Fabulous Victory
Turffontein 19th May: Sunday’s action took place on the inner track where victory in the fastest of the three 1200m events went to the favourite OURO. Paul Peter’s charge got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m marker and drew clear easily below the distance to score by a length and three quarters.
Favourite backers were also on the mark in the faster of the two 1450m races, a pinnacle stakes, when WONDERWALL registered his fourth career victory. Taken straight to the front by Lyle Hewitson, the son of Querari led throughout. He raced a couple clear for most of the journey and although the running on D’ARRIVEE did make some headway, he still had a length and a quarter to spare at the wire.
The listed Syringa Handicap over 1600m topped the bill and in a race where just 2,55 lengths separated the first ten home, the 5yo BEING FABULOUS got the verdict. Drawn thirteen of the fourteen Being Fabulous raced in the rear early on. He ran on best of all when the race developed into a sprint in the short home straight, and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up in the dying strides.
Titbits
Third to the subsequent Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Eden Roc last time out, ASHBAAL ran on well in the closing stages of the race when getting off the mark in the opening maiden plate over 1200m.
Doing The Business
Vaal 21st May: The MR66 Handicap over 1200m was comparatively the fastest of the four sprint races at the Vaal on Tuesday and here victory went to the easy to back NENG KAPA NENG. Allowed to drift right out to 14/1 from 7’s at the track, Roy Magner’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest comfortably beaten he only got the better of the 6yo BAAHIR (led 600m) close home.
Albeit marginally, the maiden plate for the girls was the faster of the two 1000m races on the card and here we saw a very easy victory for the favourite MONTREAL MIST. Soon up handy despite being squeezed at the start, Sean Tarry’s charge was always poised to strike. She did so going through the 400m and went on to score with authority by four.
Four of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was VISTULA in the assessment plate. The best bet on the card for most, the well weighted daughter of Ideal World was soon positioned on the heels of the pace. She put her head in front going through the 400m and won going away by four and a half.
Titbits
At the head of affairs throughout, SOLAR FLARE was always in command when getting off the mark in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m.
Silently Progressing
Greyville 22nd May: Somewhat unusually the distance of 2000m took the lion’s share of the races at Wednesday afternoon’s poly track meeting. The bill topping MR90 Handicap was the fastest of the three and here the 3yo THE SULTANS BAZAAR gained his fourth win from thirteen starts. Just five went to post and in a race devoid of pace early on Dean Kannemeyer’s charge raced fourth. He quickened well when the race began in earnest and comfortably accounted for the favourite BLACK BALL by two and a quarter.
The MR64 affair was marginally the faster of the two 1000m races and here the in under sufferance ALPHAMIKEFOXTROT caused a bit of an upset. Freely available at 16/1 on the off, Darryl Moore’s charge was always handy. He put his head in front as they approached the 300m pole and although the more fancied BRAVO ZULU ran on well from off the pace, he did have that one held by a length and a half at the wire.
A maiden plate over 1400m had gotten proceedings underway and here victory went to the best bet on the card for many CAPRERA. Confidently ridden by Keagan De Melo the 3yo son of Trippi sat seventh for most of the journey. He made up the ground quickly when given rein and won well by three quarters after taking up the running 300m out.
Titbits
Dropped 11 points in just three starts after shedding her maiden tag in facile fashion, the well- supported GIGLIO won the first division of the MR64 Handicap over 2000m going away by four.
Losing Battle
Vaal 23rd May: Racing returned to the Vaal on Thursday where four of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1000m. The MR84 Handicap was the fastest of these and here we saw a smart performance from the lightly raced 3yo MONOPOLIZE. Now a winner of three from six Paul Peter’s charge was soon up handy. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and with the rest comfortably beaten he did well to reel in the in-form pacemaker GALACTIC WARRIOR close home.
Another progressive 3yo to win on this card was DALAI’S PROMISE in the MR84 Handicap over 1000m. Content to sit close up behind the speedy KISSABLE during the early part of the race, Ashley Fortune’s charge took up the running 350m out and with some in hand won very cosily by a length and a half..
After running the talented FROSTED GOLD to a length and three quarters in the Gr2 SA Nursery on debut, the Captain Al colt BATTLEOFTRAFALGAR was not surprisingly sent off deep in the red to win the juvenile plate over 1200m. Nicely positioned in second throughout, Mike De Kock’s charge was always poised to strike. The front running DE LA CRUZ kept on strongly at the business end of the race though and try as he might he couldn’t make any headway.
Titbits
With no real pace on early KAYLA’S CHAMP took up the running going through halfway and kept on strongly at the business end of the race to beat the running on FLAGSHIP FUND by a length.
