Scent Of Victory
Fairview 28th August: This meeting was originally scheduled to take place on the turf. A maiden plate over 1000m got proceedings underway on Friday and here victory went to the former Gauteng campaigner STRICTLYCUMDANCIN. Unable to find the winner’s enclosure in nineteen starts up north, Gavin Smith’s charge was very quickly two lengths clear. She kept on strongly in the short home straight and had enough in hand to beat the always handy newcomer GARDEN QUEEN by a half.
Run in a faster time was the boy’s division of the maiden 1000m where another well tried equine athlete AMADEUS ROCKS opened his account. At the helm from pillar to post the Amadeus Wolf gelding kept on to score by a half from MOMENTOUS.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1200m and the quickest home amongst these was VAUCLAIR in the pinnacle stakes. Nicely positioned in sixth as the eleven runners swung for home Tara Laing’s charge was always poised to strike. He did so approaching the 100m pole and won well by a half from VILLA DE LAGO (raced handy – led 250m).
The afternoon’s feature event was the Jockey Club Stakes (L) over 2000m and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the locally trained long shot STRONG SCENT. Freely available at 33/1 on the off, Dorrie Sham’s charge was always in touch with the leaders. She moved up to dispute matters with the visiting even money favourite CAT AND THE MOON 200m out and after a thrilling tussle in which the remainder were left trailing in their wake she got the verdict by a half.
Titbits
The Rebel King mare MISS FRISKIE came from the back when a one and a half-length runner up in the MR85 Handicap over 1200m.
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Carnival Time
Vaal 29th August: They raced on the sand on Saturday where victory in the bill topping Gr3 August Stakes went to the 4yo ROMAN CARNIVAL. Freely available at 12/1 on the off, the son of Windrush was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and won going away from the pacemaker ISPHAN by four and a quarter.
The supporting act was the non-black type Sandy Beach Stakes over the same distance and in a time 0,78 seconds slower than that of Roman Carnival the Tiger Ridge filly JO MALONE blew her opposition away. Out of the pens in a flash Corne Spies’ charge led by a length and a quarter for most of the journey. She only had to be pushed out in extending her advantage to four and three quarters at the business end of the race and won well. Sadly for connections though, Jo Malone broke a bloodvessel and will now be suspended for 3 months.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1000m and quickest home amongst these was the newcomer HADDINGTON when opening his account in the maiden plate. Supported throughout the morning into 11/10 favourite from 4/1, Louis Goosen’s charge very narrowly made the running. He ran on stoutly over the final 400m and won well from MAGIC by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
The 3yo WINDINMYHAIR ran on well from midfield when a two length runner up in the girl’s division of the maiden 1000m.
DON VITO was baulked 450m out before running on strongly to fill third position (beaten a length and three quarters) in the MR74 Handicap over 1200m.
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Couple To Follow
Kenilworth 29th August: The going was still soft in Cape Town on Saturday where we saw a smart performance in the opening maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1200m from the newcomer MOONLIGHT ‘N ROSES. Freely available at 8/1 on the off, Mike Bass’ charge was a little slow into stride and as a result she raced in the rear early on. Once given rein though she ran on well, and despite not finding the clearest of passages she got up late to win going away by a half.
The only other race over 1200m was a maiden plate and here we saw an impressive performance from the Joey Ramsden trained HARD DAY’S NIGHT. Always in the red, the son of Warm White Night was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead 400m from home by Donavan Mansour and despite continually hanging won easing down by four and a half with a ton in hand.
Quickest home over 1400m was SPIRIT OF HAMILTON when registering his third career victory in the MR94 Handicap. Always handy, the son of Argonaut ran on stoutly over the final 400m and with the benefit of first run he got the better of ALPHA PEGASI (running on from midfield) by just under a half.
The faster of the two 1600m races on the card was the MR86 Handicap in which the mud loving HARVARD CRIMSON landed the spoils. The focus of good outside support throughout the day (14/1 into 7/1), the daughter of Dynasty also raced handy. She put her head in front shortly after passing the 300m marker and comfortably accounted for EVOKE EMOTION by two and a quarter.
Titbits
The 5yo CARDINAL came from the rear when winning the MR72 Handicap over 1000m.
Running on from midfield BARITONE had to switch 200m out and did well to get up very late in the MR77 Handicap over 1400m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (mon)
Race 1: (1) Tiger Tim 26
Race 2: (1) Gauteng 7
Race 3: (4) Clifton Surf 57
Race 4: (2) I Will Be 35
Race 5: (7) Sister Sybil 30
Race 6: (7) Bolt Of Light 75
Race 7: (8) Aspen Winter 55
Race 8: (10) Western Wonder 47
Vaal (tues)
Race 1: (6) Buster Posy 29
Race 2: (9) Angel Of Mercy 23
Race 3: (1) Sands Of Time 26
Race 4: (7) Teagan’s Boy 27
Race 5: (9) High Game 39
Race 6: (6) Intergalactic 45
Race 7: (2) Morpheus 69
Race 8: (3) Carter 47
Race 9: (11) Limited Edition 41
Race 10: (14) Raging Princess 44
Durbanville (wed)
Race 1: (2) Twenty Four Carat 18
Race 2: (4) Exclusive Knight 13
Race 3: (6) Blue Door 43
Race 4: (1) Mamselle Al 13
Race 5: (10) Camara’s Park 41
Race 6: (9) Our Jet 63
Race 7: (7) Seven Grand 67
Race 8: (10) Litethenite 46
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (7) Tripadvisor 22
Race 2: (1) Trip Tease 94 (NAP**)
Race 3: (2) Jade Vine 59
Race 4: (10) Mooghamir 12
Race 5: (10) Capricorn Ridge 80
Race 6: (2) Ahlaam 60 (nb)
Race 7: (4) Celtic King 50
Race 8: (9) Susquehanna 40
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Top rated winners last week included
Eco Storm won 13/2
House Of Lorraine won 28/10
Nishac won 5/2
New Spring won 22/10
Top Shot won 22/10
Barcelona Babe won 15/10
Seventh Symphony won 11/10
Hard Day’s Night won 13/20
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Notebook:-
Hard Day’s Night (J Ramsden, W-Cape)
Moonlight ‘n Roses (M Bass, W-Cape)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (poly) 28th August
Going Standard
1000m (2) Amadeus Rocks 58,77
1200m (3) Vauclair 70,04
1400m (1) Elegant Gent 84,04
1800m (1) Mercurial Brave 108,36
2000m (1) Strong Scent 124,00
Vaal (sand) 29th August
Going Standard
1000m (3) Haddington 58,65
1200m (3) Roman Carnival 72,21
1450m (2) Miesque’s Storm 92,86
1800m (1) Susquehanna 118,20
Kenilworth (old) 29th August
Penetrometer 26 – Going Soft
1000m (1) Cardinal 61,15
1200m (2) Hard Day’s Night 76,37
1400m (2) Spirit Of Hamilton 86,99
1600m (2) Harvard Crimson 100,65
1800m (1) Ovidio 114,59
