Enjoying The Ride
Scottsville 27th September: A maiden plate for the girls over 1200m got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the newcomer DEEP DOWN REBEL. Nibbled at into 9/1 from 25’s at the track, Kom Naidoo’s charge was soon in touch with the leaders. She put her head in front going through the 100m and drew clear easily below the distance to score by two and three quarters.
There were five races run over 1200m in total and the fastest of the these was the bill topping MR100 Handicap won by FLYFIRSTCLASS. The son of Kahal got away well when the gates opened and taken straight to the front by Alec Forbes, led throughout. He kept on strongly over the final 400m and although both ROYAL ZULU WARRIOR and the 7/10 favourite DE KOCK chased hard, he won comfortably by a length and a quarter.
The faster of the two 1400m maiden events was the boy’s affair in which IN YOUR DREAMS opened his account. Nicely positioned in sixth turning for home, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge was initially ridden to lead 200m out. He was headed by the uneasy favourite THE DEACON 100m later, but fought back gamely in the closing stages of the race to win by three quarters.
The one remaining race was staged over 2400m and here the 4yo MUSUCHELALOMISSUS got off the mark. Always handy, the son of Trippi took up the running as they approached the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the latter stages to score by four and three quarters.
Titbits
CYCLONE SASSY won the girl’s division of the maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1400m easing down by two and a half.
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Four From Thirteen
Vaal 29th September: They raced on the outside track on Tuesday where victory in the fastest of the three 1600m events, a MR82 Handicap, went to PENNINGTON SANDS. Backed into joint favouritism before the off, Tyrone Zackey’s charge raced third of the six for most of the journey. She quickened nicely when the race developed into a sprint and won well by three quarters after taking up the running 150m out.
There was also three races run over 1200m and quickest home amongst these was PACIFICA in the MR85 Handicap. Well supported into 5/1 from 10’s, the lightly weighted daughter of Lecture was always handy. She took up the running shortly after passing the 200m pole and comfortably accounted for the regular place getter TELL MY STAR by a length and a quarter.
Surprisingly the faster of the two handicaps over 1400m was the MR72 affair in which VAR BAY registered his fourth career victory from just thirteen starts. On leaving the stalls it was STRONGMIND who elected to make the running and that one was very quickly four lengths clear. The pack closed in quickly when Strongmind began to tire late on though, and in a blanket finish Lucky Houdalakis’ charge got the verdict by a half.
Titbits
ELUSIVE PROPHECY ran on well from midfield when winning the maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1600m going away.
Lightly raced SAMURAI BLADE cruised clear over the final 350m when winning the maiden plate over 1600m very easily by five and a quarter.
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No Favs
Durbanville 30th September: The locals got off to a rough start at the country course on Wednesday when the newcomer HANABI got off the mark. Freely available at 16/1 on the off, Eric Sands’ charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She quickened well in a tightly grouped field 300m out and well by three quarters from her similarly unfancied stable companion GIN FOR GENIUS.
Run in a faster time was the MR68 Handicap over 1000m in which ACACIAWOOD registered her second career victory. Soon up handy from her gate two draw, the daughter of Captain Al put her head in front going through the 100m and with the rest well beaten she beat the favourite SILVER BANSHEE by a half.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was BUFFALO TRIP in the MR78 Handicap. Always handy in what soon became a very strung out field, the son of Trippi ran on strongly over the final 400m and got up late to beat the easy to back CAPSTONE VON KLUH by a length.
A MR83 Handicap topped the bill and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1600m events the top weight MA CHOIX landed the spoils. Nicely positioned in fifth coming off the bend, the Choisir mare was ridden to lead 100m out by Aldo Domeyer and kept on strongly late to fend off the determined ASHRAM by a half.
Titbits
The nibbled at GOOD GRACE ran on well from midfield when winning the MR67 Handicap over 1600m going away.
