Pillar To Post
Fairview 1st May: A maiden plate over 1200m was first up at Friday’s poly track meeting and here victory went to the deposed favourite EXCLUDED. Allowed to drift out to 7/2 from 18/10 at the track as money in the main came for CAPTAIN BROADHURST (7/2 into 5/2), Gavin Smith’s charge raced sixth during the early part of the race. He quickened well at the top of the short home straight and got up late to deny the friendless DRACO.
Two of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1300m and the fastest of these was the MR85 Handicap won by FACINATING FILLY. Nibbled at on course to go off second favourite at 3/1, the 4yo daughter of Antonius Pius was soon up handy. She put her head in front going through the 100m and comfortably accounted for the running on DISTILLER by two and a quarter. Running on best of all in this race was ARABICA who finished fourth.
The MR64 Handicap was the quicker of the two 1800m events and registering his fifth career victory here was KING OF THE CASTLE. Yvette Bremner’s charge broke well when the gates opened and was soon in command of a two length lead. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and didn’t relinquish and an inch of his advantage.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by DIESEL ENGINE in the MR70 affair over 1600m. Another to lead from pillar to post, the Casey Tibbs gelding won without any anxious moments by two and three quarters.
Titbits
Easy to back DEEPO came from the rear when winning the MR72 Handicap over 2200m going away.
Nibbled at into 14/1 from 25’s, SAINT ANGELIQUE ran on well from the backend of midfield when winning the MR68 Handicap over 1300m.
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Drill Hall Machine
Greyville 2nd May: Two of the four races that took place on the poly track on Saturday afternoon were run over 1900m and quickest home amongst these was WARCRAFT in the MR78 Handicap. Soon in his usual position at the head of affairs, the top weight led throughout. He kept on strongly over the final 400m and although the uneasy favourite MASTER JAMES was very steadily gaining, he still had three quarters of a length to spare at the wire.
The best of the racing took place on the turf where there were three Gr2 races. The KRA Fillies Guineas was first up and here a bit of an upset was to be had when ALEXIS landed the spoils. On leaving the stalls it was the friendless ATAAB who elected to make the running whilst Brett Crawford’s charge raced close up in fifth. She took up the running as they approached the 200m marker and won well from the running on joint favourite INARA (22/10 out to 3/1) by two.
The Gr2 KRA Guineas was next up and in a time 1,39 seconds faster than that of Alexis, THE CONGLOMERATE showed good improvement. Allowed to ease out to 7/1 from 4/1 at the track, Joey Ramsden’s charge was always handy. He quickened well at the top of the straight and comfortably accounted for the 20/1 shot MAC DE LAGO by two.
The Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m is always a very interesting affair and here we saw a smart performance from the 6yo Silvano gelding ICE MACHINE. Never the quickest into stride, Charley Laird’s charge raced in the backend of midfield during the early part of the race. Once given rein though he quickened best of all, and won going away by three after striking the front 160m from home.
Titbits
Positioned at the back turning for home SEEK THE SUMMIT only failed by a neck to land the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1400m.
BULLETEER and LET IT RIP both ran on well from off the pace when 1st & 2nd respectively in the maiden plate over 1600m.
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Work Rider’s Day
Turffontein 2nd May: All eight races on the old stand side track on Saturday afternoon were for work riders. Two maiden plates over 1160m were first up and the fastest of these was the boy’s division won by HOT AUGUST. Having only his second career outing here, the 18/10 favourite was soon very nicely positioned in second. He put his head in front approaching the 200m pole and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by four and a quarter.
There were a number of easy victories on the card, but none more so than that of RASCALITY when opening her account in the girl’s division of the maiden 2000m. Taken straight to the front by Lyle Hewitson, the uneasy favourite (7/10 out to 15/10) led throughout. She was always in command and won with her rider having been looking around for challenges from the 300m marker very easily by five and a half.
The lucky last was a maiden plate over 1600m and here the locals were sent home happy when the favourite SILVER MATADOR landed the spoils. The field was very strung out for most of the journey and positioned eleventh of the sixteen Weiho Marwing’s charge had many lengths to make up on the leaders turning for home. Once in the long home straight though, the son of Toreador quickly began to make headway and under a well-judged ride from Samuel Mosia he got up late to beat GYPSY’S INN going away.
Titbits
PERFECT GRACE ran on well from midfield when winning the maiden plate over 2000m going away.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park (mon)
Race 1: (6) Red Lunar 8
Race 2: (1) War Declaration 12
Race 3: (1) Lady Liberty 18 (NAP*)
Race 4: (1) Run For Wally 27
Race 5: (3) Jaguar 31
Race 6: (3) Davyana 40
Race 7: (3) Over Achiever 37
Race 8: (2) The Queen 48
Race 9: (3) Up And Running 43
Kenilworth (tues)
Race 1: (12) Northern Corner 20
Race 2: (7) Nordic Wind 19
Race 3: (3) Last Tiger 17 (NAP*)
Race 4: (7) Exclusive Knight 12
Race 5: (8) Ovidio 45
Race 6: (8) Lift Off 59
Race 7: (8) Weekend Temper 49
Race 8: (1) Smiling Mistress 38
Scottsville (wed)
Race 1: (1) Bank It 5
Race 2: (8) Almashooqa 26
Race 3: (5) Persian Rug 13
Race 4: (1) Flying Luxmi 24
Race 5: (1) The Tripster 44 (nb)
Race 6: (1) Choir Maiden 72 (EW)
Race 7: (8) Trix Of The Trade 47
Race 8: (15) Special Encounter 19 (NAP*)
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (16) Khalette 8
Race 2: (8) Malak El Moolook 5
Race 3: (6) Easy Street 13
Race 4: (4) Mississippi Rising 19
Race 5: (1) Devious Tiger 42
Race 6: (10) Tycoon Touch 46
Race 7: (2) Light The Way 69
Race 8: (8) Kwinta 70 (NAP*)
Race 9: (2) Rake’s Chestnut 78
Race 10: (17) Lord Windsor 48
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Top rated winners last week included
Wandie’s won 10/1
Silver Matador won 33/10
Night In Seattle won 19/10
Rascality won 15/10
Escape Route won 1/1
Pacifica won 17/20
Quebiango won 7/10
Struben won 1/3
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Notebook:-
Ice Machine (C Laird, KZN)
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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) 1st May
Going Standard
1200m (1) Excluded 70,98
1300m (2) Facinating Filly 75,17
1600m (1) Diesel Engine 95,35
1800m (2) King Of The Castle 109,47
1900m (1) Fairyinthewind 118,18
2200m (1) Deepo 137,04
Greyville (turf/poly) 2nd May
Turf Good – Poly Standard
1400m (3) Ice Machine 83,05T
1600m (2) The Conglomerate 95,38T
1600m (1) Bulleteer 97,59P
1900m (2) Warcraft 115,01P
2000m (1) Semra 122,30P
Turffontein (old) 2nd May
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1160m (2) Hot August 67,30
1400m (1) Cherry Breeze 85,22
1600m (1) Silver Matador 97,77
1800m (2) Aqua Blue 110,10
2000m (2) Perfect Grace 124,12
