Still Unbeaten
Greyville 1st June: The faster of the two Gr1 events on Saturday afternoon was the Daily News 2000 in which the unbeaten VERCINGETORIX kept his unbeaten record in tact. Sent off second favourite at 28/10, Mike De Kock’s charge was always handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 200m and in what proved to be a real thriller he only held on by the narrowest of margins from the running on NO WORRIES.
The Triple Tiara winner CHERRY ON THE TOP was not surprisingly sent off a strong favourite to win the Gr1 Woolavington, but after racing in midfield she never really got in a blow. Interestingly, victory instead went to the runner up in all three legs of the Triple Tiara DO YOU REMEMBER. Nicely positioned in third rounding the home turn, Geoff Woodruff’s charge quickened well in the straight and in another classic finish she got up late to deny the five timer seeking BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN.
Three of the ten races on the card were run over 1400m and the fastest of these was the MR80 Handicap in which CAVIAR registered her third career victory. On leaving the stalls it was UNIQUE MOMENT who elected to make the running whilst Colin Scott’s charge raced in midfield. She quickened well as they came off the bend and won comfortably by a length and a half after striking the front 200m out.
Albeit just 2,25 lengths, the easiest victory on the card was recorded by the 3yo ICEFIRE when winning the final event on the card a MR78 Handicap over 1000m. Backed throughout the afternoon into 7/2 from 9/1, the favourably drawn Icefire was soon positioned close to the speed. He took up the running as they approached the 200m pole and comfortably accounted for the running on WUNDABAR.
Titbits
MISTY MORN came from the rear when only failing to get up by the narrowest of margins in the MR86 Handicap over 1800m.
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Clear By Seven
Turffontein 2nd June: They raced on the inner track on Sunday where the easiest victory on the card was undoubtedly that of MUNYATEE in the opening workrider’s maiden event over 1600m. Soon well positioned in fourth by Chamu Mabaya, Mike De Kock’s charge was always poised to strike. She did so going through the 300m and cruised clear in the latter stages of the race to score by seven and a quarter.
Another to win well, albeit by a much lessor margin, was TIGER STORM in the maiden 1450m. Freely available at 10/1 on the off, the son of the July winner Eyeofthetiger was always handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the uneasy NO PRISONERS by two and a quarter.
The faster of the two 1000m events was the MR68 Handicap won by COHIBA. Sent off a joint favourite at 19/10, Bradley Maroun’s charge raced sixth of the twelve for most of the journey, but in a closely grouped field he was always well within striking distance. He quickened well as they approached the 400m pole and just held on from the running on BOLD FLASH after striking the front 200m from home.
A MR83 Handicap over 1450m topped the bill and in what proved to be the fastest of the four 1450m races victory here went to the 3yo TZIGANE. The only runner from the stable of Barend Botes on the afternoon, Tzigane came from midfield. She ran on best of all over the final 400m and under a well judged ride from S’manga Khumalo she got up late to beat FANZENE by three quarters.
Titbits
ONE UP ran on well from the backend of midfield when runner up in MR72 Handicap over 1600m.
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Impressive Double
Flamingo Park 3rd June: A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m got proceedings underway in the Northern Cape on Monday and here we saw a very easy victory for the 22/10 favourite AMOROSO. Taken straight to the front by Fanie Chambers the daughter of National Assembly led throughout. She was always in command and only having to be pushed out with hands and heels at the business end of the race she won by two and a quarter with plenty in hand.
The combination of Fanie Chambers and Corne Spies were again on the mark in the next, a Juvenile Plate over 1000m when the heavily supported HAWKSWORTH opened his account. Backed all the way in to 17/20 from 5/2 at the track, Hawksworth wasn’t the quickest into stride, but despite that was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 400m marker and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by five and a half.
The non-black type Kimberley Classic for 3yo’s over 1600m topped the bill and here victory went to the former KZN campaigner KINGOFMOUNTAIN. A winner of just one of his previous eighteen outings, Cliffie Miller’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 300m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to win by four and a quarter.
Titbits
ROMAN LEGION was always clear when easily winning the MR62 Handicap over 1200m by four and a half.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (1) Golden Slipper 17 Race 3: (1) Mullins Cove 1 Race 4: (7) Prestwick 50 Race 5: (8) Sky Marshal 48 Race 6: (4) Castle Rock 41 (EW) Race 7: (5) Princess Alberta 38 Race 8: (9) Magica Roma 60 Race 9: (6) Annie Be Quick 19 Vaal (tues) Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (6) Icelandic Fire 13 Race 3: (6) Rebel Heart 18 Race 4: (3) Hallowed 59 Race 5: (1) Masai Warrior 78 Race 6: (10) Flawless Gem 46 Race 7: (8) Colours Of Love 53 Race 8: (1) Across The Ice 85 Clairwood Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (2) Spritzer 33 Race 3: (2) Royal Nisha 24 (NAP*) Race 4: (13) Mo Da Di Du 62 Race 5: (8) Hammie’s Dynasty 87 Race 6: (9) Cotswold 52 Race 7: (9) Sheikina 66 Race 8: (1) Blaze The Trail 28 Race 9: (2) Cula 17 Vaal (thur) Race 1: (2) Golden Ring 13 Race 2: (2) The Good Life 26 (NAP*) Race 3: (1) Viva Le Vie 21 Race 4: (2) Kalaam 86 Race 5: (9) Vulcan 66 Race 6: (2) Song Of Camden 51 Race 7: (10) Lucky Gambler 56 Race 8: (4) Any Flag 47 Race 9: (10) Nandi 52 .
Top rated winners last week included
Size Does Count won 10/1 Piano Man won 19/2 Inventive Girl won 7/1 Kalaam won 4/1 Ashton Park won 7/2 Our Dizzy Emblem won 18/10 Zobens won 9/20 Principled Man won 1/3 .
Notebook:-
Vercingetorix (M De Kock, KZN) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherGreyville 1st June Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1000m (3) Icefire 57,85 1400m (3) Caviar 83,02 1800m (1) Approach Me 111,03 2000m (2) Vercingetorix 121,33 2400m (1) River Crossing 149,15 .
Turffontein (inner) 2nd June Penetrometer 20 – Going Good 1000m (2) Cohiba 57,42 1450m (4) Tzigane 87,94 1600m (2) Rock The Country 97,36 2200m (1) Queen Of Quest 140,95 .
Flamingo Park 3rd June Going Standard 1000m (3) Hawksworth 58,38 1200m (2) Code Red 72,09 1600m (2) Kingofmountain 98,71 1800m (2) African Gladiator 113,62
