Hat-trick of Cup Wins
Fairview 8th July: The Gr3 Champion Juvenile Cup over 1400m topped the bill in Port Elizabeth on Friday and here victory went to the favourite O TAMARA. Confidently ridden by Aldo Domeyer, the daughter of Argonaut raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She quickened well down the long home straight, and cruised clear to score by three and a quarter after striking the front 200m from home.
There were three races run over 1400m in total and the fastest of these was the MR91 Handicap won by the 3yo CRUZCAMPO. Rewarded for consistency here, Yvette Bremner’s charge also came from off the pace. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and got up in the dying strides to deny the 66/1 shot STORMY RIDGE.
The supporting act was South Africa’s longest horse race, the PE Gold Cup over 3600m, and finding the winner’s enclosure for the third time in the event was CROWN OF GOLD. Joint best in at the weights with his stable companion DRILL SARGEANT, the Silvano gelding raced in the rear for the majority of the race. Once in the home straight though he quickly made his way to the front, and cruised clear over the final 500m to score by five and three quarters.
The faster of the two 1200m races on the card was the MR74 Handicap won by IN FULL REGALIA. Nibbled at on course into 7/1 from 10’s, Alan Greeff’s charge led throughout. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and just had enough in hand to beat the running on ARMORIAL by a neck.
Titbits
Positioned in the rear turning for home, SILVER IMAGE drew clear easily after striking the front 100m from home when winning the MR74 Handicap over 1800m.
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Unbeaten In Two
Turffontein 9th July: They raced on the old stand side track on Saturday where there was a major upset in the opening workrider’s maiden plate when VARGO got off the mark. Freely available at 30/1 on the off, the daughter of Var was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and comfortably accounted for the favourite AMBER FLASH by two and a quarter.
Race Three on the card was a juvenile plate for the boys and here we saw another smart performance from the grey son of Snitzel HEAVELY BLUE. Sent off a strong favourite at even money, Mike De Kock’s charge was always handy. He was asked to take up the running as they approached the 200m marker and won going away by 3,6 from the always handy LOTUS ELAN. Heavenly Blue has now won both starts in very good style.
The faster of the two 1160m events on the nine race program was the MR78 Handicap won by the 3yo HILILYHILILYHILO. Clinton Binda’s charge got away well when the gates opened and raced up with the speed throughout. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the running on BARBEL RUN by three quarters.
The highest rated runners on the card contested the pinnacle stakes over 1600m where victory went to the top weight JUDICIAL. Allowed to ease out to 9/2 from 33/10 at the track, the son of Miesque’s Approval surprisingly raced handy. Despite that though, he didn’t find the clearest of passages when the race began in earnest, and finishing best of all he only put his head in front close home.
Titbits
SAFE HARBOUR won the girl’s division of the juvenile plate over 1400m going away with some in hand.
The newcomer DEALER’S CHARM came from the rear when flying up late to beat the well exposed JUST A GIGOLO going away.
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Self-Replicating
Kenilworth 9th July: A MR92 Handicap topped the bill in Cape Town on Saturday and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1800m events on the card PRINCE OF WALES registered his third career victory. On leaving the stalls it was the rank outsider of the seven horse party CIGAR BOY who elected to make the running whilst Mike Bass’s charge sat fourth. He quickened well at the top of the short old course home straight and with the rest well beaten he fended off a determined challenge from WAITING FOR RAIN by a neck.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1600m and quickest against the clock in these was GYRE in the maiden plate. Sent off second in the betting market at 7/2, the Windrush gelding raced sixth during the early part of the race. He ran on strongly in the straight and with the rest some six lengths adrift, he comfortably accounted for the front running ROCKET MASTER by a length and three quarters.
The faster of the two 1200m races on the card was the MR89 Handicap won by the 3yo daughter of Querari QUINE. An eye catching winner of her only previous racecourse appearance, Andre Nel’s charge raced much closer to the pace than she had done on debut. She ran on strongly over the final 300m and won well by a length from ALIYSA’S PRIZE.
Titbits
PURE LOGIC was baulked for a run 400m out before running on strongly to finish fourth in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1600m.
The Galileo mare GIFT OF RAIN was eased down late when winning the MR70 Handicap over 1800m very easily by two and three quarters.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park (mon)
Race 1: (5) Nebra 39
Race 2: (9) Trevi Fountain 19
Race 3: (8) Inca Silver 42
Race 4: (3) Superficial 4
Race 5: (6) Quantity 36
Race 6: (8) Master Archer 65 (nb)
Race 7: (6) Rozenna 45 (NAP*)
Race 8: (1) Harmston Herald 53
Race 9: (6) Harrison 51
Race 10: (4) Uproar 19
Vaal (tues)
Race 1: (9) Shah’s Storm 13
Race 2: (3) Nasmyth 19
Race 3: (6) Woody Cape 8
Race 4: (5) Savage Wind 74
Race 5: (6) Racing Socks 47
Race 6: (9) Queen Delta 39
Race 7: (8) Lavender Girl 34
Race 8: (1) Noah’s Ark 34
Greyvillle (wed)
Race 1: (1) Escovich 27
Race 2: (2) Trinity Hall 18
Race 3: (1) Enlightenment 18
Race 4: (4) Black Flower 17
Race 5: (7) Dynamic Force 48
Race 6: (11) Thaler Point 47
Race 7: (12) Texas Cowboy 41
Race 8: (12) Airtime 39
Race 9: (4) Mr Mcsteamy 46 (NAP**)
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (2) Seattle Surprise 5
Race 2: (7) Urgent Fury 63
Race 3: (6) Tennessee Red 21 (NAP*)
Race 4: (1) Time To Be Great 20
Race 5: (5) Just Africa 61
Race 6: (2) Save The Day 49
Race 7: (9) Woody Glow 41
Race 8: (16) Summit 45
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Top rated winners last week included
Keep On Flying won 7/1
Rozenna won 11/2
Sign Your Name won 7/2
O Tamara won 3/1
Coby won 5/2
Baron Bellet won 2/1
Killala won 18/10
Captain Courteous won 3/10
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Notebook:-
Heavenly Blue (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Quine (A Nel, W-Cape)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (turf) 8th July
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
1000m (1) Killala 58,71
1200m (2) In Full Regalia 71,00
1400m (3) Cruzcampo 85,10
1600m (1) Gregor The Monk 99,23
1800m (1) Silver Image 111,82
3600m (1) Crown Of Gold 241,39
Turffontein (stand side) 9th July
Penetrometer 22 – Good
1000m (1) Vargo 57,63
1160m (2) Hilillyhilillyhilo 66,82
1400m (4) Safe Harbour 85,15*
1600m (1) Judicial 98,14
2450m (1) Coby 158,88
Kenilworth (old) 9th July
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
1200m (2) Quine 73,66
1400m (1) Treize 90,56
1600m (3) Gyre 101,27
1800m (2) Prince Of Wales 114,57
