The RIGHT Time
Turffontein 16th November: They raced on the old stand side track on Friday evening where on my clock the fastest of the two 1800m events was not the bill topping Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes won by ZAMBUCCA. In a race run in a time 0,48 seconds slower than that of the MR92 Handicap won by WAGNER, Zambucca was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m marker and just held on by the narrowest of margins from ASTRO NEWS.
The race won by Wagner was the first leg of the international jockey’s challenge. South Africa’s captain Anton Marcus had the ride and they virtually made all. The son of Tiger Ridge was three lengths clear turning for home and although ENCHANTED KINGDOM ran on stoutly from off the pace, he still had a length and a half to spare at the wire.
Jockey Marcus was again on the mark in the listed Gardenia Handicap over 1000m when the Var filly VARIOMETER registered her fifth career victory. Usually one to race up with, or close to the speed, Louis Goosen’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride and raced in the rear early on. Once given rein though she soon began to make headway, and in what proved to be a real thriller she got up in the very last stride to deny the speedy LA VOLTA.
Titbits
Beaten by the narrowest of margins in the MR84 Handicap over 1160m, DUBAI DIZZY had to switch out for a clear passage whilst running on from the rear.
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He’s Alright
Kenilworth 17th November: The fastest of the three 1600m events in Cape Town on Saturday was the MR94 affair in which the once highly regarded M’LORDS THROAT registered his third career victory. More often than not seen racing up with or very close to the speed, the son of Silvano adopted a change of tactics in this small field of seven and guarded the rear. He ran on best of all down the short old course straight and after not finding the clearest of passages he got up in the very last stride to deny his fellow joint favourite GRASP YOUR DESTINY.
The Gr2 Betting World Merchants over 1200m topped the bill and in a time which was only marginally faster than that of the MR86 Handicap, victory here went to the ultra consistent front runner CAP ALRIGHT. With the exception of the second placed runner, Justin Snaith’s charge held a very cosy five lengths lead going through the 400m. As per usual he kept on determinedly at the business end of the race and although the favourite DEPARDIEU did make good headway late on, he still had a length and a quarter to spare at the wire.
The faster of the two 1000m events on the card was the Allowance Plate in which the visiting TORRA BAY landed the spoils. Another to lead from pillar to post, Dennis Drier’s charge kept on strongly from halfway and although both REFLECTIVE IMAGE and HAMMIE’S HOOKER were steadily gaining at the finish, he went on to score comfortably by a length.
Titbits
HEAVENLY FLIGHT didn’t find the clearest of passages when running on from the rear to take fifth position (beaten just 1,65 lengths) in the maiden 1400m.
SIMPLY UNCANNY ran on very well when coming from the back to win the girls division of the maiden 1400m.
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Easy Maiden Wins
Scottsville 17th November: A maiden event over 1000m got proceedings underway in Natal on Saturday and here we saw a nice performance from the lightly raced MR WHATEVER. Nibbled at on course into 9/1 from 12’s, Pat Lunn’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 400m and with the rest well beaten he comfortably accounted for the strongly fancied newcomer IRREBUTTABLE (14/10 favourite) by two.
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by the 3yo EDUCATED in the girls division of the maiden 1750m. Freely available at 14/1 on the off, the daughter of Black Minnaloushe was always positioned close to the pace. She quickened well at the top of the home straight and after striking the front 350m from home she easily accounted for the friendless LUNDY’S LASS (20/1 out to 33’s) by six.
Another to win well amongst the six maiden events on this card was BALSE in the boys 1750m. The strongly fancied SANFONEIRO made the running and staying on strongly over the final 400m, he had the remainder some five lengths adrift at the wire. Balse moved up smartly in the straight though, and went on to score with authority after hitting the front 150m out.
Titbits
Having only his second outing following a nine month layoff, AEGIS-FANG was running on at the finish when fourth in the maiden 1400m.
Recent maiden winner MOTOWN was finishing best of all when beaten less than half a length into fourth in the MR74 Handicap over 1400m.
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Smart 3yo’s
Clairwood 18th November: The faster of the two 1000m events at the garden course on Sunday was the pinnacle stakes in which GUANTANAMERA registered his fourth career victory. Soon up with the speed, Jeff Freedman’s charge raced prominent throughout. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and in what proved to be a real thriller he just held on from MIKE’S CHOICE. The runner up came from the rear and only failed to reach the winner by the narrowest of margins.
