Captain In Command
Greyville 10th June: The R1M Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge topped the bill on Saturday afternoon and in what not surprisingly turned out to be the fastest of the three 1600m events, we saw a comfortable victory for the ultra-consistent CAPTAIN AMERICA. Sent off second in the betting market at 5/1, the son of Captain Al raced second in what soon became a strung out field. He put his head in front as they came off the false rail and staying on strongly in the short home straight, he beat the running on TRIP TO HEAVEN (lost 3 lengths at the start) by a length and a half.
They also ran three races over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was JUST SENSUAL when winning the Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes. Confidently ridden by Anton Marcus, the Dynasty filly raced in midfield for most of the journey. She ran on strongly in the straight and won by a half after striking the front 100m out.
A juvenile plate over 1400m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a smart performance from the Tiger Ridge filly MERYL. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge raced 10th of the 13 early on. She didn’t find the clearest of passages in the straight, and did well to get the better of the fancied SEQUINED close home.
Titbits
Now a winner of three from four, SOMMERLIED ran on well from the backend of midfield when narrowly getting the better of the useful SERGEANT HARDY in the non-black type Durban Dash over 1100m.
Much Needed, but ill Timed
Kenilworth 10th June:
The official going was good off a penetrometer reading of 23 in Cape Town on Saturday. However, it rained continuously throughout the meeting and the times against standard got slower and slower.
The first two races were maiden juvenile plates for the girls over 1000m, and the faster of these was the first division won by CASUAL DIAMOND. Soon up with the speed, Justin Snaith’s charge ran on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest well beaten, she got the better of PUMEZA by a length.
Next up were two maiden races over 1200m. The boys went first and in what proved to be the quicker JAY ROCK opened his account. Always handy, Glen Puller’s charge fought out a thrilling tussle with the 7/10 favourite COSSACK GUARD over the final 150m, and with the rest a minimum of four lengths adrift, he got the verdict by a neck.
After the running of race five the jockeys lodged a protest and as a result the remainder of the meeting was abandoned as the track was considered unsafe.
Titbits
Priced up as one of the rank outsiders of the thirteen horse party at 66/1, the Glen Puller trained DREAMING BIG won the maiden plate over 1400m very comfortably by two and a half.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (mon)
Race 1: (9) Miss Aphrodite 16
Race 2: (3) Mambo Tango 5
Race 3: (1) Nordic Leader 4
Race 4: (13) Van Dam’s Force 43
Race 5: (7) Zaida 29
Race 6: (6) Man From Japan 42
Race 7: (3) Vous Et Var 60
Race 8: (16) The Night Away 45
Kenilworth (tues)
Race 1: (8) Love To Fly 19
Race 2: (9) Ostinato 12
Race 3: (4) Endofmarch 10
Race 4: (4) Hero Quest 8
Race 5: (11) Can Cope 71
Race 6: (12) Hanabi 87
Race 7: (9) Captain’s Dove 61
Race 8: (4) My Emblem 46
Scottsville (wed)
Race 1: (7) Red Enchantment 16
Race 2: (10) Filippo 28
Race 3: (9) Rock My Soul 9
Race 4: (11) Queens Diamond 16
Race 5: (5) Victory Cross 5
Race 6: (5) Ever Dear 52
Race 7: (2) Party Crasher 51
Race 8: (15) Honeysuckle Rose 46
Race 9: (5) Roy’s Marciano 54
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (5) Eight Cities 4
Race 2: (1) Wellspring 10
Race 3: (13) Frederico’s Dream 22 (NAP**)
Race 4: (2) Tiger Jet 5
Race 5: (1) Bold Coast 37
Race 6: (17) Goodytwoshoes 48
Race 7: (1) Big King 52
Race 8: (5) Bankers Blues 46
Top rated winners last week included
Our Destiny won 21/2
Highlander won 10/1
American Trilogy won 37/10
Concealed Secret won 32/10
Just Sensual won 16/10
Let It Flow won 29/20
Unchained Melody won 21/20
Varimax won 7/10
Notebook:-
Casual Diamond (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Meryl (D Kannemeyer, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (turf) 10th June
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,89s slow
1100m (1) Sommerlied 65,70
1200m (1) Over Sure 72,04
1400m (3) Just Sensual 84,03
1600m (3) Captain America 96,22
1800m (1) Elusive Silva 111,58
2000m (1) New Fort 125,06
Kenilworth (old) 10th June
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1000m (2) Casual Diamond 59,44
1200m (2) Jay Rock 73,34
1400m (1) Dreaming Big 90,86
