He Ain’t Heavy, He’s ….
Turffontein 30th June: Followers of the money got off to a nice start on the old stand side track on Sunday when the well supported VAR AND AWAY did the business in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1160m. Backed into favouritism at the track, Mike De Kock’s newcomer was soon up handy. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up by a neck in a three way finish.
The two 1400m races were both maiden events and in by far the faster of these the lightly raced BOHICA opened his account. Nibbled at into 8/1 from 10’s, the son of Capetown Noir led throughout. He was always in command and won going away by four.
A MR84 Handicap topped the bill and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1600m races on the card, the promising AL MUTAWAKEL kept his unbeaten record in-tact. A full brother to the former SA Derby winner Al Sahem, Sean Tarry’s charge was always handy. He quickened well at the business end of the race and with the rest some four lengths adrift, he got the better of the form horse late to win going away. Now a winner of three from three, Al Mutawakel is improving with each step up in distance.
Titbits
TIERRA DEL FUEGO finished best of all when getting the better of two good sorts in the Assessment Plate over 1600m.
Playing The Joker
Vaal 2nd July: Five of the nine races at the Vaal on Tuesday were run over 1200m and in the fastest of these the easy to back 4yo COPPER JAY registered his fourth career victory. Well weighted on earlier form, Erico Verdonese’s charge was soon at the head of affairs. He kept up a healthy gallop throughout and won without any anxious moments by three and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one event on the nine race program was 1400m where the quicker of the two low grade handicaps was the MR64 affair won by the aptly named WHAT A JOKER. Nibbled at into 10/1 from 14’s, Barend Botes’ charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well when given rein and comfortably accounted for the easy to back PRETTY JOLLY by two.
A maiden juvenile plate over 1200m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a smart performance from the Mike De Kock trained RISK TAKER. Having only her second career outing here, the daughter of Frankel also came from midfield. She ran on strongly over the final 400m and won well from the well-supported FLYING HIGH by a length.
Titbits
Somewhat disappointing in five starts after making a very promising debut, the 2yo Marchfield colt GROBAN bounced back with a facile win in the maiden plate over 1200m.
Powerful Force
Kenilworth 3rd July: This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place at Durbanville. Three maiden events over 1000m got proceedings underway in Cape Town on Wednesday and in the fastest of the these (the boy’s division of the maiden juvenile plate) we saw a smart debut performance from YANKEE FORCE. Soon up handy, the Byword colt was ridden to lead 120m from home and won with plenty in hand by a length and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1400m where by far the faster of the two was the MR76 Handicap won by STAR OF SILVER. Always handy, Justin Snaith’s charge quickened nicely in the closing stages of the race and won going away by a length and a quarter.
A MR80 Handicap over 1200m topped the bill and here it was nice to see the ultra-consistent PHOTOCOPY gain his fifth success. In touch throughout, the Tiger Ridge gelding got the better of the former Eastern Cape campaigner LLOYD GEORGE 150m out and went on to score comfortably by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
The Justin Snaith trained first timer FLEECED won the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m with some in hand.
Paul’s Super Six
Vaal 4th July: The Stable of Paul Peter was in devastating form on Thursday saddling six winners. All ridden by Warren Kennedy their day was rounded off with victory for OCEAN CITY in the fastest of the two 1000m events, a MR66 Handicap.Taken straight to the front, the daughter of Var led throughout. She was always in command and despite the efforts of the chasing pack, she won without any anxious moments by three and a half.
The MR67 affair was the fastest of the afternoon’s three 1800m races and here the combination of Peter and Kennedy were on the mark with DESTINYS GAME. Easy to back at 7/1 on the off, this Master Of My Fate filly was always handy. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the running on WORDYNESS by a length and a quarter.
The combination were also on the mark in the faster of the two 1600m events, a MR64 Handicap when COPENHAGEN registered his third career victory. Soon positioned close to the speed, the Potala Palace gelding struck the front 150m out and won going away.
Titbits
At the head of affairs throughout, DIAMOND DANCER (Peter/Kennedy) the rank outsider in the MR80 Handicap over 2000m found extra when the pack tried to mount a challenge and went on to score with authority by two.
