On The Ball
Greyville 10th November: The best bet on the card for many was BLACKBALL in the bill topping pinnacle stakes over 1900m, and the son of Black Minnaloushe didn’t let down his supporters. Sent off a warm favourite at even money, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge was a little slow into stride and raced at the back of the five early on. The small field was always very tightly bunched though and already on terms with the leaders 300m out, he went on to score with authority by two.
Just 0,51 seconds covered the winners of the three 1600m events and in the fastest of these, a maiden plate, GREEK SWORD opened his account. Soon up handy, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge was ridden to lead approaching the 300m marker and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the running on MASTER OF DESTINY by just under a length.
Run in a time 1,48 seconds faster than the girls’ maiden event, the MR84 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1000m races on the card and here it was nice to see the Pathfork mare QUEEN OF ALAMO register her fourth career victory. Easy to back at 8/1 on the off, Glen Kotzen’s charge raced handy in fifth. She quickened well over the final 400m and in what proved to be a real thriller, she got the better of a three way finish by the narrowest of margins.
Titbits
Clearly unphased by the rain that fell during the race, GIMME PEACE ran on well from the rear when getting up close home in the MR88 Handicap over 1400m.
Graceful Palace
Turffontein 12th November: Tuesday’s action took place on the inner track where four of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1600m. The graduation plate was marginally the fastest of these and here we saw a smart performance from the grey daughter of Potala Palace, SNOW PALACE. Soon at the head of affairs despite taking a bump at the start, Corne Spies’ charge led throughout. She was always in command and only having to be pushed out in the short home straight, she won very cosily by a length and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1800m where the faster of the two was the MR104 Handicap won by another front runner in SEATTLE FORCE. He was 5,5 lengths clear of the eventual runner up LORD SILVERIO 400m out and although that one did do very well to get as close as he did, Seattle Force still had three quarters of a length to spare at the wire.
The only sprinting event on the card was a graduation plate for the girls over 1200m and here victory went to the favourite TRUE CHARM. Taken straight to the front by Marco Van Rensburg, the daughter of Captain Al led throughout. She ran on strongly below the distance and held off a determined challenge from the always handy MARGOT’S MAGIC by a neck.
Titbits
Racing detached at the rear after setting off from a poor draw, MISS KHALIFA ran on strongly in the closing stages of the MR68 Handicap over 1600m and did well to finish runner up beaten just 1,75 lengths.
Tactical Success
Greyville 13th November: they raced on the poly track on Wednesday where the only distance to stage more than one race was 1200m. The MR70 Handicap was the fastest of the three and here the column’s joint top rated CAPTAIN COBALT registered his third career victory. Freely available at 10/1 on the off, the Captain Al gelding was soon at the head of affairs. He kept on strongly in the short home straight and comfortably accounted for the running on AGENT MURPHY (came from the rear) by two.
A MR95 Handicap over 1700m topped the bill and in what proved to be a real thriller, KAPEN PRIDE landed the spoils. A little slow into stride when the gates opened, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge raced at the back of the six for most of the journey. He quickened best of all when the race developed into a sprint at the top of the straight, and got up close home to score by a neck.
At the other end of the scale, OPENSEA recorded the easiest victory on the card when getting off the mark in the opening maiden plate over 1200m. Usually one to run on stoutly from off the pace, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge adopted a change of tactics in this his first outing of the season and raced from the front. He cleverly skipped clear early in the straight and ran out a very easy winner by four and a quarter.
Titbits
In the rear turning for home, ESCAPE CLUB made up at least four lengths over the final 200m when getting up late to win the MR86 Handicap over 2000m.
DOWN TO EARTH was always cruising when winning the maiden plate for the girls over 1600m with authority by a length and three quarters.
Hawwaam Returns In Style
Vaal 14th November: All eyes on Thursday were on the Pinnacle Stakes over 1200m where the very talented, but on occasions troublesome HAWWAAM was making his seasonal debut. Racing over a sprint distance for the first time, the heavily burdened (62kg) son of Silvano was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 400m marker and went on to score with authority from the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Sprint winner CHIMICHURI RUN.
Also on show at this meeting was the Gr1 Garden Province winner CELTIC SEA in the pinnacle stakes over 1400m. Another to make her seasonal debut here, the Captain Al filly was confidently ridden and sat in midfield. She only had to be pushed out in order to lead 200m out and easing down at the finish won cosily by two and a quarter.
With the only other race over the distance being a maiden plate, the MR88 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1000m races on the card and here the Sporting Post’s best handicapped runner LAND OF THE BRAVE registered his second career victory. Taken straight to the front by Callan Murray, the Western Winter gelding led throughout. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and won well by a length from the always handy ARISTACHUS.
