A Merry Dance
Clairwood 2nd March: A maiden juvenile plate over 1200m got proceedings underway at the garden course on Sunday and here we saw a smart performance from the newcomer THE ROYAL RHUMBA. Freely available at 13/1 on the off, Kom Naidoo’s charge lost two lengths at the start and very quickly found himself positioned in the rear. He had to switch across the back of the field twice whilst looking for a run and did well to get up, let alone win going away by a length and a quarter.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card came in the maiden juvenile 1000m in which the favourite SLUICE GATE did the business. Always in the red, the daughter of Rebel King was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 400m and despite hanging badly at times she went on to win with authority by four and a quarter.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1400m and the fastest of these was the MR70 Handicap won by VENTURA. Allowed to drift as if a win was out of the question at the track (5/1 out to 12/1), the daughter of Go Deputy raced fifth for most of the journey. She began to take closer order as the 5yo LANGOUSTIER took up the running 400m out, and with the rest some six lengths adrift she got up to deny that one in the very last stride.
There were also three races over 1200m and the quickest against the clock here was the 3yo PEJ when winning the graduation plate. Taken straight to the front by Anton Marcus, the daughter of Kahal led throughout. She was always clear and won without any anxious moments by three.
Titbits
Lightly raced SAN TRIP finished best of all when only beaten a neck in the maiden 1450m.
The recent maiden winner CLIPPERTON ISLAND didn’t find the clearest of passages when fourth in the MR78 Handicap over 1500m.
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Smart Local Debut
Flamingo Park 3rd March: Favourite backers got off to a good start in the Eastern Cape on Monday when JACOBUS MAXIMUS did the business in the opening maiden event over 2200m. It was by no means as easy as the betting had suggested though. All out over the final 300m, the 4yo son of Mogok only got the verdict over PACIFIC SOUND by the narrowest of margins.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1600m and the fastest of these was the pinnacle stakes won by the well supported second favourite DESERT BREEZE. Backed into 3/1 from 7’s, the bottom weight raced fourth of the five for most of the journey. She ran on best of all in the home straight and got up late to deny the 7/1 shot QUICK GLANCE.
There were also three races run over 1200m and quickest against the clock here was VICTORIA PARK in the MR62 Handicap. Taken straight to the front by Musi Yeni, the Battersea Park filly led throughout. She was always a couple clear and won without any anxious moments.
The easiest victory on the card was undoubtedly that of PRECIOUS PRISCILLA who came home smoking in the maiden 1200m. Swiftly guided over from a widish draw by Gunter Wrogemann, Dorrie Sham’s charge was nicely positioned in fifth as they came off the bend. She moved through to take up the running at the 500m pole and drew clear in good style from there onwards to score on her local debut by six and a quarter.
Titbits
Easily nine lengths off the pace turning for home, NEW CIRCLE ran on stoutly from the rear when only failing to get up by the narrowest of margins in the MR78 Handicap over 1200m.
IMPERANI ran on well from the back end of midfield when completing a double in the MR66 Handicap over 1600m.
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Classy Treble
Fairview 7th March: There were a number of easy victories in Port Elizabeth on Friday, but none more so than that of CHESTNUT’S ROCKET in the listed Ibhayi Stakes for 3yo’s over 1400m. The second of three winners on the card for visiting Cape Town trainer Vaughan Marshall, the son of Horse Chestnut led throughout. He was two lengths clear entering the long home straight and despite the efforts of both GLENTON and KING OF INDIANS over the final 400m he extended his advantage to six and a half.
Another to win with authority on this card was EVENING ROSE in the opening maiden event over 1600m. Sent off second in the betting market at 15/4, the well tried Silvano mare was always handy. She moved through to take up the running as they approached the 300m pole and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by five and a quarter.
Race six on the card was a conditions plate over 2400m and here it was nice to see the once highly regarded Dubai Gina register her fourth career victory. Third in the Gr3 Victress Stakes during the recent Western Cape summer season, Vaughan Marshall’s charge was always poised to strike. She did so 500m from home and went on to score comfortably from the friendless HAZEL JAY by two and a quarter.
The fastest of the afternoon’s three 1200m races was the MR92 Handicap in which the rank outsider of the six horse party RANSOM OF CHOICE caused a major upset. Priced up at 30/1on the off, Tara Laing’s charge raced third early on some four lengths off the front running TENNESSEE STRATEGY. 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 his stable companion (the favourite) VAUCLAIR.
Titbits
ANZAC (midfield, led 200m) and GREYSTONE (2nd last, baulked 300m) both ran on strongly when 1st & 2nd respectively in the MR72 Handicap over 1400m.
