Powerful Rocket
Scottsville 5th August: Three of the nine races in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday were staged over 1400m and in what proved to be the fastest of these, the MR72 Handicap, the former Cape Town campaigner WORLD MISSION registered his second career victory. Content to sit eighth of the eleven early on, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge ran on best of all at the business end of the race and under a well-judged ride from Keagan De Melo he got up late to deny the always handy AFRICAN PHAROAH (led 250m).
The MR72 Handicap was by far the faster of the two 1000m races on the card and here we saw a comfortable victory for the 6yo RONNIE ROCKET. The top weight got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy was always poised to strike. He did so 200m out and won well by a length from the running on BONNIE DAWN. The runner up came from the rear after losing two lengths at the start.
A MR80 Handicap over 1200m topped the bill and in what proved to be a real thriller, the Just As Well mare JUST VOGUE found the winner’s enclosure for the fifth time. Another to race handy, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge kept on determinedly at the business end of the race and in a three way finish she got the verdict on the nod.
Titbits
The 4yo PUMPKIN QUEEN ran on well from the rear when only beaten half a length in the MR77 Handicap over 1750m.
Searching For Success
Fairview 6th August: The Alan Greeff trained SEARCHING was the best bet on the card for many in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday and although she cut it fine, she did nonetheless do the business. Thrown in at the weights in this novice plate over 1600m, the daughter of Jay Peg raced fourth in a very strung out field for most of the journey. She quickened well at the top of the short poly track home straight and did well to reel in FAKE NEWS in the very last stride.
A maiden plate over 1300m had opened up affairs and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the strongly fancied TASUNKE. Soon up handy, the 47/20 joint favourite took up the running 150m out and won going away by two and three quarters.
A pinnacle stakes over 1400m topped the bill and in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the two events over the distance, DAWNBREAKER landed the spoils. Priced up as the 4/1 favourite at the off, Gavin Smith’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front 300m out, and kept on strongly in the latter stages of the race to beat the running on AFRIKABURN by three quarters.
Titbits
Racing off a mark some 15 points lower than that of her earlier best, the Pathfork mare CORKER ran on strongly from midfield when winning the MR60 Handicap over 1400m going away.
Speedy Nawaasi
Vaal 7th August: Tuesday’s action took place on the outside track where four of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1600m. The MR68 apprentice handicap was the fastest of these and here the lightly raced 4yo COME THE DAY registered his second career victory. Freely available at 15/1 on the off, the son of Await The Dawn was always in touch with the leaders. He assumed command 200m out, and with the rest well beaten, he comfortably accounted for the running on SOVEREIGN REIGN by three quarters.
The afternoon’s feature event was a conditions plate over 1000m and in what proved to be the fastest of the three races over the distance, SINGING IN SEATTLE caused a bit of an upset. Initially priced up at 15/1 in the six runner event, Dorrie Sham’s charge raced fourth for the first half of the race. Just a length and a quarter covered the first five going through the 400m, and finishing best of all she got the verdict by three quarters over the 5/4 favourite WINTER’S FORGE.
The two remaining races were both maiden events over 1200m and in by far the quicker of these (the girl’s affair) the 4yo Var filly NAWAASI opened her account. Having her first outing for the Chris Jonker stable here, Nawaasi was very quickly three and a half lengths clear. ELUSIVE CORAL did run on strongly to challenge below the distance, but with the rest some six lengths adrift she held on, despite finishing distressed, by a half.
Titbits
The best bet on the card for most, GUNSTON won the opening maiden plate over 1200m with authority by five and three quarters.
Keeping It Real
Greyville 8th August: They raced on the poly track on Wednesday afternoon where victory in the faster of the two maiden plates for 3yo’s over 1200m that opened up proceedings went to the 21/20 favourite KEEP IT REAL. Soon up handy despite being a little slow into stride, the daughter of Kildonan struck the front 150m out and won going away by three quarters.
A MR90 Handicap topped the bill and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1400m events, the favourite CAPTAIN COURTEOUS did the business. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, the 6yo son of Captain Al raced sixth of the eight for most of the journey. He quickened best of all in the short home straight and comfortably accounted for the determined ROYAL ARMOUR by a length.
They also ran two races over 1600m and quickest home here was the aptly named WHAT A SCORCHER in the MR64 Handicap. Easy to back at 9/1 on the off, Jeff Freedman’s charge quickly overcame a wide draw to raced second. He struck the front at the top of the home straight and won going away by three and three quarters.
