run had been the listed Stormsvlei Mile and here we saw a smart performance from CRYSTAL CAVERN. Yet another to run on stoutly from the rear, Adam Marcus’ charge was six lengths off the pace at the back turning for home. In what proved to be a very false paced affair though, the daughter of Horse Chestnut quickened nicely in the straight and won well by a half from ELUSIVE STARS.
The easiest victory on the card was registered by EMERALD ROSE in the opening work rider’s maiden plate over 1200m. Soon positioned close to the speed the 4/10 favourite took up the running at the 200m pole and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by six.
Titbits
The 3yo SIR HENRY won the maiden plate over 1400m with authority by two and three quarters.
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Winter Course/Winter Going
Kenilworth 2nd June: The going was soft on Tuesday where victory in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1200m went to the heavily supported favourite STAR EXPRESS. Backed through all rates into 12/10 from 28/10, Justin Snaith’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and only having to be pushed out in the closing stages of the race, she won comfortably by a length and three quarters.
Another to win with authority over 1200m was LITTLE MO in the maiden plate. Always handy, the well supported outsider struck the front 400m out, and won well by four and a quarter.
There were four races run over 1200m in total and the fastest of these was the MR74 Handicap won by BLACKMORE. Allowed to drift as if a win was out of the question at the track (12/1 out to 25’s), Dean Kannemeyer’s charge (sweating) raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well when given rein and comfortably accounted for the much more fancied MOONLIGHT RUNNER after striking the front 200m out.
The faster of the two 1600m maiden plates was the boy’s division won by STORM FAERIE. On leaving the stalls it was the rank outsider of the ten horse party HAWA HAWAII (50/1) who elected to make the running whilst Mike Bass’ charge raced close up in fourth. He put his head in front going through the 400m and with his jockey already looking around for the opposition 200m later, he went on to score with a ton in hand by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
IRISH DYNASTY ran on well from midfield when comfortably accounting for his fifteen rivals in the MR72 Handicap over 2400m.
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Scenic Day Out
Scottsville 3rd June: The faster of the two 1200m maiden plates that got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday was the girl’s division in which the daughter of Querari COSMIC LIGHT made a gutsy debut. Up with the pace throughout, Duncan Howell’s charge kept on strongly at the business end of the race and won well by two from the top two in the betting market DURBAN BLUES and BESPOKEN (28/10 into 22/10fav).
Four of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1400m and the fastest of these was the bill topping MR101 Handicap won by the visiting ARNISTON. Another to lead from pillar to post, Justin Snaith’s charge was always travelling well and won without any anxious moments from another visitor from the Cape, BIG CAT.
The faster of the two 1950m events was the MR95 Handicap won by VINO VERITAS. The top weight got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m pole and won well by a length and three quarters from the running on SQUARE DANCE.
The best bet on the card for most was FLEETFOX in the maiden plate over 1400m and the 7/10 favourite did do the business. It was by no means as easy as the majority of his followers might have anticipated though. Not the quickest into stride, Fleetfox took up the running 200m out, after racing in midfield. The second favourite DARK AVENGER (led 300m) found extra when headed and having to give his all in the latter stages, it was only by a half that Fleetfox got the verdict.
Titbits
With the rest some seven lengths adrift, SHEZAMATADOR was reported as faltering twice in the latter stages of the maiden plate over 1400m when getting the better of the well-supported outsider Ravishing Lilly (14/1 into 15/2) by a neck.
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Steeplechase Margins
Vaal 4th June: The faster of the two 1800m races at Thursday’s sand meeting was the MR80 affair in which the second favourite WELLESLEY came home lonely. Content to sit sixth of the seven in what was a very tightly bunched field early on, Leon Erasmus’ charge was asked to take up the running 400m out. He drew clear with ease from there onwards and won as he liked by ten.
Even easier a winner over the 1800m trip was SEATTLE FAIRY in the MR64 Handicap. In the rear during the early part of the race, Wallace Tolmay’s charge struck the front shortly after passing the 400m marker and cruised in by eleven and a half.
The stable of Wallace Tolmay were also on the mark in the faster of the two 1450m races (on my clock), a MR80 Handicap, when GREEN ROCK completed a quick double. A winner over 1200m at this circuit a week ago, the son of Seventh Rock made all. He kept on strongly over the final 400m and with the rest some five lengths adrift, he just held on from the recent maiden winner ROMAN CARNIVAL (came from the rear) by a neck.
Titbits
Still a good seven lengths off the pace going through the 400m, BEAUTIFUL SHAY (came from the rear) was only beaten 0,85 lengths when fourth in the maiden juvenile plate over 1000m.
Well supported AMERICAN TIGER came from the back when a length and a half third in the MR74 Handicap over 1000m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (2) Cape Flyaway 14
Race 2: (3) Jolene 6 (nb)
Race 3: (2) Captain Broadhurst 24
Race 4: (1) Astro News 67
Race 5: (1) Antonia’s Fortress 71 (NAP*)
Race 6: (5) Kanara 17
Race 7: (4) Masterly 53
Race 8: (3) Hidden Dragon 13
Scottsville (sat)
Race 1: (4) Beluga 16
Race 2: (5) Euthenia 8
Race 3: (10) Sharp Princess 27 (NAP**)
Race 4: (13) Son Of Silver 25
Race 5: (8) Nineteen Fourteen 94
Race 6: (6) Hunting Owl 65
Race 7: (12) Night Lock 64
Race 8: (9) Rockaberry Lane 72
Race 9: (3) The Arabian 17
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (4) Bold Aspen 26
Race 2: (11) Ocean’s Swell 5
Race 3: (11) Supercilious 19 (NAP*)
Race 4: (8) Lovar 16
Race 5: (12) Winter’s Eve 53
Race 6: (3) Castlethorpe 82
Race 7: (8) Putney Flyer 75
Race 8: (1) Consonance 13
Turffontein (sun)
Race 1: (1) Emerald Mackay 12
Race 2: (3) Sapsan 25
Race 3: (10) Just As I Said 30
Race 4: (4) Bubba’s Doll 10
Race 5: (4) Lazer Star 83
Race 6: (6) Meissa 94
Race 7: (12) Barbel Run 76
Race 8: (5) Manx Park 56
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Top rated winners last week included
Shezamatador won 9/2
Samba Serenade won 8/1
Sir Henry won 4/1
Jay Belle won 7/2
Khaleesi won 18/10
Dynamic Speed won 1/1
Fleetfox won 7/10
Winter Al won 13/20
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Notebook:-
Cosmic Light (D Howells, KZN)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Kenilworth (old) 31st May
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
1200m (2) Pure Power 75,36
1400m (3) Ernie 89,05
1600m (2) Petty Officer 100,55
1800m (1) Royal Dreamer 112,98
Kenilworth (old) 2nd June
Penetrometer 29 – Going Soft
1200m (4) Blackmore 76,46
1400m (1) Harryhopeithappens 89,48
1600m (2) Storm Faerie 104,04
2400m (1) Irish Dynasty 154,92
Scottsville (inside) 3rd June
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1000m (1) Easy Game 58,43
1200m (2) Cosmic Light 71,52
1400m (4) Arniston 84,39
1950m (2) Vino Veritas 122,91
Vaal (sand) 4th June
Going Standard
1000m (3) Dravidian 59,22
1200m (1) African Affair 75,93
1450m (2) Green Rock 92,69*
1800m (2) Wellesley 117,03
