Making A Note
Fairview 8th May: They raced on the poly track on Friday where the fastest of the three 1000m races was the MR88 Handicap won by the easy to back TOUR DE VAR. Allowed to drift right out to 9/1 from 4’s at the track, the lightly weighted son of Var was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front going through the 300m and comfortably accounted for the pacemaker BENEDICT by a length and three quarters.
The faster of the two 1300m races was the MR64 Handicap in which the 4yo I WILL BE registered his second career victory. Returning from a 10 week break here, the son of Albert Hall was always handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and with the rest well beaten he comfortably accounted for the 20/1 shot BLACK PLATINUM by two and a quarter.
There was also two races run over 1600m and fastest against the clock amongst these was ROSE AND CROWN in the MR60 Handicap. Sent off joint third in the betting market at 5/1, Yvette Bremner’s charge made all. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and just had enough in hand to hold off the well supported favourite LUCKY LEAR.
Titbits
Racing in open company in this just his second career outing, the 2yo MILKEN ran on well from midfield when runner up in the maiden plate over 1300m.
The Glen Kotzen trained RUNNING BACK won the maiden plate over 1600m going away by four and a quarter.
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Smart Start
Greyville 8th May: The action took place on both surfaces on Friday evening with the lion’s share being on the poly. Two maiden plates over 1400m on the poly opened up proceedings and quickest home in these was JAY AGAIN in the boy’s division. Sent off a strong favourite at 7/10, the son of Jay Peg raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened best of all at the top of the short home straight and won well after striking the front 120m or so from home.
Three of the other four races on the poly track were run over 1200m and the fastest of these was the maiden plate won by ROY’S SELVEN. Freely available at 7/1 on the off, Pat Lunn’s charge was drawn widest of the ten and as a result he raced in the rear early on. He ran on well when given rein and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up in the dying strides to deny WAR REQUIEM (led 200m).
The faster of the two MR70 Handicaps on turf was the first division won by BIG BIRD. Unfancied at 25/1, the stablemate to Roy’s Selven also came from off the pace. He struck the front 80m out and just held on from another unfancied runner in TOLD YOU SO by a short head.
Titbits
HAMELIN BAY ran on stoutly from towards the rear when getting up in the very last stride to win the MR70 Handicap over 2400m (turf).
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Eight Favs
Turffontein 9th May: Three of the nine races on the inner track on Saturday were run over 1000m and the fastest of these was the MR68 Handicap won by the aptly named EASY GAME. Sent off a rather uneasy favourite at 4/1 (op 3’s), the top weight led throughout. She kept on strongly over the final 400m and eased late she allowed the running on TALKTOTHESTARS (came from the rear), to get quite a bit closer (0,6 lengths) than she might have done.
There were also three races run over 1450m and quickest home amongst these was BE MINE TONIGHT in the MR85 Handicap. Soon at the head of affairs despite being poorly drawn, the daughter of Jet Master led for most of the journey. The friendless PRINCESS TANTAN struck the front 300m out and ran on strongly thereafter. Once headed though, Be Mine Tonight rallied gamely and after a thrilling tussle she got back up late to score by a neck. Third placed FIRE WHEEL (beaten 0,45) was finishing fastest of all in this race.
On a card where eight favourites (including one joint favourite) found the winner’s enclosure, the biggest winning margin was recorded by WANDIE’S when opening her account in the maiden 1450m. Always handy, Sean Tarry’s charge put her head in front shortly after passing the 300m marker and went on to win well from her running on stable companion BLACK LACE by three and a quarter. The runner up finished well from midfield.
Titbits
SILVER SCOOTER was always a couple of lengths clear when comfortably accounting for his seven rivals in the MR90 Handicap over 1600.
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Class Told
Kenilworth 9th May: A half of the eight races in Cape Town on Saturday were run over 1200m and recording the fastest time here was ZUBBADUBBADOO in the MR80 Handicap. On leaving the stalls it was the 6yo SHISHANGENI who elected to make the running whilst Brett Crawford’s 3yo sat sixth. He ran on stoutly from halfway and with the benefit of first run he got the better of PIGEON FLYER by three quarters.
Comfortably the faster of the two listed juvenile features over 1200m was the Somerset 1200 won by the second favourite TAR HEEL. In a race where the first three were three of the four runners that raced on the inside of the track, the son of Var was always handy. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and with the rest well beaten he comfortably accounted for WESTERN STORM by a length and three quarters.
There were a number of easy victories on the card, but none more so than that of LANNER FALCON when landing the conditions plate over 1000m. Although racing over a trip well short of her best, the daughter of Trippi was thrown in at the weights and class told. She cut through the field like a knife when the race began in earnest and won going away by three and three quarters.
Titbits
OUR ICON won the maiden plate over 1600m with authority by two and three quarters.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park (mon)
Race 1: (2) Imperial Party 8
Race 2: (1) Toughy Smith 5
Race 3: (7) Wine Master 39
Race 4: (5) Lets Party 16
Race 5: (2) Nisa’s Love 50
Race 6: (1) San Vicenzo 35
Race 7: (7) Hostile Takeover 29
Race 8: (2) Gypsy Fair 21
Race 9: (5) The Queen 48
Vaal (tues)
Race 1: (1) Sands Of Time 26 (NAP*)
Race 2: (9) Machismo 8
Race 3: (11) She’s A Dragon 7 (nb)
Race 4: (6) Bravo Maya 82
Race 5: (5) Dusk To Dawn 18
Race 6: (14) Platinum Jet 78
Race 7: (17) Victorinox 64
Race 8: (17) Windy Express 62
Race 9: (11) Kalahari Queen 5
Greyville (wed)
Race 1: (4) Lighting The Fire 6
Race 2: (4) Catherine Seventh 7
Race 3: (1) Polar Trip 16
Race 4: (1) Captain King 20
Race 5: (3) Muscatt 79 (NAP*)
Race 6: (8) Burrwood 58
Race 7: (3) Royal Honeymoon 47
Race 8: (12) Timeforatiger 31
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (7) Justash 8
Race 2: (10) Red John 6
Race 3: (4) Attract The Crowd 11
Race 4: (2) Victory Silks 2
Race 5: (1) Uncle Tommy 78
Race 6: (4) Sarasota 57
Race 7: (5) Winter Darling 54
Race 8: (8) Spellbound 41
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Top rated winners last week included
Shake And Bake won 4/1
Be Mine Tonight won 5/2
Silver Scooter won 22/10
Lanner Falcon won 16/10
Topless won 16/10
Mambo Mime won 14/10
Master ‘n Commander won 1/1
Jay Again won 9/10
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Notebook:-
Our Icon (D Kannemeyer, 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 (poly) 8th May
Going Standard
1000m (3) Tour De Var 56,64
1200m (1) Shake And Bake 70,21
1300m (2) I Will Be 75,10
1600m (2) Rose And Crown 95,40
Greyville (poly/turf) 8th May
Turf good – Poly standard
1000m (1) Fire The Rocket 58,62P
1200m (3) Roy’s Selven 71,89P
1400m (2) Jay Again 85,06P
1600m (2) Big Bird 99,04T
2400m (1) Hamelin Bay 153,08*T
Turffontein (inner) 9th May
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (3) Easy Game 57,76
1450m (3) Be Mine Tonight 87,48
1600m (2) Silver Scooter 97,41
2600m (1) Smart Mart 166,06
Kenilworth (new) 9th May
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (1) Lanner Falcon 59,95
1200m (4) Zubbadubbadoo 72,94
1400m (1) Lord Marshal 88,88
1600m (1) Our Icon 100,73
1800m (1) Topless 114,46
