Four From Nine
Hollywoodbets Greyville 15th March: They raced on the poly track at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday where, surprisingly, four of the eight races were staged over 2000m. Just 12/100th of a second separated the winners of three of these races, with the quickest being the MR65 Handicap won by the former Cape Town campaigner JOY MAISHA. Generously priced at 33/10 on the off, the Sporting Post’s top bet at the meeting was soon at the head of affairs. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the running on WHAT A THRILL by a length and a quarter.
The MR73 Handicap over 1000m was the only sprinting event on the card and here the 5yo YAAS (20/1) did the business for the column when registering her sixth career victory. Soon positioned close to the speed, the Main Aim mare ran on stoutly in the short home straight and won comfortably by a half after taking up the running 150m out.
A MR98 Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and here the highly regarded PADRE PIO put in a smart performance. Easy to back at 12/1 in this his first outing since December, Dennis Bosch’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride and raced sixth of the ten for most of the journey. Once in the straight though he ran on best of all and beat a very useful looking field going away. In total Padre Pio has now won four of his nine career starts to date.
Titbits
A little slow into stride and then hampered at the 1900m mark to boot, BRAVE LASS caught the eye running on nicely from the back when a six lengths third in the maiden plate for the girls over 2000m.
Claiming The Advantage
Vaal 17th March: A maiden plate over 1400m got proceedings underway at the Vaal on Tuesday and here we saw a smart performance from the easy to back TRAVELIN MAN. Freely available at 11/1 on the off the son of Pomodoro was a little slow into stride and raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He quickened nicely from halfway and won well by two and a half after taking it up 400m out.
Another to win with authority on this card was PINK in the faster of the two 2400m races, a MR67 Handicap. Nibbled at into 13/2 before the off, the Master Of My Fate filly was also slow into stride and came from midfield. She struck the front passing the 300m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by two and a half.
The only sprinting event on the card was the MR88 Handicap over 1000m and here the 5yo GALACTIC WARRIOR registered his fourth career victory. Always one to race up with the speed, the son of Querari took full advantage of the 4kg taken off his back by apprentice Mxoli’s claim, and kept on strongly over the final 400m to score by a half.
Titbits
GREY FLYER ran on well from midfield when easily accounting for her ten rivals in the maiden plate for the girls over 2400m.
Swiftly Does It
Hollywoodbets Greyville 18th March:
Racing returned to the poly track surface at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wedesday where five of the afternoon’s eight events were staged over 1200m. The bill topping MR87 Handicap was the fastest of these and here the Var gelding COLLABRO took his tally of wins to six. Nicely positioned in sixth when the twelve runners turned for home, Dennis Bosch’s charge ran on strongly over the final 450m and under a well-judged ride from Craig Zackey, he got up close home.
Two of the three remaining races were run over 1600m and in the quicker of these, the maiden plate, the well-supported TEICHMAN opened his account. He raced in the rear early on, but with the field always being very tightly bunched, he was only four lengths off the pace. He ran on best of all when the race developed into a sprint at the top of the straight and went on to score with authority by two and a quarter.
A graduation plate over 1800m completed the day’s fare and here it was nice to see the costly to follow RAILTRIP rescue her followers from bankruptcy. Another to come from the rear in a very false paced affair, Railtrip got up 150m from home to beat the always handy LAND OF MYSTERY by a half.
Titbits
Spoken highly of after the race, the newcomer TREAD SWIFTLY won the opening Juvenile Plate over 1200m going away by three and three quarters.
Bouncing Back To Form
Turffontein 19th March: Ten races were staged on the inner track on Thursday afternoon with five of them taking place over 1450m. The graduation plate for the girls was the fastest of these and here the lightly raced 3yo WYLIE WENCH caused an upset. Backed into 15/2 from 14/1 before the off, the Michael & Adam Azzie trained filly raced handy throughout. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and with the benefit of first run she got the verdict by three quarters over the running on favourite RIO’S WINTER. Strangled by their own rules, the official handicappers will only be able to raise Wylie Wench 6 points in the handicap for this success.
