Falsely Sprinting Home
Hollywoodbets Greyville 13th October: With the penetrometer reading 21, and a 35km/h south westerly tail wind on Sunday, the course was running fast.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1000m and in the quickest of these, a MR68 Handicap, COYOTE GIRL registered her second career victory. Sent off joint favourite at 7/2, this daughter of Var was a little slow into stride when the gates opened and as a result raced in the rear. Once in the short home straight though she quickened best of all, and won going away by a length and three quarters after striking the front 200m out.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1400m where the faster of the two was the progress plate won by the 13/10 favourite SILENT CRUSADE. She got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. She ran on strongly when the event developed into a sprint early in the straight and in a race where less than two and a quarter lengths separated the first seven home, she got the verdict by a half.
The non-black type Beach Beauty Mile topped the bill and in what proved to be another very false paced affair MARY O gained her second win from just four starts. There was no pace early on and allowed to dictate, the Oratorio filly held a soft two lengths advantage. She kept on strongly in the straight and just held on by the narrowest of margins from the much improved ELECTRIC SURGE.
Titbits
Having only her second career outing here, ODE was finishing best of all when a half-length runner up in the opening maiden plate over 1000m.
Smart Hat-Trick For Glen
Durbanville 15th October: Beaten less than a length when third in the prestigious Gr1 Sun Met nine months ago, HEAD HONCHO was very well weighted on his seasonal debut in the pinnacle stakes over 1800m here. Not surprisingly taken straight to the front by Richard Fourie, the odds on favourite set off at a good clip and soon had the field well strung out. He was challenged strongly by his stable companion CAPOEIRA halfway down the straight and that one did strike the front 200m from home. Once headed though, Head Honcho duly found extra, and after regaining the lead 50m out, won going away.
The MR82 Handicap was the fastest of the three 1000m races that got proceedings underway and here victory went to the front running SKIDOO. Holding just a narrow lead in what was a very tightly bunched field entering the straight, the What A Winter gelding kept on doggedly over the final 600m and held on to score by three quarters from the hat-trick seeking BELLINGHAM BAY.
They also ran three races over 1600m and in the fastest of these, a MR82 Handicap, the 3yo son of Captain Al, HEXATONIC gained his second win. Another to race from the front, Glen Kotzen’s charge also held a narrow lead for most of the journey before asserting his authority over the final 200m to score by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
Highly regarded by his trainer, the heavily supported DYNASTIC LIGHT won the maiden plate over 1600m easing down by three and a half.
Ready To Graduate
Hollywoodbets Greyville 16th October: The MR88 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1400m races that opened up the poly track card on Wednesday and here we saw a smart performance from the 5yo Oratorio gelding GRADUATE. Nicely positioned in fourth coming off the bend, Denis Bosch’s charge took up the running going through the 300m, and only having to be pushed out in the closing stages of the race, won with authority by two.
Two 1200m races followed and in the faster of these, a maiden plate, the Brett Crawford trained KINGSTON ROCK opened his account. Soon positioned close to the speed, the Bold Silvano gelding put his head in front 300m out and kept on strongly late to beat the running on SOLICITOR GENERAL by three quarters.
The bulk of the remainder of the races were staged over 1600m where the fastest of the three was the bill topping MR92 Handicap won by the column’s top rated runner SHE’S A DREAM. Nibbled at on course into 11/2 from 7’s, the lightly weighted Kahal mare was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the in-form CONNECT ME by a length and a half.
Titbits
Sent off as one of the rank outsiders of the eight horse party at 22/1, the sparingly raced Jay Peg mare MISSY J came from the rear when getting up late to win the MR67 Handicap over 1200m going away.
Not The Right Time
Vaal 17th October: Other than the first and the last, my clock suggests that the official timing left a lot to be desired at the classic track on Thursday.
All of races were maiden plates for workriders. Two 1000m events were first up and in the faster of these, the boy’s affair, the 3yo ANATOLIO opened his account. Sent off second in the betting market at 9/2, Ashley Fortune’s charge was soon positioned up with the speed. He had gone three lengths clear going through the 400m and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the running on TITELIST by two and a quarter.
Making a very smart debut in what proved to be the faster of the two 1200m events was the Mike De Kock trained newcomer MABELLA. Always in the red despite being pitched in against mainly colts, the daughter of Vercingetorix lost two lengths at the start and raced in the backend of midfield. Once given rein though she quickened well, and won going away by four and a half after striking the front 200m from home.
In terms of distance, the easiest victory on the card was recorded by CELESTE when getting off the mark in the 1450m event. Always available at around 5/1, Paul Peter’s charge led throughout. She began to assert her authority as they approached the 400m marker and went on to score with authority by five and a half.
Titbits
A low flying runner up in her only previous racecourse appearance, TIGERMIL again caught the eye when opening her account over 1000m. Racing very green, Sean Tarry’s charge won quite a bit more easily than the official winning margin of 0,9 lengths might suggest.
