Climb Every Mountain
Greyville 17th November: This meeting was originally scheduled to take place on the turf. MAGIC MOUNTAIN in the maiden plate over 2400m was the best bet on the card for most, and remained so in my book even though the distance was shortened to 2000m. Never the quickest into stride, Glen Kotzen’s charge hesitated at the start and soon found herself at the back of the nine. She raced detached early on and the manner in which she was allowed to amble along suggested that something might be amiss. The pace was a slow one though, most notably rounding the home turn. The race developed into a sprint in the straight and hard ridden, she got up close home.
Much easier a winner was SPRING BREEZE in the faster of the two 1400m events, a MR67 Handicap. Taken straight to the front by 4kg claimer Jabu Jacobs, the Querari mare led throughout. She was always in command and only having to be pushed out at the business end of the race, she won very cosily by two and three quarters.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1600m where much the faster of the two was surprisingly the MR68 Apprentice Handicap won by the lightly raced 4yo GENTLEMAN’S WAY. In a time no less than 4,55 seconds (approximately 24 lengths) faster than that of the pinnacle stakes won by SILENT CRUSADE, Dennis Bosch’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead early in the straight and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the always handy ARROW’S MARK by just over a length.
Titbits
Always handy, SONG OF THE FOREST won the MR67 Apprentice Handicap over 1200m with authority by three and a half.
Listen To Your Heart
Fairview 18th November: The MR88 Handicap was marginally the faster of the two 1900m races on Monday’s poly track card and here a major upset was to be had when the Rock Of Rochelle mare ROCKSETTE registered her fourth career victory. Sent off as the rank outsider of the eight horse party at 22/1, Gavin Smith’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. She ran on strongly in the short home straight, and in a race where just a length and three quarters covered the first six home, she got the verdict by a neck.
The stable of Gavin Smith were also on the mark in the fastest of the three 1600m events when SPIRIT OF SONG landed the MR73 Handicap. Another to race close to the pace, the top weighted son of Jackson took up the running early in the straight and with the rest well beaten he held off a determined challenge from TARZAN by a neck.
A MR90 Handicap over 1600m topped the bill and in what proved to be a real thriller victory went to the former Western Cape campaigner DEEPSTON. Now a winner of both starts since relocating to the windy city, Alan Greeff’s charge raced prominent throughout. He was challenged strongly by his in-form stable companion CHAKRI over the final 300m and only a very short head separated them at the wire.
Titbits
Now a winner of three from eleven, AMBRA ran on strongly below the distance when getting up very late to collar the free striding SAILOR SAM (led 200m) in the MR74 Handicap over 1000m.
Split Seconds
Turffontein 19th November: They raced on the inner track on Tuesday where four of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1600. By just 2/100th of a second the Maiden Handicap won by CHRISTOPHER ROBIN was the fastest of these. Soon up handy, St John Gray’s charge took up the running 300m out and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to beat the running on MARMARA SEA by six and a quarter.
Amazingly, only 1/100th of a second separated the winners of the two 1200m events, the faster being the MR84 Handicap won by Sporting Post’s each way value bet EL’ ZARA. Nibbled at into 11/2 from 7’s, the daughter of Captain Al also raced close to the speed. She took up the running in the short home straight and won well from one of the rank outsiders of the party, BLONDE BABE.
The two remaining races were both run over 1450m with by far the quicker being the graduation plate won by the 15/10 favourite IKIGAI. Despite taking a bump at the start, Sean Tarry’s charge raced second in what quickly became a strung out field. He took the helm shortly after coming off the strip and kept on strongly over the final 400m to beat the running on RIVERSTOWN by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Sent off a well-supported favourite, YOUCANTHURRYLOVE didn’t find the clearest of passages en-route from midfield and flying at the finish, only failed by a neck to land the MR95 Handicap for 3yo’s over 1600m.
Few To Follow
Kenilworth 20th November: In terms of distance the easiest victory in Cape Town on Wednesday was that of the progressive KELPIE when winning the fastest of the three 1600m events, a MR78 Handicap. Now a winner of four from seven, Brett Crawford’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front at the top of the short old course home straight and quickly going clear he won with authority by four.
They also ran three races over 1200m and in the quickest of these, a MR86 Handicap, we saw another smart performance from the Adam Marcus trained MISSISIPPI BURNING. Never the quickest into stride, the Captain Al filly raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She ran on best of all from halfway and won well from the useful AMY JOHNSON by three quarters.
Another 3yo to win well from off the pace was HAPPY WANDERER when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1200m. Produced with a well-timed run by Bernard Fayd’Herbe, the Pathfork gelding got up late to deny the front running ALPHA PAPPA.
