Alan’s Magnificent Seven
Fairview 27th January: Monday’s action took place on the poly track where the faster of the two 1300m events was the MR68 Handicap won by DADS ROOTS. Sent off second in the betting market at 3/1, Alan Greeff’s charge led throughout. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest a minimum of two and a quarter lengths adrift, he beat his running on stable companion DUKE OF CARDS by three quarters.
Amazingly, trainer Alan Greeff saddled seven out of the eight winners on the card and these also included DUBULA in the faster of the two 1900m races, a MR81 Handicap. Soon positioned close to the speed, the 4yo son of Duke Of Marmalade took up the running coming off the bend and just had enough in hand to hold off the running on VICTORY MARCH (came from the rear) by a quarter.
They also ran two races over 1600m and in the faster of these, a maiden plate, the former Gauteng campaigner PINCH POT opened his account. The only winner on the card not to be trained by Alan Greeff, Grant Paddock’s charge led throughout. He kept on strongly over the final 400m and won by a half from the gaining ASCENDING HEIGHTS (Alan Greeff).
Titbits
Having her first outing since relocating from the Western Cape, FEE FI FOE FUM came from the rear when winning the novice plate over 1200m with plenty in hand by two and a quarter.
Timed To Perfection
Vaal 28th January: A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m opened up proceedings on the Vaal’s classic track on Tuesday and here we saw a smart performance from the Var filly VARINA. Always in the red, Ashley Fortunes’ charge was soon positioned close to the speed. She put her head in front 150m out and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by four and three quarters.
There were three races run over 1000m in total and in the fastest of these, a MR68 Handicap, the well-exposed 4yo HEAR THE TRUMPET registered her fourth career victory. Just two and three quarter lengths covered all twelve of the runners going through the 400m and in what proved to be a real thriller, she got the verdict by a neck over the fancied WINGS OF HONOR.
The bill topping MR96 affair was the faster of the two 1200m events and here we saw a smart performance from the 5yo STATE TROOPER. Positioned in midfield at the halfway mark, the Captain Al gelding was produced with a well-timed run by Raymond Danielson and got up 40m from home.
Titbits
The Paul Peter trained PORTICO ran on well from off the pace when winning the maiden juvenile plate over 1000m going away.
To A Better Place
Scottsville 29th January: Four of the eight races on Wednesday were staged over 1000m and in the fastest of these, the MR76 Handicap, the well supported favourite MAI TAI did the business. Always handy, the daughter of Vercingetorix got the edge in a three way finish late on.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1750m where marginally the faster of the two was the MR76 Handicap won by DARK MOON DOWN. Now a winner of two from seven, Paul Lafferty’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She ran on strongly in the straight and in a classic three way finish she got up in the very last stride.
A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m had been first up and here we saw a smart performance from the newcomer GREENLIGHTTOHEAVEN. Sent off second in the betting market at 3/1, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge led throughout. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and won with authority by three and three quarters.
Titbits
The nibbled at newcomer MISS MARMALADE made all when beating the perennial maiden CHANEL ALLURE by a quarter.
Rebel With A Cause
Vaal 30th January: Racing returned to the classic track on Thursday where the lion’s share of the races were staged over 1600m. The MR95 Handicap was by far the fastest of the three and here the 6yo Rebel King gelding NORDIC REBEL showed further improvement. Confidently ridden by Gavin Lerena, Nordic Rebel sat towards the rear early on. He quickened best of all over the final 400m and won going away after striking the front close home.
The graduation plate was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1450m events on the card and here we saw a smart performance from the 3yo RIO’S WINTER. Soon positioned close to the speed, Stephen Moffatt’s charge took up the running 400m out and with some in hand, won much more easily than the official three quarters of a length would suggest.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by the 5yo DARKEST HOUR when registering his fourth career victory in the MR80 Handicap. The field was always very tightly bunched and despite racing in the rear he was only 3,5 lengths off the pace when the race began in earnest. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by two and three quarters.
Titbits
Having only his second career outing here, the heavily supported APOLLO ROBBINS ran on strongly from off the pace when getting up in the very last stride to win the opening work rider’s maiden plate over 1600m.
