Promising Debut
Scottsville 11th December
A maiden juvenile plate over 800m got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and here we saw a smart performance from the newcomer TRINI’S VAR HYT. Sent off second in the betting market at 2/1, the daughter of Var led throughout. She was always in command and only having to be pushed out went on to score with authority by three and a half.
On my clock the faster of the two 1200m races was the KZN Summer Challenge Final in which MONTE CHRISTO completed a quick double. Backed into 28/10 from 7/2 before the off, Charlie Laird’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and under a well-judged ride from Anton Marcus, he got up late to deny the easy to back ROY’S MARCIANO (raced handy – led 250m).
The two races over 1400m were maiden plates and quickest against the clock here was WILD WICKET in the boy’s division. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by four and three quarters.
Titbits
Backed into 5/1 from 12’s, CARIBBEAN DAY was baulked for a run twice en-route from the rear when third beaten just 0,55 of a length in the KZN Challenge 1600m Final.
Sailing To Victory
Kenilworth 13th December
The faster of the two 1200m races in Cape Town on Tuesday was the MR71 Handicap in which VIKING VOYAGE did the business for the column. Sent off favourite at 28/10, the 5yo Trippi gelding was always handy. He put his head in front going through the 200m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three.
The faster of the two 1400m races on the card was the bill topping MR97 Handicap in which the Horse Chestnut gelding CATKIN registered his sixth career victory. On leaving the stalls it was MILTON who elected to set the pace and a brisk one it was too. Indeed, he was over four lengths clear coming off the bend. The early effort did begin to take its toll late though and running on stoutly from third position Joey Ramsden’s charge got up late to deny the newly installed favourite BRILLIANT CRIMSON (raced 2nd – led 100m).
A maiden plate for the girls over 1200m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a smart performance from the newcomer LOVE TO BOOGIE. Allowed to drift as if a win was out of the question (10/1 out to 22/1), Andre Nel’s charge ran on well from off the pace and won going away by two and a half after striking the front 50m or so from home.
Titbits
Well supported ORIENTAL OAK ran on well from the rear when only beaten a length and a quarter in the MR67 Handicap over 1600m.
Pillar To Post
Turffontein 13th December
They raced on the old stand side track on Tuesday evening where the easiest victory on the card was recorded by the newcomer PUNTA CANA in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m. Taken straight to the front by Randal Simons, Mike De Kock’s charge led throughout. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and with some in hand won by three and three quarters.
Three of the nine races were run over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was the bottom weight YANKEE CAPTAIN when winning the MR80 Handicap. As per usual in midfield early on, Sean Tarry’s charge put his head in front going through the 200m and just held on by the narrowest of margins from his lessor fancied stable companion HAWAIIAN SUN (came from the rear).
The faster of the two 1000m races was the MR64 Handicap in which the Argonaut mare PIED PIPERESS registered her third career victory. She got away well when the gates opened and was always handy. She was ridden to lead approaching the 100m pole and won going away by a length and a half from the regular place getter LADY ON FIRE.
Titbits
Returning from a six month layoff here, and out at the weights with a few to boot, CAPTAIN’S CAUSEWAY ran on well at the business end of the race when making it four wins from just seven starts in the pinnacle stakes over 1160m.
Changing Tactices
Greyville 14th December
They raced on both surfaces on Wednesday afternoon where the only distance to stage more than one race was 1600m on the turf. AIR CHIEF MARSHAL won the fastest of these when taking his tally of wins to four in the MR72 Handicap. Soon up handy, Candice Bass-Robinson’s charge ran on strongly in the straight and comfortably accounted for the running on FIRST APOSTLE by two.
A MR89 Handicap (turf) over the same distance topped the bill and in a time 0,45 seconds slower than that of Air Chief Marshal, CAPEL TOP landed the spoils. Always handy, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge was perfectly placed to strike throughout. The 8yo top weight SILVER SPRING (also raced handy) was the first to make a move in the straight, and after striking the front 400m out, he kept on determinedly. Indeed, it was only close home that the 6yo got his measure.
The Silvano gelding CALABASH was all the rage to win the lucky last, a maiden plate over 2400m (turf), and he didn’t let down his supporters. Seen running on strongly from off the pace in recent starts, Gareth Van Zyl’s charge was soon up handy here. He took command early in the straight and went on to score with authority by five from the staying on ROY’S FLYER.
Titbits
After being a little slow into stride, SWEET REFRAIN ran on well from the rear when a two length runner up in the qualified maiden plate over 1600m.
Just A Shadow
Turffontein 15th December
This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place on the Vaal’s outside track. The two 1200m events were switched to 1160m and quickest home in these was the Sean Tarry trained MOMBELA. On leaving the stalls it was WINTER AL who elected to make the running and the lightly weighted Captain Al mare soon had the field well strung out. Mombela meanwhile lost a length at the start and very quickly found himself positioned in the rear. Once given rein though, the son of Trippi quickened best of all and won well by two from his stable companion RIBOVAR who also came from the rear.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1000m where the quickest home was the 4yo DOLPHIN. Sent off favourite at 18/10 to the win the MR72 Handicap, Robbie Sage’s charge adopted a change of tactics under Piere Strydom here and made the running. He kept up a healthy gallop throughout and won well by three quarters from the easy to back top weight MOVIE SHOW.