Titbits
The half-brother to both Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam GOLDEN DUCAT, produced a nice turn of foot late when running on to fill third position behind the useful Pinkerton in the MR81 Handicap over 1600m.
Shocking Result
Vaal 21st November: As is often the case there were a number of upsets at the Vaal on Thursday, but none more so than the victory of DECADENT LADY in the fastest of the four 1200m races, a maiden plate for the girls. Unable to get within 13,65 lengths of a winner in three previous outings, Corne Spies’ charge was not surprisingly available at 100/1 on the off. Belying those odds though, she was soon up handy, and won going away after striking the front 200m from home.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1400m where the fastest of the three was the pinnacle stakes won by TIERRA DEL FUEGO. Soon up handy, the hat-trick seeking 4yo ran on stoutly at the business end of the race, and in a thrilling finish he got the better of his running on stable companion SOCIAL ORDER by a neck.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by SHANE when getting off the mark in a very weak work rider’s maiden event over 2400m. The focus of good support, this lightly raced son of Irish Flame was ridden to lead 500m out and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by five and a half.
Titbits
The aptly named SUPREME WIN came from the rear when getting up in the dying strides to win the maiden plate over 1200m. The newcomer NEBRAAS also ran on well from the rear in this race.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (8) Ushanka 7
Race 2: (5) Andrea 18
Race 3: (1) Twin Falls 36
Race 4: (6) Rock The Cot 36
Race 5: (3) Dutch Philip 85
Race 6: (10) African Victory 73
Race 7: (14) Duchess Of Prussia 32
Race 8: (15) Keanan’s Rock 42
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (5) Glitter And Gold 23
Race 2: (1) Trap Queen 16
Race 3: (2) Summer Day 8
Race 4: (14) Techno Captain 35
Race 5: (10) Marzipan Path 37
Race 6: (5) Made In Hollywood 61
Race 7: (6) Suzi Woo 35 (EW)
Race 8: (10) Emperor Niarchos 40
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Samoa 16
Race 2: (15) Viper Jet 30 (EW)
Race 3: (14) Tuscan Light 34
Race 4: (1) Green Plains 85
Race 5: (10) Wynkelder 95
Race 6: (12) Cockney Pride 69
Race 7: (1) Soqrat 103 (NAP*)
Race 8: (1) Schippers 84
Race 9: (1) Noble Secret 71
Race 10: (12) Sabbatical 62
Race 11: (9) Phillydelphia
Race 12: (17) Itsmydarlin 38
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: No Qualifiers
Race 2: (3) Evening Song 27
Race 3: (4) Imperial Rage 22
Race 4: (5) Follow The Star 46
Race 5: (7) Cyber Law 46
Race 6: (6) Metorite 54
Race 7: (4) Rush Hour Girl 71
Race 8: (6) Fleeced 56
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (8) Velvet Season 25
Race 2: (7) Academy Award 15
Race 3: (4) Blue Flower 28
Race 4: (7) First Sighting 37
Race 5: (1) Washington Square 38
Race 6: (7) Statute 74
Race 7: (7) All The Way Up 57
Race 8: (1) Orchid Express 12
Top rated winners last week included
Tulip Way won 31/10
Arabian Sniper won 28/10
Missisippi Burning won 22/10
Virtuosa won 16/10
Ikigai won 15/10
Magic Mountain won 29/20
Pinkerton won 11/10
High Voltage won 4/10
Notebook:-
Golden Ducat (A Sands, W-Cape)
Kelpie (B Crawford, W-Cape)
Missisippi Burning (A Marcus, W-Cape)
Youcanthurrylove (F Habib, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 17th November
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,30s fast
1000m (1) High Voltage 57,84
1200m (1) Song Of The Forest 69,87
1400m (2) Spring Breeze 83,19
1600m (2) Gentleman’s Way 94,17
1900m (1) Ruby Slippers 117,33
2000m (1) Magic Mountain 123,71
Fairview (poly) 18th November
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,27s slow
1000m (1) Ambra 58,48
1200m (1) Bushy Park 70,70
1300m (1) Miss Orange 77,51
1600m (3) Spirit Of Song 96,96
1900m (2) Rocksette 117,55
Turffontein (inner) 19th November
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,73s slow
1200m (2) El’ Zara 72,43
1450m (2) Ikigai 88,21
1600m (4) Christopher Robin 98,52
Kenilworth (old) 20th November
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 2,26s slow
1200m (3) Missisippi Burning 73,09
1400m (1) Meraki 87,72
1600m (3) Kelpie 99,24
2000m (1) Captain Flinders 126,60
Vaal 21st November
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 1,41s slow
1200m (4) Decadent Lady 70,70
1400m (3) Tierra Del Fuego 81,86
2000m (1) Rocky Path 124,34
2400m (1) Shane 154,69
