Switched To The Poly
Fairview 5th December: This meeting was originally scheduled to take place on the turf track. A maiden plate over 1000m got proceedings underway on the poly track on Friday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the second favourite DREAMY FOREST. Making only his third racecourse appearance here, Gavin Smith’s charge led throughout. He kept on strongly in the short home straight and won well by a length and a quarter.
There were three races run over 1000m in total and the fastest of these was the non-black type GLENDORE SPRINT won by the 5yo INSEARCHOFTHESUN. Nicely positioned in third for most of the journey, Stephen Van Rensburg’s charge took up the running going through the 100m, and just had enough in hand to beat the running on BLACKMALKIN by a neck.
The faster of the two 1400m events was the MR80 Handicap in which the son of Go Deputy, GOGETTHESHERIFF recorded his fourth career victory from just twelve starts. Confidently ridden by Teague Gould, Gogetthesheriff raced in midfield for most of the trip. Once in straight though he quickened best of all and won going away by two after striking the front 170m or so from home.
There was also two races run over 1800m and fastest against the clock here was TIGER PLAY. Freely available at 16/1 on the off the rank outsider of the seven horse party made all. He held a length and a quarter advantage turning for home, and that proved to be just enough to beat the much more fancied SPECK OF LIGHT by a short head.
Titbits
SPIAGGIA made it two from two since relocating from Gauteng when comfortably accounting for the Western Cape raider THREE BLUE CRANES (5/2fav) in the novice plate over 1000m.
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More Poly
Greyville 5th December: Four of the nine races at the poly track on Friday evening were run over 1200m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was HARRY PEPPA. Allowed to drift right out to 6/1 from 7/2 at the track, Doug Campbell’s charge raced second in a very tightly bunched field. He took up the running as they approached the 300m marker and went on to win comfortably by two and a quarter from the running on ROYAL ROY (dwelt start – raced midfield).
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by DRAVIDIAN when winning the only race over 1000m, a novice plate. Just five went to post and soon positioned in second the 5/2 second favourite was always poised to strike. He did so passing the 400m marker and always in control thereafter went on to score very cosily by three and a quarter.
The faster of the two 1400m events was the MR77 Handicap won by SAMHAAN. On leaving the stalls it was CHILL (reported lame on the off fore) who elected to make the running whilst Mike De Kock’s charge was content to sit a few lengths off the pace in sixth. He ran on well down the short home straight and won going away by three quarters after striking the front close home.
Titbits
In what proved to be a very false paced affair the 9/20 favourite TRICK only got going very late and did well to get up to share the maiden event over 1200m with INVECTA in the very last stride.
ROYALSECURITYBABY ran on well from midfield when getting up late to win the MR66 affair over 1200m.
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Back In Business
Turffontein 6th December: Gauteng’s first 2yo race of the season took place at Turffontein on Saturday and here we saw a nice performance from the aptly named SPEEDY SUZY. Sent off second favourite at 5/2, Corne Spies’ charge was soon at the head of affairs. She ran on strongly in this 800m scurry and only having to be pushed out at the business end of the race, won very comfortably by two and a quarter.
It was nice to see the hard working Sherman Brown back in action in South Africa on Saturday and his first ride (a pick up ride) was a winning one aboard the well tried maiden WILHELMINA. As per usual sluggish into stride, the daughter of Spanish Harlem raced in the rear of this 1400m maiden plate early on. She quickened in her normal style when asked for an effort and lucky enough to have met a very moderate bunch, she got up late to score by three quarters.
There were three races run over 1400m in total and the fastest of these was the conditions plate won by TIGER’S RETREAT. Having his third start following a ten month layoff here, the 6yo Tiger Ridge gelding raced second of the five for the first half of the race. He put his head in front going through the 600m and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the always chasing NATIONAL KEY by a length and a half.
The listed Secretariat Stakes for 3yo’s over 1400m topped the bill and in a time 0,37 seconds (approximately 2 lengths) slower than that of Tiger’s Retreat, the Mike De Kock trained MITRAAD registered his second career victory from just three starts. He was always handy and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up very late to deny the much improved PRINCE OF ORANGE (raced 4th – led 600m). KARRAAR, the lesser fancied of Mike’s three runners in this race, caught the eye running on very nicely from the rear late on to finish 6th (beaten just 2,5 lengths).
