Powerful Flood
Vaal 6th November: Four of the nine races on the inside track on Tuesday were run over 1700m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was DARKEST HOUR in the MR68 Handicap. Racing off a mark some 24 points below that of his earlier best here, the Await The Dawn colt raced 10th of the twelve in the first half of the race. Once given rein though he quickened best of all, and despite not finding the clearest of passages, he got up 80m from home to win going away.
The assessment plate was by far the faster of the two 1200m events and here we saw an impressive performance from the lightly raced son of Pathfork MR FLOOD. Now a winner of three from five, Lucky Houdalakis’ charge flew out of the pens and was very quickly two lengths clear. He kept up a healthy gallop throughout and only having to be pushed out, he won without any anxious moments.
Run in a time over 4 seconds quicker than the MR83 Handicap, the MR74 affair won by EXCALIBUR’S RETURN was the faster of the two 2000m races. Very well handicapped on her win in an assessment plate last time out, Mike De Kock’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. She assumed command 300m out and kept on strongly late to beat the running on favourite REDBERRY WOOD by a length and a half.
Titbits
At the head of affairs throughout, SWEET RED opened up to lead by six going through the 400m and with some in hand, she went on to score by eleven.
After not finding the clearest of passages when the race began in earnest, CARBON ATOM quickened nicely late on when winning the false paced MR80 Handicap over 1200m.
Via KZN
Fairview 7th November: As was the case with the previous meeting, the poly track was running slow on Wednesday. Three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1900m and by far the fastest of these was the bill topping MR86 Handicap won by FREE AGENT. One of three runners in the six horse field from the stable of Tara Laing, the 6/1 shot raced fifth for most of the journey. He quickened best of all when the race developed into a sprint early in the short home straight and got up 50m from home to deny his stable companion (also 6/1) IT IS WRITTEN.
Race six on the card was a graduation plate over 1000m and here two former KZN campaigners, VIA SACRA and LIGHT ON HER TOES made their local debuts. Via Sacra now with Alan Greeff was the best handicapped horse in the field and she did indeed land the spoils. Sent off a strong favourite in what proved to be the faster of the two 1000m events on the card, the daughter of Pathfork was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead 150m out and eased down before the line won very cosily by two and three quarters.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by HIGH DEFINITION in the faster of the two 1300m handicaps, the MR71 affair. Taken straight to the front by Ryan Munger, the Trippi gelding led throughout. He raced two lengths clear for most of the journey before kicking away to score by four over the final 400m.
Titbits
Making her local debut here, WHO KNOWS won the opening maiden plate for the girls over 1000m going away.
Smart Duo
Vaal 8th November: A maiden plate for the girls over 1200m got proceedings underway on the inside track on Thursday and here we saw a smart performance from the Visionaire filly BLONDE VISION. Making her second racecourse appearance here, Mike De Kock’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and won going away from the well supported HARTLEYFIVE by three. This was comfortably the fastest of the three 1200m maiden plates on the card.
They also ran three races over 1600m and quickest home amongst these was WINE FESTIVAL in the MR74 Handicap. There was no pace on in the early part of the race and although Joey Ramsden’s charge raced in the rear, the field was always very tightly bunched. She ran on best of all when the race developed into a sprint 400m out and under a well-judged ride from S’manga Khumalo, she got up late to deny the always handy PALE LILAC.
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by PROTEA PARADISE in the maiden plate over 1600m. Always handy, the son of Dynasty put his head in front 450m out and went on to score with a ton in hand by three and three quarters.
Titbits
Well weighted WONDEROUS CLIMBER ran on well from the rear when winning the MR66 Handicap over 2200m with some in hand.
On The Right Trail
Fairview 9th November: In terms of prize money the pinnacle stakes over 1600m topped the bill in Port Elizabeth on Friday and here victory went to the top weighted runner AFRIKABURN. Usually one to run on stoutly from off the pace, Tara Laing’s charge adopted a change of tactics here and raced from the front. He kept on determinedly in the straight and won well by a length and a quarter from the running on GO DIRECT. Racing for the first time since March, the runner up raced detached at the rear early on and finished strongly.
Another to win well from the front on this card was KLEVER KATHY when landing the faster of the two 1400m events, the Guineas Plate. Sent off third in the betting market at 4/1, this gutsy daughter of Bold Silvano found extra at the business end of the race and did have the favourite MARCH MUSIC held at the wire.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1200m and not surprisingly the fastest of these was the MR89 Handicap in which COPPER TRAIL registered his fourth career victory. Soon up handy, the well related son of Sail From Seattle raced prominent throughout. He put his head in front going through the 400m and won well by a length and a quarter from his running on stable companion FLIGHT CAPTAIN.
