Always Clear
Scottsville 17th June: Two of the three races over 1000m were barrier trials in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and so it was no surprise to see the bill topping pinnacle stakes run in a time 2,49 seconds faster (approximately 13 lengths) than the best of those. HASHTAG STRAT was the winner. Soon a length and a quarter clear, the daughter of Great Britain kept up a healthy gallop throughout and didn’t surrender an inch of her advantage in the closing stages.
The MR82 Handicap was the quickest of the four 1600m races on the card and registering her third career victory here was the Silvano filly OSPREY. Positioned in midfield for most of the journey, Dennis Drier’s charge quickened nicely at the top of the straight and won well after taking up the running 150m out.
By far the faster of the two 1400m events was the MR82 Handicap and here the best bet on the card for many WAYWOOD did the business. Sent off a strong favourite at 5/4, Shane Humby’s charge was soon prominent. He put his head in front going through the 300m and won comfortably from the always handy Q THE MUSIC by a half.
Titbits
Poorly drawn TWO STROKE ran on well from midfield when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1600m.
Music To The Ears
Fairview 18th June: They raced on the poly track on Monday where four of the eight races were staged over 1000m. The MR74 Handicap was the fastest of these and here the 6yo FOR LUCK SAKE registered his sixth career victory. Always handy, the Sail From Seattle gelding took up the running 200m out and won going away by a length and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1300m where MARCH MUSIC in the opening maiden juvenile plate was the quickest home. Not surprisingly sent off deep in the red at 1/6 after her eye catching performance in the listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes last time out, Yvette Bremner’s charge led throughout. She raced two lengths clear for most of the race before cruising clear over the final 200m to score by ten.
Another to win well from the front albeit by a much reduced margin was GOLDEN SHAMROCK in the MR66 affair over 1900m. Two and a quarter lengths clear for most of the journey, Gavin Smith’s charge was eased late to win by three quarters from CAPTAIN’S VISTA.
Titbits
THE SULTANS SECRET was flying late when only beaten a neck in the maiden plate over 1600m.
First Installment
Kenilworth 19th June: The going was soft in Cape Town on Tuesday, but that didn’t stop the R6M purchase CHARLES from making a winning debut. Backed into favouritism during the morning, the son of Trippi was soon up handy. It looked as if he would have to settle for a place 200m out, but he quickened nicely in the closing stages of the race to win going away by a length and a quarter.
There were five races run over 1200m in total and comfortably the fastest of these was the MR76 Handicap won by the improving grey DALIBHUNGA. Positioned a handy 7th in what was always a tightly bunched field, the Var gelding was ridden to lead 300m out and drew clear in good style late on to score by two and three quarters.
By far the quicker of the two 2400m events was the MR96 Handicap and here victory went to the only 3yo in the race, ROCK MY SOUL. On leaving the stalls it was RED PERIL who elected to make the running whilst Joey Ramsden’s charge, in a small but strung out field, raced second. He put his head in front as they approached the 300m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the gaining WOODLAND’S FOREST by a half.
Titbits
Backed into odds on at the track, SHAMROCK WIND only had to be pushed out when winning the girl’s division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m going away by eleven and a quarter.
Silent Progression
Scottsville 20th June: Comfortably the fastest of the three 1200m races in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday was the MR90 Handicap in which just four went to post. The well-supported second favourite SWAKOPMUND set the pace whilst the eventual winner WINTER BLUES (the favourite) raced close up in second. He put his head in front 200m out and won going away by three and a quarter. Winter Blues has now won five of his nine career outings.
Another to win with authority on this card was CHARGE D’AFFAIRES in the juvenile plate over 1200m. Taken straight to the front by M J Byleveld, the Captain Al filly led throughout. She was always in command and won without any anxious moments by two and a half.
A moderate maiden event was surprisingly the quicker of the two 1600m races on the card and here victory went to the Kildonan filly PINA COLADA. Swiftly guided over from a wide draw by Sherman Brown, Pina Colada was always handy. She put her head in front shortly after passing the 200m pole and comfortably accounted for the fancied ASIANA by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
Always handy, the lightly raced ROMAN DANCER won the opening maiden juvenile plate with authority by a length and a half.
