Heading North

All Change

Arlington 5^th 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 12^th 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 6^th 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 6^th 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 1^st & 2^nd 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:-

Top rated winners last week included

Notebook:-

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