In Full Bloom
Fairview 1st February: Favourite backers got off to a nice start in Port Elizabeth on Friday when BILLY NADAS did the business in the opening maiden event over 1400m. The son of Latino Magic got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead going through the 300m and drew clear easily from there onwards to win by four.
There were several easy victories on the card but none more so than that of MUCHO GOLD in the maiden 2400m. Sent off a rather uneasy third favourite at 5/1, Gavin Smith’s charge was always in touch with the leaders. He moved through to take up the running as they approached the 300m pole and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by six and a half.
The non-black type Fairview Merchants over 1200m topped the bill and here we saw a smart performance from the only 3yo in the race SEDGE. The third success on the card for Gavin Smith, last season’s Gr3 Champion Juvenile Stakes winner raced prominent throughout. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and went on to beat the talented 6yo BOIS DE VAR fair and square by a length.
Also worthy of note on this card was the performance of LONDON PERFECT in winning the MR70 Handicap over 1200m. Des Mclachlan’s charge made all and in a time faster than that recorded by Sedge, he won very easily by three and three quarters.
Titbits
Short head winner CLASSIC VICTORY would have won the MR70 Handicap over 1000m very easily had visiting French jockey Maxime Guyon had ridden him out to the finish. As a result of this Guyon was fined R2000.
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Flying High
Kenilworth 2nd February: The prestigious Gr1 J&B Met over 2000m topped the bill in Cape Town on Saturday and here a major upset was to be had when the Gr1 Queen’s Plate fourth placed runner MARTIAL EAGLE registered his eighth career victory. Freely available at 80/1 on the off the 7yo was always handy. The four timer seeking HILL FIFTY FOUR was the first to make a move and on striking the front 350m out he looked to have done everything right. Martial Eagle ran on stoutly at the business end of the race though, and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up late to score by a neck.
At the other end of the scale the best bet on the card for most was CAPETOWN NOIR in the Gr1Cape Derby and he didn’t let down his supporters. A winner of the Gr1 Cape Guineas last time out, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge was always well positioned to strike. He took up the running as they approached the 300m marker and in a time some 2,99 seconds slower than that of the Met he kept on strongly late to beat the nibbled at outsider DYNAMIC by a half.
On what was a very competitive twelve race program the only winning margin over a length and a half was the 2,75 lengths recorded by EXPERIENCE COUNTS in the MR82 Handicap over 1400m. In touch throughout, Joey Ramsden’s charge quickened nicely at the top of the straight and easily accounted for the favourite CAPTAINOFMYSOUL.
Another to win well on this card was BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN in the prestigious Gr1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m. Skilfully guided over from the widest draw by champion jockey Anton Marcus, the daughter of Giant’s Causeway raced fifth for most of the journey. She made her move early in the straight and kept on strongly after striking the front close home to beat the running on FREQUENT FLYER by a half.
Titbits
GOULDIKOVA ran on well from the rear when runner up in the MR79 Handicap over 1000m.
Although never a threat to the winner, the third placed runner CAPTAIN DINO caught the eye running on strongly late in the MR80 Handicap over 1200m.
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Back In Form
Turffontein 2nd February: They raced on the inner track on Saturday where victory in the opening workrider’s maiden event over 1800m went to the uneasy favourite VIDEO GAMES. Allowed to ease out to 12/10 from 7/10 at the track as money came for both CONGREGATION and ELEGANT BAY, St John Gray’s charge adopted a change of tactics here and raced from the front. She was always in command of what soon became a strung out field, and won very comfortably by three and three quarters from the staying on SUPERAVER.
The easiest victory on the card though was undoubtedly that of TOBIT in the maiden 1000m. Another to lead from pillar to post, Tobit was four lengths clear coming off the strip and extended his advantage to six and a quarter in the short home straight.
Four of the events on the nine race program took place over 1800m and the fastest of these was the MR76 affair in which the Kahal gelding PAINTYOURFACE registered his third career victory. Despite being drawn well in gate three, Paintyourface, as per usual, raced in the backend of midfield for most of the journey. Once given rein though he quickened well and under a well judged ride from Derek David he got up late to deny the well supported POCKET FILLER.
A MR91 Handicap over 1800m topped the bill and in a slower time than that of Paintyourface victory here went to the St John Gray trained YER-MAAN. There was no pace on in the early stages and as a result the field were always closely grouped. He quickened well when asked for his effort coming off the strip and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up late to beat the fancied EMPEROR AUGUSTUS by a neck.
Titbits
Poorly drawn DIVINE GRACE ran on well from the rear and won the girl’s maiden event over 1450m going away.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: No Qualifiers Race 3: (1) Wild Blu 15 Race 4: (2) Nomenclature 15 Race 5: (4) Mozart Memorial 74 Race 6: (8) Woodridge 51 Race 7: (10) Prizefighter 76 Race 8: (4) Mangaliso 52 (EW) Scottsville Race 1: (2) Caribbean Bay 21 Race 2: (15) Charming Roekeya 12 Race 3: (6) Yankee Master 20 Race 4: (8) Pop Home 19 Race 5: (8) Slew The Bold 18 Race 6: (4) Caviar 47 Race 7: (11) Nomzane 49 Race 8: (6) Chief Pigeon 63 Race 9: (2) Above Emeralds 50 (EW) Turffontein Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (1) Jimmy Choo 33 Race 3: (2) Ushokolethi 26 Race 4: (1) Tzigane 19 Race 5: (2) Variometer 85 Race 6: (6) Showmetheway 93 Race 7: (7) E-Jet 100 Race 8: (15) Disco Boy 49 Kenilworth Race 1: (12) Pegwell Bay 5 (NAP*) Race 2: (1) Covariance 22 Race 3: (1) Finnigan 28 Race 4: (6) Cosmic Flower 48 Race 5: (1) Howdoulikemenow 61 Race 6: (8) Silver Chant 53 Race 7: (9) All Fun 72 Race 8: (13) London Theatre 19 Vaal Race 1: (4) Eight Fouty Four 11 Race 2: (5) Hazelwood 16 Race 3: (1) Dragon Fay 23 Race 4: (11) Henry Higgins 53 Race 5: (5) Silver Specialist 84 Race 6: (7) Jolly Poppins 86 Race 7: (9) Where’s My Chop 42 Race 8: (3) Variety 57 .
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:-
Blueridge Mountain (G Alexander, W-Cape) Capetown Noir (D Kannemeyer, W-Cape) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherFairview 1st February Penetrometer 22 – Going Good 1000m (1) Classic Victory 56,02 1200m (2) London Perfect 67,29 1400m (3) Irish Maid 83,95 1800m (1) Rare Distinction 110,52 2400m (1) Mucho Gold 155,75 .
Turffontein (inner) 2nd February Penetrometer 24 – G/Soft 1000m (2) Grootfontein 58,99 1200m (1) Moon Of Rangoon 73,00 1450m (2) Sea Shadow 88,02 1800m (4) Paintyourface 110,84 .
Kenilworth (new) 2nd February Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1000m (2) Varikate 59,77 1200m (2) The Plunderer 72,23 1400m (1) Experience Counts 86,46 1600m (3) Brown Penny 98,84 1800m (1) Maximum Jet 110,71 2000m (2) Martial Eagle 122,91 2800m (1) Ilsanpietro 177,22
