Ready For Battle
Turffontein 21st March: Somewhat unusually, seven of the nine races on the old stand side track on Saturday were staged over sprint distances. The MR89 Handicap was the fastest of the four 1160m events on the card and here ESKIMO KISSES registered her second career victory. The field of just seven were always tightly bunched, and nicely positioned in second she was always poised to strike. She did so going through the 400m and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the running on LEADING FAST by a half.
The graduation plate was the fastest of the three 1000m races and here victory went to the 19/10 favourite EPIC DREAM. One of five winners on the card top rated by Sporting Post, Candice Dawson’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride and raced in midfield early on. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m pole, and won well from the always handy second favourite AL JAHBATH by almost a length.
A pinnacle stakes over 1400m topped the bill and here an upset was to be had when the odds on favourite CELTIC SEA got rolled. One of six runners covered by just two lengths going through the 400m, the daughter of Captain Al was out sprinted in this false run race by the pacemaker RUNNING BRAVE.
Titbits
Best in at the weights, AL MUTAWAKEL showed his class when running on from the rear to win the progress plate over 1600m going away.
Backed throughout the day into 9/2 from 12’s, the newcomer ROYAL WULFF was easily eight lengths off the pace going through the 400m, and flying at the finish he did very well indeed to get within a length of the winner GREENS.
Held To Ransom
Durbanville 21st March: The going was good at the country course on Saturday where the faster of the two maiden juvenile plates over 1250m that got proceedings underway was the boy’s affair won by the newcomer MATTHEW THE KING. Soon up handy, Greg Ennion’s charge was ridden to lead 300m out and despite hanging badly at times won very comfortably by two and a quarter.
1600m was the only other distance on the card to stage more than one race and surprisingly, the faster of these was the maiden plate for the girls won by the well-supported DOUBLE REWARD. Backed into favouritism before the off Justin Snaith’s charge was always handy. She put her head in front shortly after passing the 200m marker and just had enough in hand to beat the gaining ROYAL WINDSOR by a neck.
In terms of distance, the easiest victory on the card was recorded by MIDNIGHT BADGER when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1400m. Soon close to the speed in what quickly became a strung out field, the 3yo son of Warm White Night got the measure of the favourite MAITLAND MAGIC 150m out, and won going away by two and a half.
Titbits
Positioned ninth of the eleven early on, the newcomer CAPTAIN’S RANSOM ran on best of all when winning the maiden juvenile plate over 1250m going away.
6 From 12
Greyville 22nd March: The listed Kings Cup topped the bill on Sunday’s turf card and in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the two 1600m events, the aptly named BORN TO PERFORM gained his sixth success from just twelve starts. Highly regarded from day one, Dennis Bosch’s charge lost two lengths at the start and raced towards the rear during the early part of the race. Once in the short home straight though he quickened well, and under a well-judged ride from the national jockey’s log leader Warren Kennedy, he got up close home to beat TRISTFUL by a half.
Another to win well from off the pace on this card was NOBLE JOSHUA in the slower of the two 1600m events, a MR90 Handicap. Ninth of twelve turning for home Gareth Van Zyl’s charge quickened best of all when the race developed into a sprint and in a race where just three quarters of a length covered the first five home, he got up in the very last stride.
Two 1400m events had earlier opened up the card and in the faster of these, a maiden plate for the girls, the easy to back BACCINO opened her account. Freely available at 16/1 on the off, the daughter of Visionaire raced fourth for most of the journey. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest well beaten she comfortably accounted for the 45/1 shot BORN TO ROCK by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Despite clipping heels 1000m out and over reaching on the near fore, SAINT PHILLIP ran on well from midfield when winning the maiden plate over 2000m going away by two and a half.
Out On Her Own
Turffontein 24th March: Racing returned to Turffontein on Tuesday where the action took place on the inner track. Three of the afternoon’s races were staged over 1450m and in the fastest of these, the MR76 Handicap, the 4yo KAPAMA caused an upset. Now a winner of three from thirty seven, Brett Webber’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She quickened well coming off the strip and with the rest comfortably beaten, she got the better of another 16/1 shot in COMET CRYSTAL by three quarters.
1000m was the only other distance to stage more than one event on the eight race program and in the faster of these, the MR80 Handicap, the well-supported ICE EATER gained his fourth success. Always handy, Chris Jonker’s charge ran on best of all when the front running ISPHAN ran out of gas, and won going away from the always handy 3yo BLOW ME DOWN.
