Bill’s Back
Turffontein 7th July: Four of the eight races on the old stand side track on Sunday were run over 1400m and comfortably the fastest of these was the MR84 Handicap won by ROCK A ROLL DANCER. Freely available at 9/2 on the off, Stuart Pettigrew’s charge raced fifth of the seven for most of the journey. She put her head in front shortly after passing the 400m marker and challenged strongly by GIMME HOPE JOHANNA she was made to work all the way to the wire.
The only other distance to stage more than one event was 1160m where the faster of the two was the pinnacle stakes won by Sporting Post’s best handicapped runner in the race PRETTY PENNY. Easy to back at 25/1 on the off, the lightly weighted daughter of Western Winter was soon up handy. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and got the verdict by a neck over another easy to back runner in FLYING WINGER.
Race five on the card was a pinnacle stakes over 2400m and here the progressive Fort Wood gelding HORACE extended his winning sequence to five. Always in the red, Ashley Fortune’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front 300m out and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three.
Titbits
The highly regarded BUFFALO BILL CODY showed his well-being in no uncertain terms when returning from a 28 week layoff to beat the useful CIRILLO by three and a quarter.
Veteran’s Day
Fairview 8th July: Monday’s action took place on the poly track where the fastest of the three 1200m events was the MR62 Handicap won by the 5yo mare BUSHY PARK. Nicely positioned in third as they entered the short home straight, Duncan McKenzie’s charge was ridden to lead 250m out and although LIGHT ON HER TOES challenged strongly in the closing stages of the race, she did have that one held by a length and a quarter at the wire.
The MR66 Handicap was the faster of the two 1000m races on the card and here it was nice to see the veteran FOR LUCK SAKE register his seventh career victory. Soon positioned close to the speed, the 7yo ran on stoutly over the final 400m and showing real guts and determination he got the verdict by a half over BARBARELLA NIGHTS.
The faster of the two 1600m handicaps that brought the meeting to a close was the MR72 affair in which another 7yo SHINE LIKE A STAR caused a major upset. Freely available at 30/1 on the off, Gavin Smith’s charge was content to sit in midfield during the early part of the race. He made his move early in the straight and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up in the very last stride to deny the 15/10 favourite DUBULA.
Titbits
Lightly raced HER EMINENCE showed considerable improvement when winning the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m very easily by four and a half.
Dropped 29 points in 6 Starts!
Kenilworth 9th July: A half of the races in the soft going in Cape Town on Tuesday were staged over 1200m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was FORTY DAYS in the MR64 Handicap. Dropped 29 points by the official Handicapper in just six starts, Forty Days found good outside support into 8/1 from 20’s. Positioned in midfield during the early part of the race, this 3yo son of Elusive Fort ran on strongly from halfway and in a blanket finish he got the verdict by a neck.
1400m was the only other distance to stage more than one event on the eight race program. The MR88 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two and here we saw another strong front running performance from the 3yo FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT. Soon a length and a half clear, Justin Snaith’s charge was always in command and ran out a comfortable winner by two.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by SAILING SHIP when getting off the mark in the girls’ division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m. At the head of affairs throughout, the heavily supported even money favourite asserted her authority going through the 400m and won very easily by four.
Titbits
In the rear turning for home, MAGIC MARY ran on strongly in the short old course home straight and did well to get within half a length of the winner DANCING SALLY.
Beating The Draw
Scottsville 10th July: If able to overcome his very wide draw SHANGO was always going to take some beating in the maiden plate over 1600m and so it proved to be. Drawn 14 of the fifteen that left the stalls, Shango was skilfully guided over by champion jockey Lyle Hewitson early on and was very quickly positioned in fourth. He was challenged strongly by the lightly raced DIVINE HUGH over the final 300m, but with the rest well beaten he got the better of that one by just over a half.
Two maiden events over 1000m had gotten proceedings underway and in the faster of these the lightly raced CANDLE COVE showed good improvement. Taken straight to the front by Musi Yeni, Candle Cove attempted to make all. He was headed by the well-supported favourite WINTER CHILL (a newcomer) 250m out, but rallying gamely he got back up 100m out to win going away.
The MR70 Handicap was the faster of the two 1200m races on the card and here victory went to the 3yo CELEBRATION ROCK. Taking a big drop in class here, Paul Lafferty’s charge led throughout. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest well beaten, he comfortably accounted for the fancied BLACKBURN ROC by a length and a half.
