Quick Double
Fairview 4th December: The non-black type Glendore Sprint topped the bill in Port Elizabeth on Friday and in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the two 1000m events on the turf card, victory went to the Jallad gelding VILLA DEL LARGO. Always handy in a tightly bunched field, Justin Snaith’s charge took up the running 150m out and won with some in hand by a length.
The conditions plate was the quicker of the two 1400m races and successful here was Villa Del Largo’s stable companion SUNSET TRIPP. Another to race close to the speed, the daughter of Trippi took up the running at the 300m marker and comfortably accounted for the running on PURELY ATOMIC by two and a quarter.
The faster of the two 1600m events was the graduation plate in which the aptly named FLY LIKE THE WIND registered his second career victory. Nicely positioned in fourth for most of the journey, the 3yo Windrush gelding struck the front 200m out and won well by a length from the staying on pacemaker BRIAR KING.
Titbits
At the head of affairs throughout, the 16/10 favourite BLIZZARD BELLE won the MR86 Handicap without any anxious moments.
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Springing Into Action
Greyville 4th December: Six of the eight races on Friday evening took place on the poly where the faster of the two 1400m events on the surface was the non-black type River Indigo Handicap won by the hat-trick seeking CHENNAI BABE. Now a winner of six of her seventeen outings to date, the daughter of Kahal raced ninth of the eleven early on. She had to switch when looking to start her run early in the short home straight and did well to get up close home.
The first of the two turf races to be run was the KZN 1600m Summer Challenge Final and here victory went to the Tony Rivalland trained DIAMOND KING. Sent off a joint second favourite at 4/1, the poorly drawn More Than Ready gelding was slow into stride and as a result he raced in the rear early on. He quickened best of all coming off the bend and under a well-judged ride from Brandon Lerena, he got up late to deny BALTIC AMBER.
The 2000m KZN Challenge Final (turf) was won by the Sporting Post’s each way value bet SILVER SPRING. Freely available at 7/1 on the off, Gavin Van Zyl’s veteran was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and comfortably accounted for the running on GREAT RUMPUS by a length and a half.
Titbits
The 16/10 favourite BARE ALL was always a couple clear when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1600m (poly).
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Fresh Start
Turffontein 5th December: They raced on the old stand side track on Saturday where three of the nine races were staged over 1160m. The fastest of these was the MR84 Handicap won by TIGER’S TOUCH. On leaving the stalls it was WOODROSE who elected to make the running whilst the daughter of Where’s That Tiger was content to sit in midfield. She quickened well from halfway and comfortably accounted for the easy to back LADY AL by a length and a quarter.
The first juvenile race of the season, a maiden juvenile plate over 800m, had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a very easy victory for the well-supported 12/10 favourite FRESH. One of four runners from the stable of Corne Spies, the daughter of Querari raced up with the pace throughout. She began to assert her authority going through the 200m and won going away by three and a half.
The faster of the two 1400m races was the pinnacle stakes in which the 5yo SHADOW OFHIS SMILE caused an upset. Freely available at 16/1 in what proved to be a very false paced affair, Geoff Woodruff’s charge was one of six virtually in line going through the 400m. He ran on best of all from there onwards, and with the rest well beaten he got the better of the 6/10 favourite BOUCLETTE TOP by three quarters.
Titbits
Backed into favouritism, the newcomer HOLLIE POINT (very green) won the maiden plate over 1160m easing down with a ton in hand.
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Scaling Heights
Kenilworth 5th December: The easiest victory in Cape Town on Saturday was undoubtedly that of SILVER MOUNTAIN in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas. In what not surprisingly was the fastest of the afternoon’s three 1600m races Glen Puller’s charge raced in the backend of midfield early on. She quickened well at the top of the longer new course home straight and cruised clear to score by five after striking the front 350m out.
The supporting act was the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the Gauteng raider CARRY ON ALICE. Always top of the boards, Sean Tarry’s charge ran on stoutly from midfield and got the verdict on the nod over the luckless CUVEE BRUT. The runner up also came from midfield and didn’t find the clearest of passages.