Ups And Downs
Fairview 18th October: They raced on the poly track on Friday where the only distance to stage more than one race was 1600m. The MR67 Handicap was the faster of the two and here victory went to the Alan Greeff trained ROCK ALOE. Always top of the boards despite easing out to 7/2 before the off, the Flower Alley gelding was always handy. He ran on strongly in the short home straight and in a race where less than 2,5 lengths covered all of the ten runners at the wire, he got up in the very last stride. Well thought of by his trainer, Rock Aloe has now won two from three.
A maiden plate over 1300m had gotten proceedings under way and here we saw a comfortable victory for the visiting LASATA. Backed into the red during the morning, Vaughan Marshall’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front going through the 300m and won well from the improving DIVINE LAW by a length and a quarter.
A conditions stakes over 2200m topped the bill and here a bit of an upset was to be had when the best bet on the card for many, MERYL got rolled. At the back when the six runners turned for home, Alan Greeff’s charge ran on strongly over the final 400m, but failed by a quarter to get to her stable companion DEILA’S DELIGHT (raced 5th early – led 300m).
Titbits
In the rear turning for home, the 14/10 favourite CALANDRA didn’t find the clearest of passages in the straight, and was flying at the finish when third in the maiden plate over 1600m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (3) Scottish Ally 14
Race 2: (12) Calandra 22 (NAP*)
Race 3: (9) Evermore 19
Race 4: (7) Born A Bully 50
Race 5: (4) Easybyfar 42
Race 6: (2) Dutch Philip 82
Race 7: (1) Foreign Source 55
Race 8: (11) Rock The Cot 40
Hollywoodbets Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (2) Live By Night 19
Race 2: (3) Royal View 17
Race 3: (5) Calvary 71
Race 4: (5) Railtrip 52
Race 5: (1) La Duchesse 13
Race 6: (1) Lanark 46
Race 7: (3) Sauvage 33
Race 8: (1) Academy Award 15
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Inside Politics 15
Race 2: (5) Cairon 30
Race 3: (2) Eightfolds Lass 44
Race 4: (7) Mighty Valdie 48
Race 5: (1) Glider Pilot 75
Race 6: (10) Hartleyfour 44
Race 7: (11) The Sands 64
Race 8: (7) The Sash 47
Race 9: (1) The Fifth Wave 44
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (7) Cyber Blossom 26
Race 2: (4) Golden Ducat 21
Race 3: (1) O Sole Mio 21
Race 4: (9) Track Attack 18
Race 5: (1) Vikram 59
Race 6: (4) Macthief 59
Race 7: (6) Athalia 52
Race 8: (1) Cabo Da Cruz 55
Fairview (sun)
Race 1: (1) Little Drummer Boy 35
Race 2: (5) World Squared 17
Race 3: (3) Alphabet Street 42
Race 4: (4) Chakri 64 (EW)
Race 5: (7) Jungle Fairy 43
Race 6: (13) Reach For The Line 71
Race 7: (15) Ollivander 72
Race 8: (3) Dynamic Diana 88
Race 9: (10) Alamito Bay 56
Top rated winners last week included
Sovereign Soldier won 10/1
She’s A Dream won 11/2
Mary O won 10/3
Snapscan won 26/10
Khopesh won 5/2
How And Why won 21/10
Silent Crusade won 13/10
Lasata won 17/20
Notebook:-
Dynastic Light (G Kotzen, W-Cape)
Tigermil (S Tarry, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Hollywoodbets Greyville 13th October
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,31s fast
1000m (3) Coyote Girl 57,62
1200m (1) Gwendolyn 71,14
1400m (2) Silent Crusade 82,18
1600m (1) Mary O 97,48
1900m (1) Self-Mastery 119,36
Durbanville 14th October
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,47s fast
1000m (3) Skidoo 57,97
1250m (1) Ikebana 75,13
1600m (3) Hexatonic 97,37
1800m (1) Head Honcho 107,34
Hollywoodbets Greyville ((poly) 16th October
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,37s slow
1000m (1) Zadora 58,92
1200m (2) Kingston Rock 72,43
1400m (2) Graduate 83,59
1600m (3) She’s A Dream 96,20
Vaal (classic) 17th October
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,06s slow
1000m (2) Anatolio 56,47*
1200m (2) Mabella 69,00*
1450m (1) Celeste 86,06*
1600m (1) Ice Lord 96,37*
1800m (1) Doubled Over 110.65
2400m (1) Out Of Your League 150,10
Fairview (poly) 18th October
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,21s slow
1000m (1) Barbarella Nights 57,53
1200m (1) Flame Of Fire 70,16
1300m (1) Lasata 76,28
1400m (1) Madame Speaker 81,54
1600m (2) Rock Aloe 97,31
1900m (1) Mahir 115,93
2200m (1) Deila’s Delight 138,43
