Winner No Fool
Greyville 3rd November: The listed Model Man Mile for 3yo’s over 1600m topped the bill at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the 4/1 joint second favourite FOOLS GOLD. Soon at the head of affairs, the son of Pathfork raced a length and a quarter clear for most of the journey. He quickened in good style at the top of the short home straight and went on to score with authority by four.
Another to win very comfortably on this card was PRESUMPTUOUS when getting off the mark in the second division of the maiden 1400m. Easy to back at 8/1 on the off, Mark Dixon’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He put his head in front as they approached the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to win by three and a quarter.
There were three races run over 1400m in total and in the fastest of these, a MR92 Handicap, victory went to the bottom weight LIQUID IRISH. Another to race from the front, Wendy Whitehead’s charge kept on determinedly, despite changing legs several times over the final 400m, and held on by a half from the running on STATUTE.
Titbits
Making only his second racecourse appearance here, the Gauteng raider WESTERN FORT ran out a comfortable winner of the maiden plate over 1900m.
Arriving In Style
Croisette – Always in the red, Dennis Drier’s charge won with total authority at Kenilworth last week.
Kenilworth 5th November: Two maiden plates over 1000m got proceedings underway in Cape Town on Tuesday and in comfortably the faster of these visiting trainer Dennis Drier announced his arrival with his smart filly CROISETTE. A full sister to the useful Valbonne, Croisette was making her debut here. She led throughout, and easing down at the finish won with total authority by four and a half.
The smarter than average MR78 Handicap was the faster of the two 1400m races on the card and here favourite backers were again on the mark when the promising KILINDINI registered his second win from just four starts. Confidently ridden by Pierre Orffer, the son of Silvano sat seventh of the eight for most of the journey. He quickened in good style when given rein and after striking the front 190m or so from home, he won going away.
They also ran two races over 1600m and stopping the clock in the faster time here was ELUSIVE FORTUNE when winning the MR74 Handicap. The third of five winning favourites on the card, Justin Snaith’s charge also came from off them. She commenced battle with her closest rival in the betting market FOLLOW THE STAR 200m out, and with the rest left trailing in their wake, she got the verdict by a neck.
Titbits
The Vaughan Marshall trained 3yo LABYRINTH ran on well from midfield, and won going away, when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1400m.
King For A Day
Greyville 6th November: Wednesday’s action took place on the poly track where the best bet on the card for many SUNSET EYES did the business in the faster of the two 1100m events, a pinnacle stakes. The 6yo got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead early in the short home straight and won well from the running on ELUSIVE HEART by a length and three quarters.
The MR78 Handicap was the faster of the two 1000m races on the card and here it was nice to see the 8yo BIG KING register his seventh career victory. Sent off third in the betting market at 5/1, the joint top weight raced third in what soon became a very strung out field. He put his head in front going through the 200m and went on to score cosily by three from the running on favourite MUTAWAARY.
Run in a time over three seconds faster than the maiden event, the Graduation Plate was the faster of the two 1400m races and here victory went to the favourite DESOLATE ROAD. Another to race handy, Tony Rivalland’s charge took the helm 400m out and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the never say die pacemaker THE MASTER by a length.
Titbits
Easy to back at 28/1 on the off, DUNE DANCE ran on well from midfield when winning the maiden plate for the girls over 1100m going away.
Poetry In Motion
Turffontein 7th November: A maiden plate over 1450m was first up on the inner track on Thursday and here victory went to the Mike De Kock trained newcomer OSCAR WILDE. Nicely positioned in sixth as they came off the strip, the son Dynasty quickened well in the straight and got the verdict by a half over the running on LYNTYS LEGACY.
The always handy CRYSTAL STREAM was first past the post in the fastest of the three 2600m races, but on the grounds of intimidation and interference in the closing stages of the race she was demoted in the board room. First prize instead went to GLAMOROUS SCANDAL who ran on well from midfield.
Just 19/100th of a second separated the winners of the two 1600m events, the faster being the graduation plate won by the strongly fancied PROMISEOFAMASTER. Marginally the second favourite in what was priced up as a boat race, Candice Dawson’s charge was ridden to lead 100m out by Warren Kennedy and did have the favourite SPERO OPTIMA held at the wire.
Titbits
In the rear coming off the strip, the Sporting Post’s each way value bet GENTLEMAN’S WAGER (10/1 into 11/2), ran on well from the rear, and showed a nice turn of foot late when gaining his second career victory in the MR76 Handicap over 2600m.