Another visitor to find the winner’s enclosure was the Mike De Kock trained MOOGHAMIR when winning the MR74 Handicap over 1800m. Soon positioned close to the speed, the son of Galileo took up the running 100m from home and won going away by a length.
Titbits
Running on from midfield ERNIE was finishing best of all when only beaten by the narrowest of margins in the listed Southeaster Sprint over 1100m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park (mon)
Race 1: (2) Boogaloo 8
Race 2: (2) Jolene 10
Race 3: (2) Strictly Business 8
Race 4: (6) Indian River 65
Race 5: (1) Quid Rides 22
Race 6: (1) Velvet Verona 56
Race 7: (2) Here We Are 36
Race 8: (4) Al Lunam 34
Race 9: (2) Cool Kid 34
Race 10: (8) Boarding Call 54
Kenilworth (tues)
Race 1: (2) Like Janis 16
Race 2: (9) King’s Kitten 14
Race 3: (2) Sub Zero 17
Race 4: (10) Little Mo 58
Race 5: (7) Blackmore 79
Race 6: (8) Casey’s Jet 43
Race 7: (9) Vinsanto 43
Race 8: (7) Magic Ice 19
Turffontein (tues)
Race 1: (1) Golden Man 23
Race 2: (2) Global Ethos 25
Race 3: (2) Moofeed 92
Race 4: (8) Road To Indy 30
Race 5: (15) Double Spin 45
Race 6: (10) Save The Day 36
Race 7: (10) Ruby Ruby 64
Race 8: (13) Opah Latino 50
Greyville (wed)
Race 1: (4) Open Your Heart 10
Race 2: (1) Suzie’s Arrow 14
Race 3: (1) Choppies 46
Race 4: (5) Auction King 56
Race 5: (4) Supercede 64 (NAP*)
Race 6: (2) Baltic Amber 57
Race 7: (6) Taipai Tigress 45
Race 8: (13) Finding Neverland 46
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (12) Red Heart 8
Race 2: (12) Flying Silver 11 (nb)
Race 3: (1) O’brien The Lion 24
Race 4: (1) Buckland 65
Race 5: (8) Bulleting Home 82 (NAP*)
Race 6: (1) Tee Jay Ar 67
Race 7: (6) Bah 48
Race 8: (9) Clean Cut 41
Race 9: (10) Delighted 38
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Top rated winners last week included
Burrwood won 6/1
Shea Devon won 5/1
Split The Breeze won 5/1
Translunar won 5/1
Samovar won 33/10
Astrapi won 18/10
Wedgwood won 16/10
Silver Mountain won 9/10
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Notebook:-
Cuvee Brut (B Crawford, W-Cape)
Hollie Point (A Laird, Gauteng)
Silver Mountain (G Puller, 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) 4th December
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (2) Villa Del Largo 55,43*
1200m (1) Island Express 68,85*
1400m (2) Sunset Tripp 83,82*
1600m (2) Fly Like The Wind 97,00*
2000m (1) Oh So Modus 124,71*
Greyville (turf/poly) 4th December
Turf Good – Poly Standard
1400m (2) Chennai Babe 83,01P
1600m (2) Samovar 97,06P
1600m (1) Diamond King 96,89T
2000m (1) Silver Spring 124,12T
2000m (2) Little Chapel 124,66P
Turffontein (old) 5th December
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
800m (1) Fresh 46,46
1160m (3) Tiger’s Touch 67,39
1400m (2) Shadow Ofhis Smile 86,11
1600m (1) Wedgwood 100,61
2000m (1) Shea Devon 125,36
2450m (1) A P’s Lily 158,15
Kenilworth (new) 5th December
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1000m (2) Carry On Alice 57,80
1100m (1) Captain Alfredo 64,11
1200m (1) Astrapi 73,34
1400m (1) Fantastic Trip 87,66
1600m (3) Silver Mountain 98,72
1800m (1) Mooghamir 110,75