The bill topping MR109 Handicap was not surprisingly by far the faster of the two 1600m races on the card and here team Azzie were again on the mark when FULL MAST recorded his fourth career victory. Soon positioned close to the speed, the son of Go Deputy commenced battle with both INDY GO and the 15/10 favourite MARSHALL 150m from home, and in a thrilling three way finish he got the verdict by a quarter.
They also ran two races over 2000m and in marginally the faster of these the favourite MARSHALL FOCH did the business. Looking to complete a hat-trick here, Paul Peter’s charge held a very useful advantage throughout. He was three and a half lengths clear coming off the strip and that proved to be just enough to get the verdict over the rejuvenated GLIDER PILOT by a third of a length.
Titbits
Easily eight lengths off the pace after taking a bump at the start, the aptly named newcomer ANYTHING GOES quickened in good style in the short home straight when winning the opening maiden juvenile plate going away by a length and a half.
Super Impressive
Fairview 20th March: There were a number of very easy victories on the turf in Port Elizabeth on Friday, but none more so than that of FAVORITA in the afternoon’s feature event, the listed East Cape Fillies Nursery over 1200m. Won in a time just 28/100th of a second quicker than the only other race over the distance on the day, a maiden plate, the Western Cape raider was content to sit eighth of the nine for most of the journey. She cut through the field like a knife when given rein and cruised clear to score by nine and three quarters after striking the front just 200m from home.
The only other distance on the card to stage more than one race was 2400m where the pinnacle stakes was not surprisingly the faster of the two. A winner of seven from nineteen coming into the race, the classy MERYL was best in at the weights, and she duly landed the odds. Positioned in the middle of the seven for most of the journey, Alan Greeff’s charge quickened best of all when the race developed into a sprint 500m out, and with the rest well beaten she got up late to deny the recently relocated INDY ICE.
A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a smart performance from the newcomer BYRIDGE. Nibbled at into 23/4 before the off, Yvette Bremner’s charge was always handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m pole and drew clear easily below the distance to beat the front running STRANGER DANGER (also a newcomer) by two and a quarter.
Titbits
Blue Duchess only had to be pushed out when winning the maiden plate over 1200m with authority by three and a quarter.
Top rated winners last week included
Yaas won 20/1
Collabro won 107/20
Circle Of Latitude won 77/20
Transonic won 7/2
Epic Dream won 19/10
Psycho King won 18/10
Al Mutawakel won 13/10
Meryl won 13/10
Notebook:-
Anything Goes (S Pettigrew, Gauteng)
Favorita (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Tread Swiftly (B Crawford, KZN)
Wylie Wench (M & A Azzie, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Hollywoodbets Greyville (poly) 15th March
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,55s fast
1000m (1) Yaas 57,00
1400m (1) Padre Pio 80,89
1600m (1) Run To Denmark 94,85
1900m (1) Bhakka 116,10
2000m (4) Joy Maisha 122,58
Vaal 17th March
Penetrometer 22 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 1,09s slow
1000m (1) Galactic Warrior 57,49
1400m (1) Travelin Man 83,67
1600m (1) Circle Of Latitude 96,21
2000m (1) Ideal Wolff 127,30
2400m (2) Pink 155,34
2800m (1) Village Deep 182,27
Hollywoodbets Greyville (poly) 18th March
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,56s slow
1200m (5) Collabro 70,45
1600m (2) Teichman 96,74
1800m (1) Raitrip 110,17
Turffontein (inner) 19th March
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,58s slow
1000m (1) Pearl Of Siberia 58,24
1450m (5) Wylie Wench 88,55
1600m (2) Full Mast 98,65
2000m (2) Marshall Foch 126,63
Fairview (turf) 20th March
Penetrometer 22 – Good
Course Variant:
1000m (1) Byridge 58,72*
1200m (2) Favorita 70,50*
1400m (1) Leprechaun 87,53*
1600m (1) Earth Hour 102,10*
1800m (1) Calandra 114,68*
2400m (2) Ideal Dancer 154,65*