Guineas Wish
Fairview 8th November: Although not in terms of prize money, the non-black type Guineas Plate for 3yo fillies over 1400m topped the bill in Port Elizabeth on Friday, and here we saw a smart performance from the Alan Greeff trained LUNA WISH. Now a winner of four from seven, this daughter of Quearari was content to sit seventh of the eight for most of the journey. Confidently ridden by the talented Bernard Fayd’Herbe though, Luna Wish cut through the field quickly when given rein and with some in hand won going.
The evergreen stable of Alan Greeff were also on the mark in the MR78 Handicap over 1000m when the recent acquisition from Cape Town RACINE (now two from two in the Eastern Cape) landed the spoils. In what proved to be by far the faster of the two races over the distance, Racine led throughout. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest well beaten she got the verdict by a neck over the ultra-consistent HORSE HAIZI.
The graduation plate was the faster of the two 1200m races on the card and here victory went to the former Gauteng campaigner ALWAHSH. Easy to back at 8/1 on the off, Grant Paddock’s charge made the running in what was always a very tightly bunched field. He kept on determinedly over the final 400m and did have the always handy favourite OUTLANDOS D’AMOUR held at the wire.
Titbits
In the rear turning for home, VICTORY MARCH didn’t find the clearest of passages in the straight and did well to get up late in the MR74 Handicap over 1600m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (5) Evermore 17
Race 2: (1) Foreign Source 55 (NAP**)
Race 3: (4) Benicarlo 20
Race 4: (10) Lord Marshal 57
Race 5: (7) Watsonia 42
Race 6: (7) Alamito Bay 53
Race 7: (4) Copper Trail 61
Race 8: (2) Country Rock 40
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: No Qualifiers
Race 2: No Qualifiers
Race 3: (5) Madame Patrice 23
Race 4: (1) Battleoftrafalgar 38
Race 5: (6) Podcast 33
Race 6: (14) The Sash 48
Race 7: (6) The Sands 51
Race 8: (9) Full Of Attitde 45
Race 9: (3) Snorting Bull 50
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (2) Queen Of Quiet 26
Race 2: (1) Turn It Up Harvey 15 (NAP*)
Race 3: (2) Whisky Tango 25
Race 4: (6) Bellingham Bay 56
Race 5: (2) Rille 36
Race 6: (7) Secret Depths 66
Race 7: (1) Jay Rock 48
Race 8: (4) Midnight Moonlight 50
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (2) High Voltage 34
Race 2: (2) At Your Request 15 (nb)
Race 3: (3) Karatage 30
Race 4: (1) Ruby Cove 20
Race 5: (4) Magic Mountain 29 (NAP**)
Race 6: (11) King’s Cove 36
Race 7: (4) Twice As Smart 73
Race 8: (12) Marzipan Path 35
Top rated winners last week included
Gentleman’s Wager won 11/2
Merlin From Berlin won 11/2
Accidental Tourist won 107/20
Ice Eater won 93/20
Sunset Eyes won 16/10
Poppycock won 12/10
Desolate Road won 1/1
Kilindini won 1/1
Notebook:-
Croisette (D Drier, W-Cape)
Kilindini (B Crawford, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (turf) 3rd November
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,49s slow
1200m (1) Greattobecaptain 72,31
1400m (3) Liquid Irish 83,74
1600m (2) Fools Gold 96,76
1900m (1) Western Fort 118,14
2000m (1) Merlin From Berlin 123,64
Kenilworth (old) 5th November
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,27s fast
1000m (2) Croisette 57,82
1200m (1) Green Jacket 71,61
1400m (2) Kilindini 85,93
1600m (2) Elusive Fortune 99,13
2000m (1) Double The Fun 127,72
Greyville (poly) 6th November
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,95s slow
1000m (2) Big King 58,19
1100m (2) Sunset Eyes 63,62
1200m (1) Accidental Tourist 71,37
1400m (2) Desolate Road 82,84
2000m (1) Je Ne Sais Quoi 124,43
Turffontein (inner) 7th November
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,63s slow
1000m (1) Ocean City 58,25
1200m (1) Ice Eater 71,72
1450m (1) Oscar Wilde 89,41*
1600m (2) Promiseofamaster 97,41
2600m (3) Crystal Stream 166,39
Fairview (turf) 8th November
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
1000m (2) Racine 56,94
1200m (2) Alwahsh 69,32
1400m (1) Luna Wish 86,59
1600m (2) Toltec 99,26
2400m (1) Sabastian 153,61