Titbits
The 18/10 favourite TEE JAY AR ran on very well from the backend of midfield when winning the novice plate over 1160m going away by two and three quarters.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (mon)
Race 1: (1) Rocket Rider 12 (nb)
Race 2: (7) Seattle Lass 17
Race 3: (7) Lucky Lear 57
Race 4: (4) Foam Party 36
Race 5: (10) Sanfoneiro 66
Race 6: (12) Rashaad 57
Race 7: (3) Clifton Surf 49 (NAP*)
Race 8: (14) Sister Sybil 39
Flamingo Park (mon)
Race 1: (1) Supreme Leader 26
Race 2: (1) Triumvirate 18
Race 3: (1) Dixie Rebel 14
Race 4: (4) Alberts Gem 22
Race 5: (1) Hermanus 40
Race 6: (5) Kalidar 39
Race 7: (3) Jet For Joy 27
Race 8: (3) Malkia 31
Race 9: (5) King Olaf 45
Scottsville (tues)
Race 1: (5) Silver Kavalier 6
Race 2: (14) Seattle Light 24
Race 3: (1) Princess Stephanie 10
Race 4: (3) Salander 26
Race 5: (1) Your Worship 28
Race 6: (6) Roc ‘n Rose 71
Race 7: (1) Cotswold 56
Race 8: (1) Royal Zulu Warrior 86
Race 9: (6) Blaze The Trail 52
Race 10: (5) Open Heir 12 (NAP*)
Turffontein (tues)
Race 1: (9) Miracle Rising 6
Race 2: (1) Sharp Design 91
Race 3: (2) Battle In Seattle 17
Race 4: (13) Tripp Force 29 (NAP*)
Race 5: (9) Winter Darling 60
Race 6: (8) The Centenary 64
Race 7: (10) Ntombe 88
Race 8: (15) Mr Mulliner 83
Race 9: (1) La Digue 16
Kenilworth (wed)
Race 1: (3) Sail For Gold 24 (NAP*)
Race 2: (10) Lady Of The Rocks 8
Race 3: (1) Nebra 21
Race 4: (6) Evoke Emotion 18
Race 5: (7) Aromatics 49
Race 6: (1) Castlethorpe 88
Race 7: (2) Diva’s Daughter 64
Race 8: (7) Turnstone 60
Race 9: (7) Sidecar 51
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (4) C’est Chique 12
Race 2: (2) Heywot 14
Race 3: (3) Dance And Destroy 29
Race 4: (1) Irish Grace 17
Race 5: (12) Windy Express 48
Race 6: (12) Eva Tibbs 43
Race 7: (9) Mistaken Identity 54
Race 8: (7) Inventive Girl 43
Race 9: (1) Turbo Tom 48
Race 10: (3) Pyramus 29
Race 11: (9) Gold Bank 44
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Top rated winners last week included
Preamble won 10/1
Chillingham won 8/1
Invecta d/h 7/1
Royalsecuritypower won 5/2
Highway Explorer won 18/10
Tee Jay Ar won 18/10
Mogokity won 16/10
Queen’s Jet won 16/10
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Notebook:-
Karraar (M De Kock, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (poly) 5th December
Going Standard
1000m (3) Insearchofthesun 57,69
1200m (2) Serene Response 70,53
1400m (2) Gogetthesheriff 82,70
1800m (2) Tiger Play 108,80
Greyville (poly) 5th December
Going Standard
1000m (1) Dravidian 57,64
1200m (4) Harry Peppa 70,50
1400m (2) Samhaan 82,87
1600m (2) Nisa’s Love 97,01
Turffontein (old) 6th December
Penetrometer
800m (1) Speedy Suzy 45,49
1000m (1) Cannes 58,22
1160m (2) Mistaken Identity 67,59
1400m (3) Tiger’s Retreat 84,99
2000m (2) Miss Rambo 122,91