The afternoon’s feature event was the non-black type Guineas Trial and here we saw another smart performance from last season’s Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes third placed runner LOVE STRUCK. A very easy six length winner in graduation company last time out, Love Struck was always positioned close to the pace. He took up the running shortly after passing the 400m marker and comfortably accounted for WIND TRIP by a length and three quarters.
The final event on the card was a graduation plate over 1200m and here we saw another smart performance from the 3yo CONTADOR. On leaving the stalls it was last season’s Gr1 Allan Robertson runner up FRANNY (the favourite) who elected to make the running whilst Contador raced two lengths away in third. Having his first outing since that prestigious event back in May, Franny kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race and did have the rest comfortably beaten. The much fresher Contador quickened nicely from halfway though, and won well by two and a quarter after striking the front 300m from home.
Titbits
The aptly named newcomer SOUNDS POSITIVE finished strongly from midfield when runner up (beaten just a neck) in the maiden 1000m.
After taking some stoking up, SCOOP THE POOL ran on best of all when second in the maiden event over 2500m and was only beaten a neck.
Although never near enough to mount a challenge, WILD ONE ran on strongly from the rear when third in the Guineas Trial.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (8) Kardashian Diva 7 Race 2: (6) Paris Symphony 22 (EW) Race 3: (1) Platoon 18 Race 4: (6) Big Daddy 51 Race 5: (6) Nautica 47 Race 6: (5) South Dakota 44 Race 7: (5) Change Your Mind 30 Race 8: (10) Elegant Model 38 Race 9: (3) Ibiscus 35 Vaal (Tues) Race 1: (1) Ra 21 Race 2: (2) Rivulet 50 (NAP*) Race 3: (2) Maybe Baby 9 Race 4: (6) Margot On Stage 27 Race 5: (4) Midnight Serenade 83 Race 6: (5) Silver Specialist 88 Race 7: (8) Where’s My Chop 64 Race 8: (9) Slightly Blonde 53 Kenilworth Race 1: (3) Lifes Design 20 (nb) Race 2: (4) Heavenly Flight 19 Race 3: (7) In Full Flo 18 Race 4: (7) Blizzard Of Ozz 67 Race 5: (5) Super Elegant 91 Race 6: (1) Shades Of Indigo 75 Race 7: (1) Lord Fort Wood 50 Race 8: (16) Hamba Kahle 16 (NAP*) Scottsville Race 1: (2) Crumlin 12 Race 2: (9) Irrebuttable 26 (NAP*) Race 3: (4) French Filly 24 Race 4: (11) Ganesh 26 Race 5: (2) Overberry 40 Race 6: (1) Dadewethu 58 Race 7: (1) Taste Of Honey 34 Race 8: (7) Drum Score 52 Vaal (Thur) Race 1: (14) Where Eagles Dare 19 Race 2: (5) Flight Of Eagles 17 Race 3: (2) Hold On 8 Race 4: (4) Antigua 19 Race 5: (4) Americano 70 Race 6: (7) Senator 45 Race 7: (11) Any Flag 56 Race 8: (6) Wollondilly 58 .
Top rated winners last week included
Lunar Lee won 10/1 Double Date won 5/1 Flyfirstclass won 4/1 Contador won 22/10 Run West won 22/10 Stamford Bridge won 22/10 Love Struck won 15/10 Michelle My Belle won 13/10 .Notebook:-
Contador (C Laird, KZN) Depardieu (D Kannemeyer, W-Cape) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherTurffontein (stand side) 16th November Penetrometer 22 Going – Good 1000m (1) Variometer 56,72 1160m (2) Desert Sheik 66,71 1400m (1) Tally Blue 85,21 1600m (1) Exceptional 99,15 1800m (2) Wagner 108,34 .
Kenilworth (old) 17th November Penetrometer 21 Going – Good 1000m (2) Torra Bay 59,01 1200m (2) Cap Alright 72,09 1400m (2) On The Road 87,59 1600m (3) M’lords Throat 97,61 .
Scottsville (new) 17th November Penetrometer 24 Going – Good To Soft 1000m (2) Mr Whatever 58,58 1200m (1) Michelle My Belle 71,89 1400m (3) Polar Royale 86,97 1600m (1) In Broad Daylight 100,80 1750m (2) Educated 111,31 .
Clairwood 18th November Penetrometer 26 Going – Good to Soft 1000m (2) Guantanamera 57,07 1200m (2) Contador 69,70 1450m (1) Put The Kettle On 87,06 1600m (3) Silver Age 95,49 2000m (1) Posh Boy 124,17 2500m (1) Copper Bay 159,80