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In The Country
Durbanville 8th March: A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m was first up at the country course on Saturday and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the deposed favourite OLYMPIAN. Allowed to ease right out to 15/10 from 8/10 at the track as money in the main came for PIGEON FLYER, the son of Scarlet Letter was taken straight to the front by M J Byleveld and led throughout. He skipped three lengths clear early in the straight and held that advantage over the final 300m.
Another to win well from the front on this card was BLARNEY BAY in the MR72 Handicap over 1400m. Backed into favouritism at the track, the son of Nysaean led by just a length coming off the bend. He quickly extended his advantage to four in the straight and although the deposed favourite PHIRI E KWATILE ran on stoutly in the closing stages of the race, he couldn’t make any impression.
The faster of the two 1200m events on the eight race program was SILVER BLUFF in the MR72 Handicap. Always handy the well supported 22/10 favourite took up the running shortly after passing the 500m marker and just had enough in hand to beat the steadily gaining veteran WISE CHOICE by a neck.
Titbits
STRIDE OUT was baulked for a run 450m out and then had to switch 200m later before getting up late to win the maiden event for the girls over 1400m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview Race 1: (3) True Lonhro 25 Race 2: (3) Amarillo Starlight 23 Race 3: (13) Ivanka 18 Race 4: (10) Beshayer 42 Race 5: (8) Ming Warrior 55 Race 6: (10) Gypsy Lane 55 Race 7: (1) Sea Cat 58 (NAP*) Race 8: (3) Cotton Candy 16 Race 9: (13) Mia Forza 59 Turffontein Race 1: (1) Manzai 26 Race 2: (6) Lady Ky 13 Race 3: (5) Isphan 17 (NAP*) Race 4: (1) Sausalito Bay 16 Race 5: (10) Skitt Skizzle 103 Race 6: (8) Yer-Maan 95 Race 7: (10) Hawaiian Sun 69 Race 8: (5) Rodeo Sioux 61 Race 9: (8) Sabre Tooth 54 Race 10: (2) Hard Rock 75 Race 11: (14) Noah Forever 51 Race 12: (5) Adi Star 46 Kenilworth Race 1: (2) Simply Black 27 Race 2: (1) Aspen 9 Race 3: (6) Paradise Horse 16 Race 4: (9) Vale 62 Race 5: (6) Epic Tale 73 Race 6: (7) Money Surger 59 Race 7: (1) Gulf Storm 61 Race 8: (2) House Of Lorraine 19 Clairwood Race 1: (2) Salander 25 Race 2: (9) Ravishing Star 22 Race 3: (1) King’s Legacy 25 Race 4: (14) San Trip 25 NAP*) Race 5: (14) Sebastian Bolt 52 Race 6: (1) Harry’s Son 28 Race 7: (2) Pine Princess 27 Race 8: (1) Northern Emperor 84 Race 9: (3) West End 65 Race 10: (3) High On Rebellion 44 .
Top rated winners last week included
Ransom Of Choice won 30/1 Desert Breeze won 3/1 Polychromatic won 28/10 Pej won 2/1 Astro Vision won 14/10 Chestnut’s Rocket won 12/10 Sluice Gate won 17/20 Dubai Gina won 11/20 .
Notebook:-
Greystone (D Sham, E-Cape) Stride Out (B Crawford, W-Cape) The Royal Rhumba (K Naidoo, KZN) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherClairwood 2nd March Penetrometer 22 – Going Good 1000m (1) Sluice Gate 58,74 1200m (3) Pej 69,03 1400m (3) Ventura 86,32 1500m (1) Translator 89,43 1800m (1) Captain’s Daughter 108,60 .
Flamingo Park 3rd March Going Standard 1000m (1) Hidden Rave 57,78 1200m (3) Victoria Park 72,90* 1600m (3) Desert Breeze 99,63 1800m (1) Astro Vision 115,84 2200m (1) Jacobus Maximus 151,35 .
Fairview (turf) 7th March Going 1000m (1) Typhoon Tess 58,29 1200m (3) Ransom Of Choice 69,87 1400m (2) Chestnut’s Rocket 83,89 1600m (2) Evening Rose 99,56 2400m (1) Dubai Gina 155,29 .
Durbanville 8th March Going 1000m (1) Olympian 60,54 1200m (2) Silver Bluff 73,27 1400m (2) Blarney Bay 84,20 1600m (1) Naval Intelligence 99,38 2000m (1) Counting Angels 124,98 2400m (1) Private Doowaley 155,40