Titbits
Pitched in against the boys here on debut, ETHEL ROSE caught the eye running on late after battling to find a run, when sixth beaten 4,1 lengths
Source Of Income
Fairview 15th November: This meeting was originally scheduled to take place on the poly track. The distances remained the same with the exception of the three 1400m races which were run over 1300m.
The best bet on the card regardless of surface, it was no surprise to see Foreign Source backed in to the prohibitive odds of 1/6, with just four runners going to post, to win the Guineas Plate for 3yo’s over 1600m. Content to sit at the back for most of the journey, Alan Greeff’s charge made his way to the front with ease 200m out and with jockey Greg Cheyne barely having moved a muscle throughout, he cruised in by two and a half.
Quickest home in the three 1300m races was Foreign Sources’ stable companion STREAM OF KINDNESS when winning the MR76 Handicap. Always handy, the Philanthropist mare put her head in front 100m out and drew clear quickly below the distance to score by two and a quarter.
They also ran three races over 1200m. The MR77 Handicap was the fastest of these and here victory went to the top weight DI ME. Soon positioned close to the speed, Tara Laing’s charge was ridden to lead going through the 200m and won well by a length and three quarters from the always handy ROCK THE COT.
Titbits
In the rear turning for home, COYOTE CREEK ran on best of all when winning the MR82 Handicap going away.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Freezing Fast 7
Race 2: (5) Caballe 7
Race 3: (7)Twice A Poet 32
Race 4: (1) Elusive Green 14
Race 5: (1) Madame Speaker 63
Race 6: (5) Seattle Swing 59
Race 7: (9) Belonje 29
Race 8: (9) Veeipee Club 35
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (2) La Duchesse 13
Race 2: (7) Second To None 58
Race 3: (5) Cassius Colt 18
Race 4: (12) Purple And Gold 27
Race 5: (3) High Green 52
Race 6: (5) Fiorano 54
Race 7: (10) Lotsa Silver 43
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (4) Semper Fi 19
Race 2: (8) Cotopaxi 7
Race 3: (1) River Jordan 29
Race 4: (2) My Dream Chaser 64
Race 5: (7) Top Rank 50
Race 6: (8) Full Of Attitude 60
Race 7: (2) Certifiable 47 (EW)
Race 8: (3) The Fifth Wave 49
Race 9: (5) Spiritofthegroove 65 (NAP**)
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (4) Cyber Blossom 21
Race 2: (1) Silver Tiara 23
Race 3: (2) Miyabi Gold 82
Race 4: (3) Fire Walker 47
Race 5: (2) Hildegarde 52
Race 6: (2) Viva Rio 59
Race 7: (3) Sergeant Hardy 105
Race 8: (4) Capoeira 69
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (5) Miss Charlotte 19
Race 2: (3) Divine Hugh 26
Race 3: (8) El Ballero 20
Race 4: (1) Mana Santana 17
Race 5: (7) Path To Glory 44
Race 6: (10) Ryker 65
Race 7: (8) Calvary 79
Race 8: (3) Just Cruised In 63
Race 9: (5) Baby Shooz 29 (NAP*)
Top rated winners last week included
Captain Cobalt won 10/1
Apache Dream won 17/2
Stone Judgement won 13/2
Kapen Pride won 71/20
Opensea won 63/20
True Charm won 19/10
Talia Al Ghul won 17/10
Greek Sword won 21/20
Notebook:-
Hawwaam (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Lord Silverio (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Snow Palace (C Spies, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (turf) 10th November
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 1,64s slow
1000m (2) Queen Of Alamo 59,95
1400m (1) Gimme Peace 85,71
1600m (3) Greek Sword 99,18
1900m (1) Blackball 118,90
2400m (1) Paths Of Victory 152,65
Turffontein (inner) 12th November
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,51s slow
1200m (1) True Charm 71,50*
1450m (1) Fired Up 88,34
1600m (4) Snow Palace 98,48
1800m (2) Seattle Force 111,73
Greyville (poly) 13th November
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,01s slow
1200m (3) Captain Cobalt 69,35
1400m (1) Apache Dream 83,71
1600m (1) Down To Earth 98,41
1700m (1) Kapen Pride 100,38
1900m (1) Joseph Jagger 116,65
2000m (1) Escape Club 121,61
Vaal 14 November
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,58s slow
1000m (2) Land Of The Brave 57,09
1200m (1) Hawwaam 68,96
1400m (3) Celtic Sea 82,33
1600m (1) Miss Lexi 98,87*
1800m (1) Our Man In Havana 110,64*
2400m (1) Laconia 154,91
Fairview (poly) 15th November
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,90s slow
1200m (3) Di Me 70,09
1300m (3) Stream Of Kindness 76,52
1600m (1) Foreign Source 100,67
2000m (1) Finley Hill 123,05
Pics:- Hawwaam – Showed his well-being in no uncertain terms when a facile winner on seasonal debut in his first ever outing over a sprint distance.
