Good To Be Back
Vaal 12th December: The going was posted as Soft following a penetrometer reading of 27 on Wednesday afternoon, however, the ground didn’t visibly look soft and the times suggest that it was actually Good.
A pinnacle stakes over 1000m topped the bill and in what proved to be by far the faster of the two races over the distance, OPERETTA registered her seventh career victory. Carrying just 46kg, taking apprentice Syster’s allowance into consideration, the daughter of Oratorio was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the always handy VALBONNE by a length and a half.
The MR88 Handicap was the faster of the two 1200m events and here the Seventh Rock gelding PIDGEON ROCK showed good improvement. Positioned in the rear at the halfway mark, Sean Tarry’s charge ran on best of all at the business end of the race and got the verdict by a half over the easy to back PALACE ASSEMBLY (also came from the rear).
They also ran two races over 1600m and stopping the clock in the faster time here was PERFACT when winning the MR80 affair. Soon positioned close to the speed, Toby Spies’ charge took up the running 300m out. He ran on strongly in the closing stages of the race and just held on by the narrowest of margins from NORLAND (raced handy-ran on strongly late).
Titbits
In the rear of a strung out field early, the newcomer CAST THE DICE caught the eye running on strongly late when a 7,75 length fifth in the maiden plate for the girls over 1200m.
Adam At The Double
Kenilworth 14th December: With the Cape season now in full swing we saw some smart performances on Saturday. The Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1200m was the first of the four graded events to be run and here the Brett Crawford trained RUN FOX RUN kept her unbeaten record in-tact. A facile winner of her four previous outings, the daughter of Foxwedge raced third in what proved to be a very fast run race. She picked off the front runners 150m out and went on to score with authority by two and a half.
Another to win well on this card was VARDY when landing the prestigious Gr2 Green Point Stakes. Confidently ridden by regular partner Craig Zackey, Adam Marcus’ charge raced detached at the back of the eight for most of the journey. Once in the long new course straight though he quickened well and won comfortably by a length after striking the front 200m from home.
The stable of Adam Marcus were also on the mark in the slowly run Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas when MISSISIPPI BURNING completed a smart hat-trick. Positioned in midfield in a race in which race fell throughout, the daughter of Captain Al began to take closer order early in the straight. She put her head in front shortly after passing the 200m marker, and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three.
Titbits
Barely in a canter early on, the first half of the Gr3 Summer Stayers Handicap was run over 7 seconds slower than the maiden plate over the same distance.
Whizzing By
Scottsville 15th December: Just 19/100th of a second separated the winners of the three 1400m maiden races in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and in the fastest of these the lightly raced CUT LOOSE opened her account. Soon up handy, the daughter of Pathfork was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and won well from the similarly fancied ICE IMPERIAL by a length and three quarters.
A MR96 Handicap was the afternoon’s feature event and here the 5yo ISHNANA registered his fifth career victory. Nicely positioned in second in what was always a very tightly bunched field, Garth Puller’s charge quickened well when the race developed into a sprint 400m out, and won comfortably from the running on DRUNKEN SAILOR by just under a length.
A work rider’s conditional graduation plate had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a very easy victory for the favourite SOLID GOLD. Another to race close to the speed, the Rock Of Gibraltar gelding struck the front 200m out and with a ton in hand won much easier than the official winning margin of just three quarters of a length would suggest.
Titbits
Taking a big step up in class after winning her maiden in good style, the Crusade filly WHIZZ OF ODDS again won well when making it two out of two in the MR92 Handicap over 1000m.
Fight My Battles
Turffontein 16th December: A juvenile plate over 1000m was first up on the old stand side track on Monday and in what proved to be comparatively the second fastest of the five sprint races on the card, the first two home WAR ROOM and ZIMBABA look like two to follow. Up with the pace throughout, War Room was joined by the running on Zimbaba 250m out. They quickly went clear and with the rest some seven lengths adrift at the wire, War Room got the verdict by three quarters. Interestingly, Zimbaba was taking on the boys here.
The MR92 Handicap over 1160m was comparatively the fastest of the five sprint races and here the Corne Spies trained ALL OF ME gained her fifth success. Always handy, the daughter of Var commenced battle with both NICKY NOO and CHE BELLA 200m out and in a thrilling three way finish she got up by a neck.
The two 2000m events were both handicaps and in the quicker of these, the MR87 affair, the Byword filly BY CHANCE completed a smart double. An impressive seven length winner in the maiden ranks last time out, Robbie Sage’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride here and raced in the rear early on. Once in the long home straight though she quickly made up the deficit, and won well by a length and three quarters after striking the front 200m from home.
