Fresh As A Daisy
Clairwood 27th January: Favourite backers got off to a nice start at the garden course on Sunday when THE RIVER did the business in the opening maiden plate over 1200m. Backed into 8/10 at the track (op 16/10), Craig Eudey’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and with the rest well beaten he comfortably accounted for the pacemaker IT’S MY BROTHER by a length and a quarter.
The fastest of the three maiden events over 1600m on the card was that in which GREAT RUMPUS opened his account. Sent off favourite at 22/10, the son of Black Minnaloushe was also soon prominent. He was doing it easily as he took up the running 600m from home and drew clear with ease to score by five after being given rein 300m out.
The afternoon’s feature event was a MR86 Handicap over 1000m and here an upset was to be had when DEVON GOLD registered his third career victory. Off the track since winning a MR74 Handicap over 1200m here back in March, Devon Gold struck the front going through the 600m. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the ultra consistent BWANA MACUBE by two.
Titbits
Poorly drawn FAIRE SILVANO ran on strongly from the rear when runner up in the MR66 Handicap over 1700m.
First and second respectively, MRS CHING and SO SWEET both ran on strongly from well off the pace in the third division of the maiden 1600m.
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Mike’s Sandsters
Vaal 29th January: They raced on the sand on Tuesday where the easiest victory on the card was recorded by MAGIC SMOKE in the conditions plate over 1600m. Adopting a change of tactics here Michael Azzie’s charge was taken straight to the front by replacement rider Nouresh Juglall and led throughout. She soon had the field well strung out and although the 15/10 favourite FORMATION was positioned with every chance, she cruised clear in the latter stages of the race to score by eight and a half.
Another to win very easily on this card was WATER MUSIC in the opening maiden event over 1200m. Soon two lengths clear, Water Music ran on strongly at the business end of the race and won without any anxious moments by five and a quarter.
The improving daughter of Var SOLARIUM was all the rage to win the non-black type Summer Speedsters Stakes over 1000m and she didn’t let down her supporters. As per usual soon into stride, Michael Azzie’s (three winners on the card) charge raced second early on. She moved through to take up the running going through the 400m and kept on strongly late to beat the running on IKATI by three quarters. Ikati had raced in the rear and fairly flying at the finish would surely have gotten up with another 20m or so to travel.
Titbits
Returning from a short break here, sand specialist MR TOBIN was finishing best of all when runner up in the pinnacle stakes over 1450m.
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Doing The Business
Greyville 29th January: The best bet on the card for most on Tuesday evening was FORTUNY in the opening maiden event over 1400m and she did indeed land the odds. Sent off a strong favourite at 11/10, Mike De Kock’s charge broke well when the gates opened and was soon positioned close to the speed. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m pole and drew clear easily late to beat WARDANDI GIRL by three and a quarter.
Another strongly fancied runner to do the business on this card was KING NEPTUNE in the novice 1600m. Always top of the boards in what was priced up as a boat race by the bookmakers, King Neptune commenced battle with his only serious rival in the betting market LEHAAF 300m out. Lehaaf challenged strongly in the closing stages of the race and with the rest some five lengths adrift he only went down by a neck.
A MR88 Handicap over 2000m topped the bill and in a time slower than that of the maiden event won by TRUE BLOOD, victory here went to the strongly fancied RADIO WAVES. Nicely positioned in fourth in what was always a very tightly bunched field, the well supported favourite was always poised to strike. He struck the front passing the 200m pole and kept on strongly late to beat the dead-heaters for second LAGO LIDA and DAY BY DAY by three quarters.
Titbits
QUINTELLA and INDIGO CHILD both ran on well from the rear when third and fourth respectively in the MR74 affair for the girls over 1200m.
GANDOLF THE GREAT came from the rear when finishing best of all to take third position in the MR74 Handicap over 1400m.
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Merci Beaucoup
Fairview 30th January: A maiden plate over 1600m got proceedings underway in Port Elizabeth on Friday and here it was nice to see the most experienced runner in the field FAIRY LANTERN finally open her account. The lesser fancied of Yvette Bremner’s two runners Fairy Lantern adopted a change of tactics here and raced handy. She took up the running shortly after passing the 300m marker and with the rest well beaten she comfortably accounted for her running on stable companion MAJESTIC BEAUTY by two and a quarter.
A pinnacle stakes over 2400m topped the bill and here a bit of an upset was to be had when CAMDEN BOROUGH registered her second career victory. Confidently ridden by visiting French jockey Maxime Guyon, Camden Borough ran on strongly from her position in midfield and won well by a length and three quarters.