Titbits
Always handy, THREE TIMES A LADY won the MR58 Handicap over 1800m with authority going away.
Enjoying The Poly
Greyville 9th November: NEGMA was by far the best in at the weights in the opening maiden plate over 1100m on Friday evening and the daughter of Dynasty won accordingly. Taken straight to the front by Anton Marcus, Brett Crawford’s charge led throughout. She was always in command and drew clear comfortably when given rein 300m out to score by four.
The only distance on the eight race program to stage more than one race was 1400m where the faster of the two was the MR76 Handicap won by another former Cape Town campaigner in MISS SMARTY PANTS. Always handy, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge quickened nicely when the race developed into a sprint early in the straight and won well by a length and a half from the running on RAES’ DYNA JET.
Another to win well on this card was OVATION AWARD in the Graduation Handicap over 1800m. Always handy, the 3yo son of Stagelight was ridden to lead early in the straight by Warren Kennedy and after quickly scooting clear he went on to score by three and a half from the favourite SUBTROPICAL.
Titbits
With the rest well beaten, CHANTYMAN found extra late when getting the better of ISNANA in the closing stages of the MR80 Handicap over 1000m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Shallcross 2
Race 2: (5) Little Drummer Boy 2
Race 3: (2) Amazon King 56
Race 4: (1) Madame Speaker 38 (NAP**)
Race 5: (8) Smokey Affair 62
Race 6: (11) Curved Light 47
Race 7: (7) Green Lantern 65
Race 8: (13) Supreme Winter 46
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (2) Without Limits 15
Race 2: (1) Banana Republic 9
Race 3: (4) Myrrh 11
Race 4: (1) Dunas Douradas 10
Race 5: (9) The Sash 54
Race 6: (8) Excalibur’s Return 66
Race 7: (5) Silver Thursday 69
Race 8: (7) Queen Moira 57
Race 9: (8) African Sunbird 37
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (4) Dragon Power 6
Race 2: (1) Speedpoint 80 (NAP*)
Race 3: (3) Cash Call 22
Race 4: (6) In The Jungle 42
Race 5: (2) Dynamic Diana 61
Race 6: (6) Foxy Princess 62
Race 7: (9) Depeche 43 (EW)
Race 8: (4) Merkaba 24
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Fleek 13
Race 2: (1) Final Assembly 23
Race 3: (10) Life’s A Gamble 22 (NAP*)
Race 4: (3) Palace Rose 18
Race 5: (10) Roy’s Magic 72
Race 6: (12) Cosmic Knight 38
Race 7: (4) Wynkelder 89
Race 8: (7) Dame Commander 41
Race 9: (2) Savea 33
Top rated winners last week included
Estimet won 31/4
Heart Of A Legend won 71/10
Free Agent won 6/1
Excalibur’s Return won 5/1
Who Knows won 2/1
Chantyman won 16/10
Little Audrey won 14/10
Sweet Red won 1/1
Notebook:-
Blonde Vision (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Mr Flood (M Houdalakis, Gauteng)
Protea Paradise (M De Kock, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Vaal (inside) 6th November
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,75s fast
1000m (1) Scoop 57,81
1200m (2) Mr Flood 67,84*
1700m (4) Darkest Hour 102,31
2000m (2) Excalibur’s Return 123,66
Fairview (poly) 7th November
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,48s slow
1000m (2) Via Sacra 58,23
1200m (1) Limestone Mass 72,46
1300m (2) High Definition 76,50
1900m (3) Free Agent 117,19
Vaal (inside) 8th November
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,39s slow
1100m (1) Seventh Rule 63,54
1200m (3) Blonde Vision 69,99
1400m (1) Pink 84,03
1500m (1) Sovereign Reign 90,48
1600m (3) Wine Festival 96,14
2200m (1) Wonderous Climber 136,78
Fairview (turf) 9th November
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,05s fast
1000m (1) Estimet 56,56
1200m (3) Copper Trail 67,59
1400m (2) Klever Kathy 83,24
1600m (1) Afrikaburn 95,85
1800m (1) Three Times A Lady 110,30
Greyville (poly) 9th November
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,25s slow
1000m (1) Chantyman 57,74
1100m (1) Negma 65,87
1200m (1) Little Miss Me 71,57
1400m (2) Miss Smarty Pants 84,18
1600m (1) Heart Of A Legend 95,60
1800m (1) Ovation Award 108,46
2000m (1) Little Audrey 125,18