Low-Wing Monoplane
Turffontein 1st January: By just 5/100th of a second the MR93 Handicap for 3yo’s was the fastest of the four 1450m races on the inner track on Saturday. A winner of two from three going into the race, the Mike De Kock trained Marshall was always top of the boards. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead at the top of the short home straight and comfortably accounted for his running on stable companion YOUR PACE OR MINE by two.
The bill topping MR112 Handicap was by far the faster of the two 1800m events on the card and that despite just five going to post. The field was always very tightly bunched and going through the 400m two lengths covered all except the unfancied MASTER MAGIC. HERO’S HONOUR and DIVINE ODYSSEY quickened best of all from there onwards and in what proved to be a real thriller, the former got the verdict on the nod.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by VIPER JET when getting off the mark in the opening work rider’s maiden plate over 1450m. Bumped at the start and then hampered 1000m out, the odds on favourite was easily 15 lengths adrift coming off the strip. He cut through the field like knife in the straight though and amazingly, won going away by three.
Titbits
Backed into 13/2 from 14/1, GET SET showed good improvement when running on well from off the pace to win the maiden plate for the girls over 1600m going away.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (4) Wangan Midnight 4
Race 2: (4) Bridesmaid Blues 7
Race 3: (1) Ample Glory 11
Race 4: (3) Seattle Swing 50
Race 5: (4) Falcon Rock 60
Race 6: (3) Rings And Things 62
Race 7: (8) Margot’s Magic 56
Race 8: (2) Ultra Boost 44 (NAP*)
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Afternoon Tea 10
Race 2: (16) Entente 12
Race 3: (1) Gin Fizz 60
Race 4: (2) Diamond Dancer 62
Race 5: (5) Unagi 87
Race 6: (7) Romi’s Boy 91
Race 7: (8) Spiritofthegroove 61
Race 8: (4) Ikigai 78
Race 9: (1) Flichity By Farr 66
Race 10: (3) Green Plains 88
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (8) Trickster 7
Race 2: (12) Trippin The Stars 11
Race 3: (1) Still Tappin 21
Race 4: (1) Al’s My Daddy 23
Race 5: (4) Joy Maisha 37
Race 6: (4) Secret Depths 62
Race 7: (5) Waldorf Astoria 41 (NAP*)
Race 8: (9) Metorite 55
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (9) Ziva De Grace 23
Race 2: (2) Nikhils Inn 18
Race 3: (2) Afriel 20
Race 4: (4) Bint El Malak 43
Race 5: (9) Peter Piper 39 (EW)
Race 6: (4) Captain’s Girl 74
Race 7: (14) Constantine 55
Race 8: (4) Stunning Guest 17
Top rated winners last week included
Katie’s Treasure won 21/4
Written In Stone won 73/20
Portico won 33/10
At Your Request won 43/20
Ideal Day won 18/10
Rio’s Winter won 7/4
Varina won 8/11
Viper Jet won 2/3
Notebook:-
Greenlighttoheaven (G Van Zyl, KZN)
Varina (A Fortune, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (poly) 27th January
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,96s slow
1000m (1) Scent Of A Dream 59,11
1200m (1) Fee Fi Foe Fum 70,42
1300m (2) Dads Roots 75,83
1600m (2) Pinch Pot 96,32
1900m (2) Dubula 117,41
Vaal (classic) 28th January
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,10s slow
1000m (3) Hear The Trumpet 57,29
1200m (2) State Trooper 69,75
1450m (1) Ideal Day 87,31
1600m (2) Marshall Foch 96,45
Scottsville (inside) 29th January
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,29s slow
1000m (4) Mai Tai 56,52
1200m (1) Katie’s Treasure 69,04
1750m (2) Moon In June 105,60
1950m (1) Rise 122,30
Vaal (classic) 30th January
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,93s slow
1000m (1) Summer Afternoon 57,33
1200m (1) Wharra Wharra 70,55
1450m (2) Rio’s Winter 87,50
1600m (3) Nordic Rebel 95,58
2000m (1) Nimcha 124,36
Turffontein (inner) 1st February
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,06s fast
1000m (1) Mademoiselle 57,54
1450m (4) Duke Of Swing 89,46
1600m (1) Get Set 99,11
1800m (2) Hero’s Honour 110,37
2000m (1) Heart Stwings 128,72
