Tactics The Key
Kenilworth 21st April: A maiden juvenile plate over 1400m was first up in Cape Town on Easter Monday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the Captain Al colt OCHONCAR. Backed into 13/2 from 20/1 during the morning, Justin Snaith’s charge made all. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and although both REBEL’S GAME and CHESTER’S WISH challenged strongly, he did have them both held at the wire.
In terms of distance, the easiest victory amongst the four maiden events was the length and a quarter recorded by GOGREASELIGHTNING in the girls’ 1200m affair. Always handy, the daughter of Jet Master took up the running going through the 200m, and kept on strongly late to beat the running on SISTER ACT. The runner up came from the rear and was steadily gaining at the finish.
The easiest victory overall was undoubtedly that of SOUK in the MR83 Handicap over 1600m. Usually one to make the running, the daughter of Greys Inn adopted a change of tactics here and raced towards the rear. She ran on best of all in the straight and cruised clear to score by three and a quarter after striking the front 150m from home.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1600m and the fastest of these was the bill topping MR88 Handicap won by PAOLO. The second of three winners on the card for trainer Justin Snaith, Paolo raced in midfield for most of the journey. He ran on strongly in the long new course straight and won going away from the hat-trick seeking pacemaker BLARNEY BAY by a length and a quarter. Third placed DESERT SWIRL ran on well from the back and was only beaten 1,35 lengths.
Titbits
MIDNIGHT MAGENTA and SNOW ON CEDARS both ran on strongly from the rear when 2nd and 3rd respectively in the maiden 1800m.
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Scientist Invents Winning
Flamingo Park 21st April: A slowly run maiden event over 1800m got proceedings underway in the Northern Cape on Monday and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the original favourite DERAQUA. Allowed to ease right out to 22/10 2nd fav from 14/10 at the track despite no real support for anything else, Kom Naidoo’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and won going away from the 2/1 favourite ASIATIC PEARL by three and a quarter.
A maiden plate over 1000m was next up and here it was nice to see the costly to follow BEACH BAR rescue his followers from near bankruptcy. Adopting similar tactics to those of Deraqua, the Mullins Bay colt won well by a length and three quarters after striking the front 100m out.
Another to find the winner’s enclosure after swelling the bookmaker’s satchels on numerous occasions was SCIENTIST in the maiden 1400m. Making his 42nd racecourse appearance here, the Joshua Dancer gelding led by two for most of the journey. The 66/1 shot MAGIC BOWL ran on stoutly over the final 400m and with the rest some three and a half lengths adrift, it was only by the narrowest of margins that Scientist held on.
A MR68 Handicap topped the very moderate bill and here victory went to the recent maiden winner MEAN LIKE MOM. Freely available at 50/1 on the off, Vernon Rugg’s charge raced third during the early part of the race. She was ridden to lead going through the 100m and in a race where less than a length separated the first five home, she got the verdict by a half.
Titbits
TAKE TWO TURNS won the girl’s maiden event over 1400m very comfortably by two and a quarter.
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Over One Million
Vaal 22nd April: Continuing the theme of finally breaking out of the maidens at the Vaal’s sand meeting on Tuesday was ROYAL STOCK in the opening event over 1000m. Making his 36th appearance in the maiden ranks here, the usually handy Atso gelding came from midfield. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and got up in the very last stride to deny another costly to follow runner in BATTLE OF ALMA (33/10 fav).
ACROSS THE ICE in the pinnacle event over 1200m was the best bet on the card for most and the 7yo son of Western Winter didn’t let down his supporters. Backed into 9/20 from 7/10 at the track, Sean Tarry’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He was asked to take up the running as they approached the 400m marker and won well from the staying on HANG FIRE (handy, led 500m) by a length and a quarter.
The faster of the two listed feature events over 1600m was the Highveld Sand Challenge contested by the boys and here the 6yo son of Kahal UNCLE TOMMY registered his eleventh success. The 11/10 favourite PYLON was the first to make a move and on striking the front 700m out it looked as if he would take his tally of wins into double figures. With the rest left a minimum of 15 lengths behind though, Uncle Tommy got the better of a thrilling tussle 150m from home and went on to score by a length and a quarter. A 2,4M purchase Uncle Tommy took his stake earnings to over R1M with this success.
