From The Clouds

Easy Double

Flamingo Park 19^th August: A maiden plate over 1600m was first up in the Northern Cape on Monday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the 4yo IMPERANI. He got away well when the gates opened and skilfully guided over from a wide draw by Musi Yeni was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m pole and won well from the fancied SENGWA by two.

Another to win well in the maiden ranks was MAPOGGO in the 1000m event. Taken straight to the front by Randal Simons the son of Second Empire led throughout. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and easily accounted for BEACH BAR by three and a quarter.

There were a number of easy victories on the card and none more so than that of CHIOVANNI in the lucky last, a MR66 Handicap over 1200m. Sent off a well supported favourite (5/2 into 18/10), Vernon Rugg’s charge also made all. He was always in command and just as he did when winning in similar company last time out, he came home smoking by four.

A MR80 Handicap over 1800m topped the bill and registering his fifth career victory here was the 5yo KAHAL’S SECRET. Nicely positioned in fifth coming off the bend, the Kahal mare quickened well in the straight and comfortably accounted for the nibbled at PINTARI after striking the front 100m from home.

Titbits

After being backed into 5/1 from 14’s, WISPER THE WIND won the MR68 Handicap over 1000m with authority.

.

Form Line Of Note

Clairwood 20^th August: The fastest of the two maiden events over 1200m at the garden course on Tuesday was the second division in which NICKLAUS opened his account. Sent off a clear second favourite at 5/2, Mike De Kock’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and beat the odds on favourite TIGHT SIGHT (a newcomer) fair and square by two. Nicklaus was fifth to the easy winner JET ON FIRE in his only previous start and with the second horse in that race having already won well since it is clearly a very strong form line.

Race five on the card was a MR78 Handicap over 1000m and here we saw a smart performance from the 3yo WAR PATH. On leaving the stalls it was the nibbled at KING’S JET who elected to set the pace, and a brisk one it was too. Indeed, he was very quickly three lengths clear and going through the 400m it looked as if he may well go on to land the spoils. Charlie Laird’s charge had tracked him throughout though and after steadily wearing him down from that point, he got up late to win going away.

The afternoon’s feature event was a MR92 Handicap over 1600m and here victory went to the favourite ORANGE BLOSSOM. The daughter of Miesque’s Approval raced eighth of the ten for most of the journey, but with the field being tightly bunched, she was always within striking distance. She made her move early in the long home straight and with the rest well beaten she got up late to deny the easy to back TINCHY STRYDER.

All the rage in the betting market to win the last, a maiden plate over 2000m, was the well tried PROFESSOR X and he didn’t let down his supporters. Allowed to flirt with 7/2 at one point after opening up at 6’s, Alyson Wright’s charge was always handy. Confidently ridden by Brandon Lerena, the professor struck the front at the top of the straight and won with some in hand from the favourite GREY BERET.

Titbits

THAT SO ATSO was continually baulked for a run between the 400m and 100m poles when third in the MR75 Handicap over 1600m.

.

What A Tease

Vaal 22^nd August: Thursday’s action took place on the sand where the best bet on the card for most, PANJO did the business. Always deep in the red, Michael Azzie’s charge sat second early on, but was already at the head of affairs going through the 800m. He drew clear easily from there onwards, but eased right down almost to a walk before the line the winning margin of just two lengths is totally deceiving. One would have thought that Mr Strydom would have been spoken to about that, but there was no mention of it in the Stipes report.

The biggest winning distance on an afternoon when many won by steeplechase margins, was the 8,25 lengths recorded by the newcomer TRIP TEASE in the opening maiden event over 1000m. Heavily supported into 12/10 at one point before easing out to 22/10, Louis Goosen’s charge was soon up handy. He began to assert his authority going through the 300m and drew clear in the style of a very good sort.

Another to win very easily on this card was ACES HIGH in the fastest of the three 1450m events, a MR74 Handicap. Adopting similar tactics to those used by Panjo, Aces High struck the front 700m out. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and came home lonely by six and a quarter.

There were also three races run over 1800m and the fastest of these was the MR72 Handicap in which King’s Joy registered his second career victory. Yet another to strike the front early after racing second, Wallace Tolmay’s charge kept on strongly over the final 600m and although the veteran BLUE CONCORDE chased hard in the latter stages, he won very comfortably by four and a half.

Titbits

After racing detached at the rear, NONDWENI’S FILLY ran on strongly in the maiden 1450m and did well to get within 2,75 lengths of the winner.

.

Flying Digger

Fairview 23^rd August: This meeting was originally scheduled to take place at Arlington.

Five of the nine races in Port Elizabeth on Friday were run over 1600m and the fastest of these, surprisingly, was the MR72 Handicap won by Rum And Raisin. Freely available at 9/1 on the off, the 6yo son of Victory Moon was always handy. He quickened well down the long home straight and comfortably accounted for KINDRED SPIRIT by two and a quarter.

The afternoon’s feature event was a pinnacle stakes over 2000m and here we saw another smart performance from the son of Classic Flag FOREST DIGGER. Positioned at the back rounding the home turn, Mitch Wiese’s charge was many lengths adrift of the leaders. Once given rein though he quickened well and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up in the dying strides to deny GIANDUJA.

Another to win from the back on this card was DO OR DYE in the MR66 Handicap over 1600m. Well supported on course to go off a joint favourite at 9/2, Do Or Dye had fifteen to pass in the straight. She ran on strongly over the final 700m and under a well judged ride from Brandon Morganrood she got up late to beat RESET IN BLUE by a half.

Titbits

Running on stoutly from the rear in the maiden 1800m, ARCTIC DESERT only failed to get up by the narrowest of margins.

At least a dozen lengths off the pace turning for home, PLACIDO did very well indeed to get within a length and three quarters of the winner when third in the MR89 Handicap over 1600m.

.

Top speedratings for this weekend include:-

Top rated winners last week included

Notebook:-

FASTEST TIMES