Powerful Hooves
Fairview 24th May: The listed Dahlia Plate for 2yo’s topped the bill on Friday’s turf card and in the absence of the unbeaten VIKING MOON, HOOVES OF TROY gained just reward for some gallant efforts. A half-length runner up to the talented Viking Moon in each of his last two starts, Gavin Smith’s charge was content to sit seventh of the nine early on. He ran on best of all when given rein, and after striking the front 120m from home, won going away by three quarters.
The non-blacktype Fairview 1400 was the supporting act and in what proved to be by far the fastest of the three events over the distance the 6yo UNION JACK registered his seventh career victory. Usually one to run on stoutly from off the pace, Alan Greeff’s charge adopted a change of tactics here and in a strung out field raced close up in second. He put his head in front passing the 200m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the staying on pacemaker MAVERICK GIRL by two and a quarter.
The stable of Alan Greeff were also on the mark in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m when the well-supported favourite PLACE DU MARCHE got off the mark. Positioned in midfield during the early part of the race, this daughter of Philanthropist put the race to bed quickly when given rein and won easing down by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Positioned second to last when the twelve runners turned for home BOLD STRIKE made up a good seven lengths on the front running winner when third in the maiden juvenile plate over 1400m.
Sent off as the rank outsider of the seven horse party at 36/1, SEATTLE SWING only had to be pushed out when running on from midfield to win the MR80 Handicap over 2000m going away.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (3) Andrea 5
Race 2: (1) Chapel Cleeve 3
Race 3: (7) Grey Mistress 8
Race 4: (1) Elusive Green 10
Race 5: (9) Di Me 52 (NAP*)
Race 6: (3) Make It Raine 62
Race 7: (6) King Django 66
Race 8: (9) Solemn Promise 59 (EW)
Greyville (sat)
Race 1: (3) Montreal Mist 28
Race 2: (1) She’s A Crusade 12
Race 3: (1) Pickawinner 11
Race 4: (4) Chantyman 80
Race 5: (3) Roy’s Riviera 91
Race 6: (2) Santa Clara 84
Race 7: (1) Hawwaam 97 (NAP**)
Race 8: (9) Vinson 74 (EW)
Race 9: (8) Mashari 63
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (6) Midwinter 17
Race 2: (5) Constable 17
Race 3: (3) Linda Loves Lace 3
Race 4: (2) The Perfect Wave 16
Race 5: (6) Crusade’s Promise 43
Race 6: (12) Flash Fire 41
Race 7: (1) Brave Move 68
Race 8: (7) Purple Mountains 45
Turffontein (sun)
Race 1: (3) Margot’s Magic 1
Race 2: (2) Condor Gulch 56
Race 3: (5) Causeway Cruiser 23
Race 4: (2) Tuscan Light 23
Race 5: (11) Theravada 16
Race 6: (10) Visigoth 54
Race 7: (4) Arlingtons Revenge 64
Race 8: (9) Hartleyfive 47
Top rated winners last week included
Seattle Swing won 36/1
Promise won 18/1
Captain Marooned won 13/1
Destinys Game won 17/4
Operetta won 33/10
Amber Tree won 3/1
The Sultans Bazaar won 11/4
Caprera won 49/20
Notebook:-
Giglio (JAJ v Vuuren, KZN)
Monopolize (P Peter, Gauteng)
De La Cruz (A Fortune, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (inner) 19th May
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,36s slow
1200m (3) Ouro 71,27
1450m (2) Wonderwall 86,60
1600m (1) Being Fabulous 97,69
1800m (1) Infamous Fox 109,90
2600m (1) Flame Fella 167,34
Vaal 21st May
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,45s slow
1000m (2) Montreal Mist 57,69
1200m (2) Neng Kapa Neng 69,71
1600m (4) Marshall Foch 97,67
1800m (1) Perfect Tigress 109,17
Greyville (poly) 22nd May
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,74s slow
1000m (2) Alphamikefoxtrot 58,33
1400m (1) Caprera 83,92
1600m (1) Scarlet Chill 96,61
1900m (1) Anuchke’s Wings 117,15
2000m (3) The Sultans Bazaar 122,47
Vaal 23rd May:
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,16s slow
1000m (4) Monopolize 56,56
1200m (1) De La Cruz 69,99
1400m (1) Sir Geoffrey 83,77
1600m (1) Kayla’s Champ 97,49
1800m (1) Bosphorus 109,16
2400m (1) Vida Amorosa 154,96
Fairview (turf) 24 May
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,67s slow
1000m (2) Captain Marooned 56,70
1200m (2) Hooves Of Troy 68,37
1400m (3) Union Jack 83,24
2000m (1) Seattle Swing won 36/1