Winning Trail
Fairview 5th July: Following rain on an already soft track, this meeting was switched from the turf to the poly track. Three of the nine races were run over 1200m and in the fastest of these, the bill topping MR86 Handicap, the Sail From Seattle gelding COPPER TRAIL registered his fifth career victory. Always handy, Yvette Bremner’s charge ran on strongly in the short home straight and in what proved to be a real thriller he got the verdict on the nod from DI ME (raced 6th – led 200m).
The two 1000m races were both MR68 Handicaps for the girls and in the faster of these, the former Gauteng campaigner LA ROQUETTE gained her first success since relocating to the province. In touch throughout, the Var mare struck the front 50m out and won going away by a length and a quarter.
They also ran two races over 1300m (originally scheduled for 1400m) and in the quicker of these two maiden events, the well supported favourite BOLD STRIKE ran out a comfortable winner. Always handy, Gavin Smith’s charge ran on strongly at the business end of the race and won well by a half from MIO GRANDE.
Titbits
Confidently ridden by Sandile Khathi, SIR CALEB came from the back when winning the opening juvenile plate over 1200m with a ton in hand.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (7) Tibetan Sunrise 10
Race 2: (1) Katasha 2
Race 3: (5) Elusive Fountain 9
Race 4: (4) Silvari 6
Race 5: (7) Flying Squadron 59
Race 6: (7) Peking Tyson 38
Race 7: (10) Dynasty’s Boy 71
Race 8: (13) Master Newton 41
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (10) Rooi Tom 29
Race 2: (11) Incantation 21
Race 3: (1) Readysetglo 12
Race 4: (4) Dry Your Eyes 20
Race 5: (4) Hartleyfive 46
Race 6: (8) Captain’s Alpha 49
Race 7: (5) March To Glory 44
Race 8: (2) Vijeta 16
Race 9: (10) Wings Of Light 50
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (1) La Ferrari 60
Race 2: (1) High Voltage 24
Race 3: (14) Sacred Ibis 25
Race 4: (2) Winter Retreat 14 (NAP*)
Race 5: (13) Roy’s Flash 55
Race 6: (5) Perfect Air 60
Race 7: (18) Sherman 53
Race 8: (1) Cosmic Cutter 17
Top rated winners last week included
Celtic Sea won 9/1
Sullenberger won 17/4
Jay Rock won 73/20
Just Kidding won 49/20
Zalika won 24/10
Eskimo Kisses won 19/10
Battle Of Alesia won 3/4
Captain Anne Bonny won 13/20
Notebook:-
Al Mutawakel (S Tarry, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (stand side) 30th June
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,67s fast
1000m (1) Operetta 56,38
1180m (1) Var And Away 67,93
1400m (2) Bohica 84,77
1600m (2) Al Mutawakel 96,75
2000m (2) Popsicle Toes 124,58
Vaal 2nd July
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,01s fast
1200m (5) Copper Jay 68,88
1400m (2) What A Joker 82,71
1600m (1) Sparkling Gold 96,78*
2000m (1) Flirty Girty 127,94
Kenilworth (old) 3rd July
Penetrometer 31 – Going Heavy
Course Variant: 5,41s slow
1000m (3) Yankee Force 64,07
1200m (1) Photocopy 77,65
1400m (2) Star Of Silver 91,98
1600m (1) Jay Rock 106,93
1900m (1) Fee Fi Foe Fum 129,00
Vaal (classic) 4th July
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,23s fast (straight)
1000m (2) Ocean City 56,32
1450m (1) Florida Quays 86,81
1600m (2) Copenhagen 96,55
1800m (3) Destinys Game 109,69
2000m (1) Daimond Dancer 123,49
Fairview (poly) 5th July
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,64s slow
1000m (2) La Roquette 57,56
1200m (3) Copper Trail 69,62
1300m (2) Bold Strike 76,88
1900m (1) Sunday Falls 116,75
2000m (1) Finley Hill 123,65