Titbits
The newcomer CANADIAN BOLT ran on strongly below the distance when only beaten a quarter of a length in the opening maiden event for 3yo’s over 1200m.
Foiled By The Pace
Turffontein 9th August: The only sprint race to take place on the old stand side track on Thursday was the opening 1000m maiden plate for the girls won by the friendless HEAR THE TRUMPET. Freely available at 28/1 on the off despite being ridden by S’manga Khumalo, the daughter of Var led throughout. She raced a length and a half clear for the first half of the race before more than doubling her advantage over the final 500m.
In terms of prize money the MR94 Handicap over 1450m topped the bill and in what proved to be the slower of the two events over the distance, victory went to the well-handicapped High Chaparral mare BEING FABULOUS. Another to make virtually all, Being Fabulous was always clear and kept on strongly over the final 400m to beat the running on STRAWBERRY PAVLOVA by a length and a quarter.
Looking to complete a hat-trick, LORD SILVERIO was all the rage to win the MR90 Handicap over 1800m, but in what proved to be a very false paced affair, he had to settle for second. Run in a time some 2,68 seconds slower (approximately 14 lengths) than that of the MR67 Handicap, there was no pace at all early on. Lord Silverio (jockey dropped rein 150m) was closing in quite quickly below the distance, but the front running SECRET CAPTAIN did still have 0,35 lengths to spare at the wire.
Titbits
Sporting blinkers for the first time, the formless EMILY HOBHOUSE finished best of all when opening her account in the maiden plate over 2000m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (7) Press Release 15
Race 2: (4) Story Of My Life 63
Race 3: (8) Titus 39
Race 4: (8) Wahi 3
Race 5: (6) Western Wu 70
Race 6: (8) Excellent 60
Race 7: (11) Apoc 45
Race 8: (9) Bullion Babe 43
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (12) Rescue 11
Race 2: (6) Shadow Queen 14
Race 3: (1) Affranchi 31
Race 4: (7) Frankly 25
Race 5: (10) Splendid Garden 86 (EW)
Race 6: (11) Yer-Maan 44
Race 7: (7) Rain Shadow 59
Race 8: (6) Excalibur’s Return 49
Race 9: (12) Humble Addict 61
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (1) Seventh Sea 28
Race 2: (9) Juniper Spring 29
Race 3: (14) Run To Denmark 14 (NAP**)
Race 4: (1) Nordic Breeze 63
Race 5: (1) Hammie’s Fan 16
Race 6: (8) Hudoo Magic 16 (nb)
Race 7: (6) Parisian Gold 27
Race 8: (2) Magic Mary 40
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (1) The Grey Crusader 17
Race 2: (14) La Valette 10
Race 3: (12) White Lightning 8 (NAP*)
Race 4: (4) French Legend 39
Race 5: (1) Macduff 68
Race 6: (8) Los Barbados 50
Race 7: (7) Rio De La Plata 58
Race 8: (5) Star Evolution 47
Top rated winners last week included
Being Fabulous won 10/1
Last Chirp won 71/10
Tuulikki won 27/4
Call Me Winter won 6/1
Secret Captain won 5/1
Ronnie Rocket won 71/20
Fair Antonia won 26/10
Gunston won 17/10
Notebook:-
Canadian Bolt (RA Hill/SR Hill, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 5th August
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,05s slow (straight)
1000m (2) Ronnie Rocket 56,40
1200m (1) Just Vogue 68,64
1400m (3) World Mission 83,30
1600m (1) Shadow Hunter 97,78
1750m (1) Komeshans Flight 107,06
1950m (1) Bangkok 121,53
Fairview (poly) 6th August
Going Standard
1100m (1) Butterfly Spirit 64,45
1300m (2) Scribo 76,05
1400m (2) Dawnbreaker 81,79
1600m (2) Searching 96,29
1900m (1) Oasis Queen 116,41
Vaal (outside) 7th August
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,18s slow
1000m (3) Singing In Seattle 58,12
1200m (2) Nawaasi 70,82
1600m (4) Come The Day 96,78
Greyville (poly) 8th August
Going Standard
1000m (1) Fair Antonia 58,02
1200m (2) Keep It Real 70,90
1400m (2) Captain Courteous 83,00
1600m (2) What A Scorcher 96,03*
2000m (1) Bold Beauty 126,20
Turffontein (inner) 9th August
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (1) Hear The Trumpet 59,82
1450m (2) Lily Starlette 88,91
1600m (1) Shogun 98,90
1800m (2) Goede Hoop 113,47
2000m (2) Mambo Model 129,42
2600m (1) Kamakura 171,52