Titbits
SILENT FORCE won the listed QUEEN OF THE SAND over 1600m with authority by four.
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On The Mark
Vaal 24th April: They raced on the outside track on Thursday where the easiest victory on the card was recorded by MIDDLE EARTH in the girl’s maiden juvenile plate over 1200m. Slow into stride in her first two starts, the well-supported 2/1 favourite broke well and was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and easily accounted for the friendless newcomer BAD DREAM (20/1 out to 50/1) by three and a half.
Four of the afternoon’s ten races were run over 1200m and the fastest of these was the MR76 Handicap won by Tzigane. Confidently ridden by apprentice Collen Storey, Barend Botes’ charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. Once given rein though, she quickened best of all and under a well-judged ride she got the better of the slightly more fancied SPRING BLASTER by a length.
The stable of Barend Botes were also on the mark in the MR68 Handicap over 1600m when SHE’S A LOOKER registered her second career victory. Another to run on stoutly from off the pace, the former Cape Town campaigner cut through the field like a knife over the final 300m and got up late to deny the easy to back APPLE TART.
Titbits
The Sean Tarry trained newcomer DAYLA ran on strongly from midfield when only beaten a length in the maiden 1000m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview Race 1: (3) Scuzami 8 Race 2: (9) Platinum Fox 20 Race 3: (4) Eye Spy 28 Race 4: (3) True Lonhro 29 Race 5: (1) Travel Up Front 41 Race 6: (9) Verlaine 47 Race 7: (8) Chill Factor 70 (EW) Race 8: (17) Mo’ Pepper 52 Turffontein Race 1: (11) Mystic Express 11 Race 2: (2) Sacred Ground 17 Race 3: (6) True Strength 49 Race 4: (3) Amaan 23 Race 5: (2) Waikato 23 Race 6: (7) Donna Datia 54 Race 7: (7) The Who 61 Race 8: (10) Catch A Thief 40 Greyville Race 1: (8) Private Number 11 Race 2: (6) Gameloft 9 Race 3: (1) Mumsy’s Jet 26 Race 4: (2) Captain’s Lullaby 78 Race 5: (11) Run Softly 57 Race 6: (2) Lanner Falcon 83 Race 7: (10) Arcetri Pink 93 Race 8: (2) Capetown Noir 98 Race 9: (5) De La Danza 53 Race 10: (1) Miesquesrok 29 Kenilworth Race 1: (1) Credibility 20 Race 2: (2) Door Of Deception 4 Race 3: (2) Heart Warming 30 Race 4: (8) Waters Edge 39 Race 5: (7) Grasp Your Destiny 79 Race 6: (8) Golden Crystal 61 Race 7: (1) Power King 72 (NAP*) Race 8: (5) Als Bonanza 58 (EW) Race 9: (3) Bandana Girl 16 .
Top rated winners last week included
Kantaka won 7/1 Magic Smoke won 7/1 Widgit won 5/1 Hostile Takeover won 9/2 Paradise Horse won 4/1 Wat’s Up Sarge won 28/10 Middle Earth won 2/1 Across The Ice won 9/20 .
Notebook:-
Souk (A Marcus, W-Cape)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherKenilworth (old) 21st April Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1200m (1) Gogreaselightning 73,22* 1400m (2) Ochoncar 88,22 1600m (4) Paolo 99,70 1800m (1) Chrisaldame 115,50 .
Flamingo Park 21st April Going Standard 1000m (2) Prolan 58,12 1400m (3) Mean Like Mom 87,55 1800m (3) San Vicenzo 115,28 .
Vaal (sand) 22nd April Going Standard 1000m (2) Trip Tease 59,58 1200m (3) Across The Ice 72,73 1450m (1) Ngiyashisa 92,80 1600m (2) Uncle Tommy 99,18 .
Vaal (outside) 24th April Penetrometer 20 – Going Good 1000m (2) Greasepaint 56,96 1200m (4) Tzigane 69,78 1400m (2) Victory Cruise 82,25 1600m (2) Yourmyeverything 96,62
