Impressive! Tandagree wins the third under Ray Danielson.
The moral issue of whether the racing operators should take their standard commission out of rain interrupted exotic pools raised its head following the abandonment of the Clairwood meet on 14 September.
While one understands that decisions are made with safety as a non-negotiable, the rules and policies might just warrant a revisit. Ask the 780 000 odd combinations that died in the PA second leg – and the faithful who patronise this game day in and day out.
All Pick Six bets were refunded as only one leg had been run, and many punters would have been smiling after the Lafferty bomb in the fourth race had seen many players consigned to whinger’s corner for a short period. Place Accumulator punters would have been less pleased though, as a dividend of R20-60 was declared as two legs had been run.
We accept that only some of the people can be kept happy some of the time, and there will always be those suited and those less suited by whatever decision is made. That said, with only two PA legs run, surely the operator should not be profiting from the washout and they should be entitled to a proportionate takeout only – in this case, about 27% (that is about 2/7ths) of their usual grab?
On course Tellytrack presenter Paul Lafferty reported prior to the delayed first race that following a track inspection, the jockeys and Stipes had agreed to race. The usual ‘we will give each other a bit of space’ attitude was communicated by the jockeys following evidence of a wet patch down the inside rail near the 1200m start. The new grass had apparently not yet had a chance to knit at this spot. The rain had obviously been coming down and the penetrometer reading was adjusted over the course of the morning from an okay 21 to 26. Which one feels should have also been okay, surely?
The bottom line here is that there were more losers than winners on an afternoon scripted by a less than satisfactory track surface, inclement weather and mathematics. And that is not good for horseracing.
A snap race by race pen-pic of a far too brief day:
No bull! Avontuur's MJ Bylveld rode a superb race in the first.
The first race, a Maiden Plate(F&M) over 1600m, saw Anton Marcus riding the favourite Moet Magic for the Sean Tarry yard. MJ Byleveld rode a beautiful race to score from a 17 draw on the Duncan Howells trained Meriden, who led most of the way. With the going badly cut up down the inside, the pack came down the outside of the home straight. The King Of Kings filly Princess Rasta made an eyecatching debut when running on smoothly down the middle for second place. Her consistent stablemate Little Swan stayed on for a moderate third.The fancied Moet Magic ran a disappointing sixth.
The second race, a Maiden Plate over 1450m, had the Mike De Kock-trained Hollywood Chief posted as favourite. The Pat Lunn colt Hammersley made the early pace and as the field turned for home Anton Marcus sent the first-timer Poweroftheflower forward down the inside. The Albert Hall gelding kept up an impressively resolute gallop but was collared late by the 20-1 outsider Rheims, who flew down the middle. This Alec Laird inmate had returned from gelding and a two month rest, and relished the going.
The third race, a Maiden Plate over 1450m saw the favourite Khetha under Anton Marcus cutting out a useful gallop up front. Turning for home Marcus kept the son of Kahal down the middle inside of the track, but he proved no match for the consistent Bezrin colt Tandragee who had stalked his prey the whole way. Raymond Danielson clinched this win under a hands and heels ride and whoever signed the R50 000 sales slip at Grandwest for this lovely chestnut deserves a pat on the back!
The fourth race,a Maiden Plate over 2500m, produced the Hiroshima moment of the short afternoon. The Pat Lunn-trained League Of His Own was expected to follow up on his two recent second places, but he was well beaten in a race that changed complexion five times in the straight. Lowan Denysschen’s Kiriya ensured a good gallop with Swazi Gold and Height Of Humour in close attendance. In the home straight Dichotoma dashed down the inside with Approach The Judge and Earl De Grey looking dangerous. In the final 200m though, apprentice Keegan De Melo brought the longshot Pamina through from last to bob and weave her way through and get up to beat the improved Approach The Judge. Paul Gadsby’s Pay Packet pipped Earl De Grey in a PA result of note.
And that was it – game, set and match. We have got to find a more workable solution!