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245000 For 1
Vaal 1st October: Thursday’s action took place on the sand where the faster of the two 1000m races was the MR68 Handicap won by the mare SLICK DEPUTY. Sent off a joint favourite at 28/10, Roy Magner’s charge raced fifth of the six for most of the trip. She quickened best of all from halfway and won going away by three and a half after striking the front 200m out.
Race three on the card was a maiden plate over 1200m and here it was nice to see the 5yo BUDDY’S FALCON finally escape the maiden ranks. Making her 66th racecourse appearance here, the Surging River mare was always in touch with the leaders. She ran on strongly from halfway and won comfortably by a length and a half from VOLUPTIOUS LADY. Buddy’s Falcon has now amassed stake earnings of over R245000.
The easiest victory on the card was undoubtedly that of COLONEL ROCKJAW in the lucky last, a MR68 Handicap. Backed into 16/10 from 5/2 at the track, St John Gray’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m marker and went on to score easing down by seven and a half.
Titbits
SON OF APPROVAL ran on well from midfield when registering his fourth career victory in the MR72 Handicap over 1200m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Dreamforest 14
Race 2: (1) Al-Amadi 11
Race 3: (3) Winter Fantasy 54
Race 4: (1) Kumiko 50 (NAP**)
Race 5: (6) Evil Woman 27
Race 6: (4) Russian Mig 79
Race 7: (10) The Helmsman 69
Race 8: (11) Storming Home 55 (EW)
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (2) La Gitano 17
Race 2: (1) Relish 25 (EW)
Race 3: (8) Aficionado 19 (NAP**)
Race 4: (13) Supreme Power 47
Race 5: (9) Entrée 57
Race 6: (5) Dream Bay 41
Race 7: (7) Sutherfeni 48
Race 8: (4) Rainier 43
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (3) Dolphin 23
Race 2: (10) Machismo 17
Race 3: (11) Terepova 13
Race 4: (2) Tripadvisor 20
Race 5: (5) Pacifica 47
Race 6: (1) Persian Rug 43
Race 7: (1) Regal Rose 44
Race 8: (6) Top Shot 56
Race 9: (5) Joan Ranger 36
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (4) Supercilious 23
Race 2: (4) League Of Legends 16
Race 3: (1) Mount Fuji 8
Race 4: (8) Summer Cruise 48
Race 5: (9) In The Know 34
Race 6: (6) Tigeress Dance 61
Race 7: (10) I Am The Law 70
Race 8: (6) Magical Bet 44
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (7) Simla 16
Race 2: (7) Bagger Vance 29
Race 3: (4) Just Like Magic 25
Race 4: (6) Toll Free 13
Race 5: (1) Barbosa 94 (NAP*)
Race 6: (2) Miss Argentina 55
Race 7: (2) Nineteen Fourteen 62
Race 8: (5) Mission Rapids 70 (EW)
Race 9: (13) Lady Cougar 64
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Top rated winners last week included
Buddy’s Falcon won 9/2
Harry Da Wheels won 9/2
Champagne Haze won 7/2
Eastern Charm won 3/1
Giveusagrand won 3/1
Rouge Berry won 5/4
Nottinghamshire won 11/10
Act Of War won 1/3
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Notebook:-
Samurai Blade (D Zaki, Gauteng)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 27th September
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1200m (5) Flyfirstclass 69,05
1400m (2) In Your Dreams 84,42
2400m (1) Musuchelalomissus 152,35
Vaal (outside) 29th September
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1200m (3) Pacifica 71,31
1400m (2) Var Bay 84,05
1600m (3) Pennington Sands 97,63
Durbanville 30th September
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1000m (2) Acaciawood 60,87
1400m (3) Buffalo Trip 85,50
1600m (2) Ma Choix 98,84
2000m (1) Eastern Charm 129,51
Vaal (sand) 1st October
Going Standard
1000m (2) Slick Deputy 59,60
1200m (2) Son Of Approval 73,29
1450m (2) Formal Request 90,80
1600m (1) Oriental Blue 101,14
1800m (1) Colonel Rockjaw 114,91