Titbits
SIMPLY RUSSIAN ran on well from off the pace when getting off the mark in the juvenile plate over 1500m.
Lengths To Spare
Vaal 11th July: The stable of Paul Peter have been in devastating form of late and they got off the mark at the first attempt here when the talented filly SARAH did the business in the opening juvenile plate over 1000m. Now a winner of three from six, the daughter of Western Winter was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three.
They also ran three races over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest time here was ON MY MIND when winning the maiden plate by a steeplechase margin. Sent off a well-supported second favourite, Sean Tarry’s charge made all. The field was very tightly bunched early on, but once given rein he drew clear very easily and came home lonely by seven.
Another to win with lengths to spare on this card was PRINCE JORDAN in the MR66 Handicap over 1600m. Racing off a mark some 17 points below that of his earlier best, Grant Maroun’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride when the gates opened and raced in the rear early on. Confidently ridden by Craig Zackey though, the Great Britain gelding struck the front 200m out and won going away by four and three quarters. One to look out for next time from this race is the lightly raced 3yo ZABARJAD. Another to run on stoutly from the rear, Paul Peter’s charge didn’t find the clearest of passages when the race began in earnest and can still improve plenty.
Titbits
Sent off joint favourite at 33/10, Candice Dawson’s newcomer SCARLET TIGER led throughout when winning the maiden plate over 1000m with some in hand by four and a half.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (6) Fashion Force 5
Race 2: (2) Bold Linngari 1
Race 3: (2) Elusive Green 10
Race 4: (7) Convention 16
Race 5: (12) Boldness 38
Race 6: (8) Three Times A Lady 46
Race 7: (6) Red Ginger 61
Race 8: (10) Di Me 50
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (8) Pop Icon 23
Race 2: (8) Initiator 24
Race 3: (2) Risk Taker 19 (nb)
Race 4: (5) Crazy Charlie 20
Race 5: (4) Gift For The Gap 76
Race 6: (7) Baahir 40
Race 7: (9) Dhabyaan 62
Race 8: (4) Mighty Storm 7
Race 9: (1) Princess Penelope 20 (NAP**)
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (7) Midwinter 7
Race 2: (1) Benicarlo 16
Race 3: (1) Captain’s Darling 28
Race 4: (2) Destruction Boy 15
Race 5: (9) Meliora 45
Race 6: (1) Platinum Class 77 (nb)
Race 7: (5) Run Fox Run 86 (NAP**)
Race 8: (11) Duchess Of Prussia 46
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (4) Electric Surge 8
Race 2: (8) Dutch Alley 23
Race 3: (2) Glacier Girl 6
Race 4: (10) Mambo Lyric 38
Race 5: (9) Green Caviar 26
Race 6: (14) Sherman 45
Race 7: (3) Sugar Girl 72 (NAP*)
Race 8: (2) Velvet Season 17
Top rated winners last week included
Shine Like A Star won 30/1
Prince Jordan won 22/1
Simply Russian won 9/1
Belle Of Paris won 7/1
De La Cruz won 15/4
Baron Rodney won 28/10
Sarah won 2/1
Philomena won 17/10
Notebook:-
Buffalo Bill Cody (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Scarlet Tiger (C Dawson, Gauteng)
Shango (S Tarry, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (stand side) 7th July
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,36s fast
1160m (2) Pretty Penny 65,75
1400m (4) Rock A Roll Dancer 84,61
1600m (1) Buffalo Bill Cody 96,61
2400m (1) Horace 149,35
Fairview (poly) 8th July
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,97s slow
1000m (2) For Luck Sake 58,16
1200m (3) Bushy Park 70,34
1300m (1) I Love Mambo 76,80
1600m (2) Shine Like A Star 97,26
Kenilworth (old) 9th July
Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 5,09s slow
1200m (4) Forty Days 76,15
1400m (2) Frank Lloyd Wright 90,42
1800m (1) Love Happens 115,98
2000m (1) Dancing Sally 134,12
Scottsville (inside) 10th July
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,16s slow
1000m (2) Candle Cove 56,92
1200m (2) Celebration Rock 68,36
1500m (1) Simply Russian 90,11
1600m (1) Shango 97,09
1950m (1) Before Noon 120,15
2400m (1) Belle Of Paris 154,51
Vaal 11th July
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,49s slow
1000m (3) Sarah 56,83
1200m (1) King Of The Delta 70,25
1400m (1) Rock Of Africa 82,31
1600m (3) On My Mind 95,49*