Early Sunset
Turffontein 24th June: Sunday’s action took place on the inner track where the false rail was out from 3m in the back straight to 10,5m on the bend. Two maiden juvenile plates over 1450m got proceedings underway and in the faster of these (the boy’s division) BIG VOICE JACK opened his account. Easy to back at 27/4 on the off, the Philanthropist gelding was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead early in the short home straight and kept on strongly late to beat one of the joint favourites ROLL OF DRUMS by a length and a quarter.
The MR68 Handicap was the faster of the two 1800m races and here the easy to back DESERT SUNSET scored with authority. Freely available at 14/1 on the off, Weiho Marwing’s poorly drawn charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He quickened best of all coming off the strip and won well by three.
They also ran two races over 2600m and stopping the clock in by far the faster time here was SABASTIAN in the MR66 Handicap. Nibbled at on course into 41/10, the 4yo son of Dynasty also came from midfield. He ran on stoutly over the final 400m and did well to collar FORTUNE FELLA close home.
Titbits
The poorly drawn newcomer AGAINST THE GRAIN ran on well from the rear when a three quarter length runner up in the maiden plate over 1200m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (7) Tune The Scope 17
Race 2: (1) Supreme Winter 11
Race 3: (1) Countess Cantabria 5
Race 4: (5) The Sultans Secret 4
Race 5: (7) Story Of My Life 67
Race 6: (6) Zip Line 56
Race 7: (3) Star Burst Galaxy 71
Race 8: (13) Arcsign 50
Greyville (sat)
Race 1: (1) Crimean Queen 9
Race 2: (2) In Cahoots 37
Race 3: (1) Isingamoya 70 (nb)
Race 4: (1) Wynkelder 90 (NAP*)
Race 5: (4) Fieldmarshal Fenix 62
Race 6: (1) Reactive 42
Race 7: (3) London Call 97
Race 8: (8) Karatage 63
Race 9: (2) Fantasy Lady 53
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (1) Photocopy 22
Race 2: (6) Metorite 50
Race 3: (2) Coral Bay 51
Race 4: (10) Frank Lloyd Wright 37
Race 5: (11) Cape Charlotte 78
Race 6: (1) Fresnaye 62
Race 7: (4) Spring Man 51
Race 8: (14) Spring Gold 33
Turffontein (sun)
Race 1: (16) Victor Forth 7
Race 2: (9) Josie 3
Race 3: (2) The Barry Burn 19
Race 4: (2) Ensemble 7
Race 5: (7) Dame Kelly 77
Race 6: (6) Parisienne Chic 72
Race 7: (3) Rocky Valley 93
Race 8: (15) Humble Addict 62 (EW)
Top rated winners last week included
Two Stroke won 9/1
Casa De Var 27/4
Master Thief won 10/3
Alamito Bay won 57/20
Miss Calypso won 47/20
Dalibhunga won 18/10
Waywood won 5/4
Winter Blues won 11/10
Notebook:-
March Music (Y Bremner, E-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 17th June
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,25s slow
1000m (3) Hashtag Strat 55,85
1200m (1) Cause And Effect 68,79
1400m (2) Waywood 82,51
1600m (4) Osprey 95,76
2400m (1) Los Barbados 151,80
Fairview (poly) 18th June
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,47s slow
1000m (4) For Luck Sake 57,17
1300m (2) March Music 75,51
1600m (1) La Scala 96,80
1900m (1) Golden Shamrock 115,54
Kenilworth (old) 19th June
Penetrometer 30 – Going Soft
Course Variant 3,63s slow
1200m (5) Dalibhunga 75,41
1400m (1) Favola 91,00
2400m (2) Rock My Soul 156,40
Scottsville (inside) 20th June
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,51s slow
1000m (3) Winter Blues 56,35
1200m (1) Charge D’ Affaires 69,42
1400m (1) Moon Bird 83,05
1600m (2) Pina Colada 96,30
1750m (1) Fire Song 106,72
Turffontein (inner) 24th June
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,57s slow
1200m (1) Benji 72,56
1450m (2) Big Voice Jack 89,46
1800m (2) Desert Sunset 111,63
2000m (1) Gambado 126,52
2600m (2) Sabastian 168,22