In terms of distance, the easiest victory on the card was recorded by SALLY CALLED in the MR96 Handicap over 1450m. Taken straight to the front by Luke Ferraris, the bottom weight led throughout. She was always well clear and although BULLSADE ran on strongly from off the pace, she won without any anxious moments by two and a half.
Titbits
At the back of the twelve turning for home, BLOODLINE caught the eye running on strongly in the closing stages when a 3,75 length fifth in the maiden plate over 2000m.
Confident First Choice
Fairview 25th March: The best bet on the card for most on Wednesday’s poly track card was LADY OF CHOICE in the maiden plate for the girls over 1900m and she didn’t let down her supporters. Surprisingly allowed to ease in the betting market, although still retaining her position at the top of the boards, Gavin Smith’s charge was soon positioned close up in second. She was ridden to lead going through the 600m and steadily drew clear from there onwards to win very easily by five and three quarters.
The distance of 1300m took the lion’s share of the races with the fastest of the three being the MR74 Handicap won by TWIN FALLS. Another to race handy, the daughter of Sail From Seattle took up the running 300m out and kept on strongly below the distance to beat the steadily gaining favourite MISS ORANGE by a quarter.
The MR66 Handicap was the faster of the two races over 1600m and here we saw a smart performance from the Alan Greeff trained TAWNY JET. One of three co-2nd favourites at 11/2 the 3yo daughter of Go Deputy raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She ran on best of all over the final 400m and beat the fancied FORGET O’ GIRLS fair and square by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
A facile winner of both starts since relocating to the Eastern Cape now, MARMARA SEA came from the rear when winning the MR68 Handicap over 1200m going away with some in hand.
Steeplechase Margins
Vaal 26th March: The first of some very easy victories at the Vaal on Thursday was that of the newcomer MISS ELEGANCE in the juvenile plate for the girls over 1400m. Nibbled at into 8/1 from 20’s during the morning, Lucky Houdalakis’ charge was a little slow into stride and raced in the rear early on. She cut through the field quickly when given rein by 4kg claimer Mxoli and cruised clear after striking the front 450m out to score by seven and a quarter.
It was a similar story in the next, a juvenile plate over 1400m when FIRE AND ICE came home smoking. Also slow into stride, the 3/1 second favourite ran on strongly from midfield and flew past the 11/10 favourite SIREN OF GREECE 300m out to win going away by seven and a half.
Another to win well on this card, albeit by a much smaller margin, was AKWAAN in the faster of the two 1600m events, a MR72 Handicap. An easy winner of his maiden in his first start since being gelded last time out, Akwaan raced in midfield early on. He put his head in front as they approached the 400m marker and went on to score with authority from the well exposed JACKMAN by two.
Titbits
The Joey Soma trained RED ADMIRAL showed good improvement when running on from the rear to win the maiden plate over 2400m going away.
Notebook:-
Captain’s Ransom (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Marmara Sea (A Greeff, E-Cape)
Miss Elegance (M Houdalakis, Gauteng)
Royal Wulff (A Laird, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (stand side) 21st March
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,74s slow
1000m (3) Epic Dream 57,52
1160m (4) Eskimo Kisses 68,07
1400m (1) Al Mutawakel 99,30
1600m (1) Running Brave 85,77
Durbanville 21st March
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,41s slow
1000m (1) Al Wahed 58,44
1200m (2) Matthew The King 75,78
1400m (1) Midnight Badger 84,81
1600m (2) Double Reward 97,74
2000m (1) Heaven’s Embrace 123,21
2400m (1) Winter Shadow 152,93
Greyville (turf) 22 March
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,20s slow
1000m (1) We Light The Fire 58,64
1200m (1) Fives Wild 72,03
1400m (2) Baccino 85,98
1600m (2) Born To Perform 96,09
2200m (1) Saint Phillip 138,33
2400m (1) Paths Of Victory 150,84
Turffontein (inner) 24th March
Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 1,92s slow
1000m (2) Ice Eater 59,49
1200m (1) American Hustle 72,08
1450m (3) Kapama 90,98
1600m (1) Pucker Up 102,69*
2000m (1) Curvation 133,24
Fairview (poly) 25th March
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,08s slow
1200m (1) Marmara Sea 70,04
1300m (3) Twin Falls 75,07
1600m (2) Tawny Jet 95,32
1800m (1) Nijinsky’s Son 109,74
1900m (1) Lady Of Choice 116,82
Vaal 26th March
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,61s slow
1200m (1) Grindelwald 69,89
1400m (2) Fire And Ice 83,61
1600m (2) Akwaan 95,49
1800m (2) Tahitian Orana 110,16
2400m (1) Red Admiral 154,28