Titbits
Now unbeaten in two starts, MIRACLE FLIGHT was always in command when making all to win the juvenile plate for the girls over 1000m.
Stylish Dancer
Monday 17th December: They raced on the poly track on Monday where amazingly six of the eight races were staged over 1300m. The MR89 Handicap was the fastest of these and here we saw a smart performance from the top weight DANCING IN SEATTLE. In touch throughout, Yvette Bremner’s charge quickened best in the short home straight and won going away by two and three quarters.
A maiden plate over the same distance had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a comfortable victory for the heavily supported DUKE OF CARDS. Backed into 18/10 from 8/1 during the morning, Alan Greeff’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead passing the 200m pole and won going away from the pacemaker LE WARRIOR by a length and a half.
The Tiger Ridge mare MERYL was best in at the weights in the conditions stakes over 2200m and so it was no surprise to see her land the spoils. Positioned sixth of the seven early on, Alan Greeff’s charge in a slowly run race moved up to second rounding the home turn. She struck the front 300m out and kept on strongly late to beat the running on ONTENDERHOOKS by a quarter.
Titbits
Now a seven time winner, COYOTE CREEK ran on well from the backend of midfield when getting up late to land the MR86 Handicap over 1300m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (3) Homer Fidget 5
Race 2: (6) Real Rascal 14
Race 3: (3) Outlandos D’amour 65
Race 4: (2) Dutch Philip 80
Race 5: (5) Pale Lilac 45
Race 6: (2) Elusive Silva 78
Race 7: (2) Born A Bully 41
Race 8: (6) Ladysmith 30
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Single Red Rose 19
Race 2: (1) Razna 10
Race 3: (3) Lyntys Legacy 20
Race 4: (2) Green Top 61
Race 5: (7) Captain Flynt 63
Race 6: (12) Boatswain 46 (EW)
Race 7: (11) Romi’s Boy 95
Race 8: (8) Written In Stone 61 (EW)
Race 9: (1) Unagi 75
Race 10: (16) Numberninetynine 27 (NAP*)
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (1) Bollinger 9
Race 2: (2) Innogen 18
Race 3: (2) Calypso Beat 49
Race 4: (4) Ready To Rumble 48
Race 5: (7) Cartel Captain 70 (NAP*)
Race 6: (7) Fabian 90
Race 7: (1) Secret Depths 50
Race 8: (1) JJ The Wolf 24
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (3) Canadian Bolt 19
Race 2: (6) Hurricane Silva 41
Race 3: (16) Slew City 24
Race 4: (12) Lady Of Lutetia 24
Race 5: (17) Purple And Gold 30
Race 6: (4) What A Blast 60
Race 7: (7) Caesura 50
Race 8: (6) Master Vision 16
Top rated winners last week included
Kursk won 9/2
Miss La Dee Dar won 9/2
Ishnana won 3/1
Solid Gold won 18/10
Run Fox Run won 12/10
Miracle Flight won 19/20
Meryl won 9/10
River Jordan won 13/20
Notebook:-
War Room (P Peter, Gauteng)
Whizz Of Odds (G Van Zyl, KZN)
Zimbaba (S Tarry, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Vaal 12th December
Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 0,55s slow
1000m (2) Operetta 56,11
1200m (2) Pidgeon Rock 69,81
1400m (1) Tartan Dancer 83,16
1600m (2) Perfact 99,58
1800m (1) Tobefair 112,96
Kenilworth (new) 14th December
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,27s fast
1000m (1) Run Fox Run 57,19
1200m (1) Worlds Your Oyster 72,42
1400m (3) Front And Centre 85,90
1600m (3) Vardy 97,46
2500m (2) Miss La Dee Da 161,56
Scottsville (inside) 15th December
Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 1,89s slow
1000m (1) Whizz Of Odds 57,52
1100m (1) Solid Gold 64,93
1200m (1) Ishnana 70,00
1400m (3) Cut Loose 86,61
1600m (1) Winter Retreat 99,50
1750m (1) Dark Moon Down 112,06
Turffontein (stand side) 16th December
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,43s slow
1000m (3) War Room 57,43
1160m (2) All Of Me 67,06
1400m (2) Christopher Robin 85,50
1600m (1) Now You See Me 98,91
2000m (2) By Chance 124,18
Fairview (poly) 17th December
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,17s slow
1300m (6) Dancing In Seattle 74,83
1900m (1) Finley Hill 116,17
2200m (1) Meryl 138,66
