All Change
Arlington 5th July: This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place at Fairview. The 1200m races were all run over 1000m, race four was abandoned, and the feature event, the listed East Cape Breeder’s Stakes, was postponed until Friday 12th July.
A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m got proceedings underway in the soft going and here we saw a very easy victory for the well supported second favourite LIELUMS. Backed into 16/10 from 5/2 at the track, Corne Spies’ charge was soon positioned up with the speed. She began to assert her authority going through the 400m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by six and a half.
The fastest time over 1000m on the card was recorded by LONDON PERFECT when winning the pinnacle stakes. Soon in his favourite position at the head of affairs, the Muhtafal gelding led throughout. He was always in command and won comfortably by a length and a quarter.
The faster of the two 1600m races was the MR69 Handicap won by MING WARRIOR. On leaving the stalls it was MILLION MILES who elected to make the running whilst Jacque Strydom’s charge was content to sit in midfield. He quickened nicely at the top of the short home straight and won well by two and a quarter after striking the front 100m from home. The recent winner LA SALLE also ran on well from off the pace in this race.
The not so lucky last was a MR70 Handicap over 1600m and here victory went to the 3yo SOWETO DAWN. Freely available at 25/2 on the off, Gavin Smith’s charge was always handy. He was ridden to lead at the 200m marker and went on to score comfortably from the easy to back HOSTILE TAKEOVER by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Joint favourite JET IN THE SKY was completing a hattrick when winning the MR88 Handicap over 2000m very comfortably by a length and a half.
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Classic Finishes
Turffontein 6th July: They raced on the old stand side track on Saturday where the easiest victory on the card was recorded by BARBEL RUN in the maiden plate over 1160m. Always deep in the red despite being allowed to ease a little at the track, the son of Joshua Dancer was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m pole and drew clear easily late on to win by three and a quarter. The runner up in this race THANDA ABANTU ran on well from the rear after losing two lengths at the start.
A MR100 Handicap topped the bill and in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the two 1160m races victory here went to the recent hattrick scorer GEMMAYZE STREET. On leaving the stalls it was the 6/10 favourite SHARP DESIGN who elected to make the running whilst in a small and very closely grouped field Dominic Zaki’s charge raced second. He quickened well at the business end of the race and in a thrilling three way finish he only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins over CROWN OF GOLD.
Race three on the card was a juvenile plate for the boys over 1400m and here we saw an eyecatching performance from the favourite PRINCIPLED MAN. Once again slow into stride, the son of Windrush lost four lengths here and very quickly found himself positioned in the rear. Once in the long home straight though he quickened best of all and in another very tight three way finish he got up in the dying strides to deny the 36/1 newcomer ROMAN EXPRESS.
Titbits
RAND CLUB ran on well from midfield when getting up very late to deny RAMBO in the MR71 affair over 1400m.
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July Day
Greyville 6th July: Trainer Sean Tarry won the prestigious Gr1Durban July with POMODORO last season and he was again on the mark when the improving HEAVY METAL landed the spoils this time around. Nibbled at on course into 16/1 from 22’s, the son of Silvano raced in the backend of midfield for most of the journey. Once in the straight though he quickened well and under a well judged ride from S’manga Khumalo he got up in the dying strides to beat the gutsy RUN FOR IT by a neck.
Run over the same trip as the July (2200m) was the Gr3 Mango and in a much slower time victory here went to one of the joint second favourites MASTER PLAN. Another to run on from off the pace, Greg Ennion’s charge was ridden to lead going through the 100m and kept on gamely below the distance to hold off a strong late challenge from PATRIOTIC REBEL by a neck.
The best bet on the card for many was BEACH BEAUTY in the Gr1 Garden Province over 1600m and she didn’t let down her supporters. Swiftly guided over from a very wide draw by Sean Cormack, the Dynasty mare was always well positioned to strike. She did so going through the 200m and won well from the lightly raced ESPUMANTI by a length and a half. Keep an eye on the runner up, she’s behind at weight for age and can still improve plenty.
A little unlucky not to land the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe for 2yo’s over 1400m was the Mike De Kock trained KOCHKA. Positioned in the rear early on, the son of Black Minnaloushe ran on best of all and despite his rider dropping the rein late on he only failed to get to the winner FOREST INDIGO by the narrowest of margins.
Titbits
After not finding the clearest of passages in the home straight, the runner up KNIGHT TO REMEMBER was gaining quickly at the finish when only beaten by three quarters of a length in the Gr2 Gold Vase over 2400m (usually run over 3000m).
FOR THE LADS and ALONG CAME POLLY both ran on well from midfield when 1st & 2nd respectively in the Gr1 Golden Slipper over 1400m.
The 8/10 favourite MERHEE ran on best of all after not finding the clearest of passages when dead-heating for second in the MR104 Handicap over 1000m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (11) Oriental Way 4 Race 2: (1) Copy Cat 14 Race 3: (10) Palace Square 26 Race 4: (4) Breeze By 25 Race 5: (7) Castle Rock 46 Race 6: (4) Occhi Di Lupo 48 (NAP*) Race 7: (5) Winter Frost 22 Race 8: (8) Sudden Surprise 32 Race 9: (9) Secret Spirit 59 Durbanville Race 1: (3) Davyana 17 Race 2: (10) Into The Wind 21 Race 3: (1) Prince Of Panarea 8 Race 4: (1) Imperial Rose 18 Race 5: (1) Diplomatic 31 Race 6: (8) Dark Journey 72 (EW) Race 7: (14) Abbey Creek 52 Race 8: (2) Red Banner 52 Scottsville Race 1: (2) Catalina Blues 16 Race 2: (7) Mistinguett 16 Race 3: (12) Cinema Scope 24 Race 4: (6) Cadillac Palace 32 Race 5: (1) Love You Madly 17 Race 6: (2) Chestnut Model 49 Race 7: (4) Fire Curtain 60 Race 8: (2) Put The Kettle On 73 Race 9: (10) Special Occasion 48 Vaal Race 1: (2) Pavor Nocturnus 26 Race 2: (3) The Good Life 22 Race 3: (1) Five Rings 19 Race 4: (3) Da Moonsta 22 Race 5: (6) Baluga 49 (NAP*) Race 6: (2) Rodeo Dandy 69 Race 7: (1) Eagle Face 43 Race 8: (9) Distinctly 53 .
Top rated winners last week included
Jolly Wood won 18/1 Santa Clarita won 3/1 Desert Sheik won 16/10 Temple Tiger won 14/10 Tiger Quest won 14/10 Across The Ice won 8/10 Barbel Run won 6/10 Beach Beauty won 15/20 .
Notebook:-
Espumanti (M De Kock, KZN) Kochka (M De Kock, KZN) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherArlington 5th July Penetrometer 1000m (3) London Perfect 58,54 1400m (1) Silver Gilt 88,60 1600m (2) Ming Warrior 100,25 2000m (1) Jet In The Sky 128,20 .
Turffontein (old) 6th July Penetrometer 1160m (2) Gemmayze Street 66,55 1400m (4) Rand Club 84,31 1600m (2) Cherry On The Cake 97,45 .
Greyville 6th July: Penetrometer 1000m (1) November Rain 60,09 1200m (1) Desert Sheik 72,36 1300m (1) Ace Antonius 80,53 1400m (2) For The Lads 85,44* 1600m (2) Lehaaf 98,03 2200m (2) Heavy Metal 135,44 2400m (1) Kolkata 148,59*