Also worthy of note on this card was the performance of NOVEMBER RAIN in winning the MR84 Handicap over 1000m. Sent off joint favourite at 9/2, the 3yo son of Greys Inn was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and went on to score with authority.
Titbits
Although never any kind of a threat to the winner ANNE BONNY ran on well from the rear when fifth in the graduation event over 1600m.
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Easy Victories
Clairwood 31st January: The fastest of the two maiden events over 1000m in KZN on Thursday was that in which RACONTEUR opened his account. He got away well after being a little troublesome at the start and nicely positioned in fifth was always poised to strike. He took up the running as they approached the 200m marker and although the regular place getter TULLYNALLY ran on strongly from off the pace, he went on to win with authority by four and a half.
The easiest victory on the nine race program was recorded by SCOOP THE POOL in the MR74 Handicap over 2500m. Freely available at 10/1 on the off Scoop The Pool wasn’t the quickest into stride but despite that was soon up handy. He quickened well at the top of the long home straight and cruised clear to score by six and a quarter after striking the front 450m from home.
The trend of easy victories was also evident in the afternoon’s feature event, the non-black type Marula Sprint over 1200m, where the 6yo CAPTAIN’S SECRET registered his sixth career success. The small field of seven were always closely grouped and although Mike Bass’ charge was content to guard the rear he was always well within striking distance. He quickened well going through halfway and went on to score in good style by four and three quarters after taking up the running 300m out.
Titbits
Fourth placed BLAZE OF RESPECT ran on well from the rear when beaten less than half a length in the 1600m maiden event won by Fun Police.
Positioned in the rear turning for home, ICE GODDESS ran on best of all when getting up in the very last stride to win the MR70 Handicap over 1450m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview Race 1: (1) Big Red 3 Race 2: (4) Daggons Hall 7 Race 3: (7) Aspen Tree 11 Race 4: (13) Hunt The Jester 56 Race 5: (1) Way Clear 69 (NAP*) Race 6: (6) Indian Hawk 84 Race 7: (2) Cashmere Mafia 75 Race 8: (13) Trish De Lago 58 Turffontein Race 1: (12) Van Loveren 22 (NAP*) Race 2: (3) Kibrave 30 Race 3: (3) Stylish Bay 15 Race 4: (3) Irish Flame 95 Race 5: (1) Without Malice 74 Race 6: (5) Emerald Approach 75 Race 7: (3) Espumanti 93 Race 8: (10) General Sherman 94 Race 9: (13) Margherita Lotti 46 Greyville Race 1: (4) New Sensation 9 Race 2: (1) Cape Vesta 18 Race 3: (1) Trix Of The Trade 17 Race 4: (9) Arctic Hooligan 48 Race 5: (1) Threshold 48 Race 6: (7) Saddle Me Up 55 Race 7: (3) Sage Throne 91 Race 8: (1) Nyoni 9 .
Top rated winners last week included
Fairy Lantern won 10/1 Radio Waves won 9/2 Ilsanpietro won 4/1 Water Music won 2/1 Campanologist won 14/10 Tobit won 13/10 King Neptune won 12/10 Fortuny won 11/10 .
Notebook:-
Ice Goddess (M Bass, KZN) Magic Smoke (M Azzie, Gauteng) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherClairwood 27th January Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft 1000m (1) Devon Gold 58,29 1200m (3) The River 72,06 1600m (3) Great Rumpus 98,26 1700m (2) Prairy Star 104,54 .
Vaal (sand) 29th January Going – Standard 1000m (2) Napoleon Dynamite 58,85 1200m (2) Eagle High 73,38 1450m (1) Uncle Tommy 90,19 1600m (2) Magic Smoke 98,93 1800m (1) Taptap Makhatini 113,66 .
Greyville 29th January Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft 1200m (2) Lady De Winter 74,47 1400m (2) Fortuny 88,18 1600m (1) King Neptune 101,18 2000m (3) True Blood 126,28 .
Fairview 30th January Penetrometer 20 – Going Good 1000m (1) Benedict 57,53* 1600m (5) Wiqaaya (no time race 8) 99,00* 1800m (1) Triple Vortex 112,75* 2400m (1) NTT .
Clairwood 31st January Penetrometer 22 – Going Good 1000m (2) Raconteur 59,74 1100m (1) Bella Blue 68,51 1200m (1) Captain’s Secret 72,50 1450m (2) Lord Leigh 89,36 1600m (2) Atamasco 98,65 2500m (1) Scoop The Pool 160,31