They also ran three races over 1600m and in the fastest of these, a MR70 Handicap, it was nice to see the once highly regarded SHADOW LINE find the winner’s enclosure. Racing off a mark some 20 points lower than his last victory, the 7yo Toreador gelding was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and kept on strongly in the latter stages to fend off a determined challenge from the recent maiden winner SMARTIFACT.
Titbits
After making the running by just a length, OUTLANDER cruised clear over the final 400m of the maiden juvenile plate over 1000m to score by eight.
An easy winner in the maiden ranks in his only previous racecourse appearance, the 3yo Silvano colt AL SAHEM won the MR86 Handicap going away by two and three quarters.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Varonella 15
Race 2: (1) Lessflashmorecash 6
Race 3: (8) Shady World 45
Race 4: (11) Miss Zenobia 14
Race 5: (7) One Love 55
Race 6: (8) Talca 44
Race 7: (11) Just Lucky 64
Race 8: (1) Dream To Reality 38
Race 9: (10) Supa-U 43
Race 10: (11) Zama 46 (EW)
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Brave Knight 15 (NAP*)
Race 2: (1) Damali 15
Race 3: (2) Captain Ellio 47
Race 4: (9) Roman Society 47
Race 5: (3) Brave And Bold 46
Race 6: (7) Breakfast Club 50
Race 7: (5) Nina Katrina 56
Race 8: (6) Roy’s Pony 15
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: No Qualifiers
Race 2: (10) Lady Diddeo 22
Race 3: (4) Dance At Dawn 14
Race 4: (2) Come On Inn 14
Race 5: (6) Whose That Girl 61
Race 6: (10) Show Stealer 51
Race 7: (3) Tar Heel 96
Race 8: (7) Myfunnyvalentine 78
Race 9: (13) In The Jungle 41
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (3) Tandana 20
Race 2: No Qualfiers
Race 3: (3) Barbarella Nights 21
Race 4: (10) Raasmaal 27 (NAP**)
Race 5: (3) Evening Breeze 61
Race 6: (7) Unagi 87
Race 7: (5) Wukkin’Up 75
Race 8: (5) Arpad 47
Greyville (mon)
Race 1: (12) Roy’s Snowdrops 20
Race 2: (1) Royal Regatta 20
Race 3: (2) Inala 38
Race 4: (12) Sky Arrow 50
Race 5: (3) Qatar Springs 74
Race 6: (1) Night Trip 92 (NAP**)
Race 7: (7) Lunar Approach 94
Race 8: (7) Bold Reign 21 (nb)
Top rated winners last week included
Vogue’s Wood won 9/2
Steal A March won 4/1
Respect At Bay won 7/2
Viking Voyage won 28/10
Kanara won 15/10
Jay Jay’s Girl won 13/10
Al Sahem won 1/1
Rand Hedge won 3/4
Notebook:-
Al Sahem (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Captain’s Causeway (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Love To Boogie (A Nel, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 11th December
Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant 1,63s slow
800m (1) Trini’s Var Hyt 46,37
1000m (1) Variscite 59.28
1200m (2) Monte Christo 70,21
1400m (2) Wild Wicket 87,07*
1600m (1) Magical Bet 99,28
1950m (1) Mr Winsome 124,07
Kenilworth (new) 13th December
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,27s slow
1200m (2) Viking Voyage 72,90
1400m (2) Catkin 86,67
1600m (1) Big Bang Theory 100,87
1800m (1) Annigoni 113,64
2000m (1) Jack And Jill 130,30
2500m (1) Mambo Star 163,29
Turffontein (stand side) 13th December
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,01s slow
1000m (2) Pied Piperess 57,39
1160m (1) Captain’s Causeway 66,45
1400m (3) Yankee Captain 84,94
1600m (1) Rose Water 101.25
1800m (1) Patchit Up Baby 111,87
2450m (1) Vogue’s Wood 161,63
Greyville (mixed) 14th December
Going: Turf Good/Poly Standard
Course Variant: Turf 2,72s slow/Poly 1,96s slow
1000m (1) Toonani 59,78P
1200m (1) Andermatt 72,89P
1600m (1) Patroclus 98,02P
1600m (3) Air Chief Marshal 99,01T
1900m (1) Jay Jay’s Girl 118,59P
2400m (1) Calabash 153,47T
Turffontein (old) 15th December
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 0,09s slow
1000m (3) Dolphin 57,29
1160m (2) Mombela 67,32
1400m (1) Sun Sentinel 86,92
1600m (3) Shadow Line 99,71
