Optimistic Heights
Vaal 29th November: The smartest performance in the maiden ranks at the Vaal’s turf meeting on Thursday was undoubtedly that of SPARTAN PRINCESS in the girl’s 1200m event. Sent off second favourite at 3/1 (op 7/2), Sean Tarry’s charge led throughout. She kept up a healthy gallop throughout and although the consistent ANTIGUA tried her best to make a race of it, she went on to score very comfortably by a length and a quarter.
The afternoon’s feature event was a Graduation Plate, and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1200m races, MOON OF RANGOON caused an upset. Allowed to ease right out to 16/1 from 10’s at the track, the 4yo son of Mogok raced third in what was always a very tightly bunched field. He quickened best of all at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the much more fancied CALL THE CHALLENGE by a length and a half.
With talk of being aimed at the Derby DOUBLE BIND was all the rage to win the MR72 affair over 2400m and he didn’t let down his supporters. Backed into 22/10 from 7/2 on course, Tyrone Zackey’s charge was content to sit in midfield for most of the journey. He began to take closer order 600m out and won comfortably by a length and a half after getting the better of the pacemaker COSTSAVER 100m from home.
Titbits
Clear throughout, the 3yo daughter of Jet Master BHANOYI won the maiden event over 1800m without any anxious moments.
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In The Genes
Fairview 30th November: They raced in Port Elizabeth on Friday where we saw a very impressive performance in the maiden event over 1600m from the only newcomer in the sixteen runner field BURLAINE FOREST. Freely available at 18/1 on the off, the half brother to the very useful local runner FOREST DIGGER raced in the rear early on and was still there 500m out. Once realising what was expected of him though the son of Tambulaine quickened well and in eye catching fashion he got up late to win going away. One to follow.
The fastest run of the three 1600m events on the card was the MR72 affair in which the 6yo SENOR DOBA registered his second career victory. Sent off as one of the rank outsiders of the sixteen horse party at 50/1, Dorrie Sham’s charge was soon up handy. He was asked to take up the running going through the 200m and kept on strongly late to beat the staying on pacemaker HIDDEN RESERVE by a length and a quarter.
There were also three 1000m events on the card and the fastest of these was the MR78 Handicap won by CAMANCHO. On leaving the stalls it was the uneasy bookmaker’s favourite STARS AND STRIPES (33/10 out to 4/1) who elected to make the running whilst the lightly weighted Camancho sat a few lengths away in midfield. He ran on stoutly under apprentice Teague Gould over the final 400m and in a race where only a neck separated the first three home, he got up in the very last stride.
Titbits
BATH OLIVER ran on from the rear when third beaten just 1,35 lengths in the MR72 Handicap over 1600m.
TYPHOON TASH also came from the rear when a three quarter length second in the MR72 affair over 1400m
Fourth placed MEGA MEL ran on best of all in the second division of the girl’s MR72 Handicap over 1400m.
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Fastest Time
Turffontein 1st November: The Tiger Ridge gelding WAGNER won a MR92 Handicap in a faster time than that of the Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes last time out (the only other race on the card over 1800m), but it was still a surprise to many when he landed the afternoon’s feature event, the prestigious Gr1 Summer Cup. Nibbled at throughout the day into 16/1 from 40’s, Joey Soma’s charge again made all. He kept on doggedly at the business end of this 2000m event and he did have the second and third place runners held at the wire.
There were three graded events amongst the six races run over 1600m, but the best performance on the clock came in the MR100 Handicap won by BARACAH. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened Sean Tarry’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. EMPEROR AUGUSTA was the first to make a move and on striking the front 250m from home he looked to have the race sewn up. Baracah was running on strongly at that stage though and with the rest well beaten he did well to get up in the very last stride.
Amongst the four winning favourites on the twelve race program was the Dingaans’ winner THE HANGMAN. Heavily supported at the track into 15/20 from 16/10, last season’s Gr1 Premiers’ Champion Stakes winner The Hangman was always handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m marker and although the two Geoff Woodruff runners SABADELL and KILLUA CASTLE both ran on well from off the pace to take second and third positions, he went on to score very comfortably by two.
Titbits
Running on stoutly from the rear ASTRO NEWS finished best of all in the Summer Cup and was only beaten by a length and a quarter.
Poorly drawn SKY PIRATE came from the backend of midfield when getting up late to win the maiden event over 1600m.
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Going Away
Clairwood 2nd November: The best bet on the card for many at the garden course on Sunday was the well weighted GENERAL SHERMAN in the MR80 Handicap over 1450m. Confidently ridden by Brandon Lerena, the well supported 13/20 favourite (op 9/10) raced eighth of the ten for most of the trip. Once given rein though he quickened well and in what proved to be the fastest of the four events over the distance, he got up late to win going away.
Another to win well in the hands of Brandon Lerena on this card was CHOIR MAIDEN in the MR78 Handicap over 1000m. Adopting the same tactics as those used successfully aboard General Sherman, the 3yo Choir Maiden cut through the field like a knife at the business end of the race and cruised clear late to win with authority by two and a quarter.
In terms of distance the easiest victory in the maiden ranks was recorded by PRAYER OF PRAISE in the girl’s 1450m event. Soon up handy, the well exposed daughter of Slew The Red raced prominent throughout. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to score by three and a half.
Titbits
After losing a length at the start, ORANGE BLOSSOM ran on well from towards the rear when winning the MR68 affair over 1450m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (12) With Passion 16 Race 2: (10) Annamalai 14 Race 3: (4) Boundless Blue 35 Race 4: (10) Admiral John Peter 49 Race 5: (7) Zulu King 29 Race 6: (4) Bluemambo 57 Race 7: (14) Fancy Footwork 50 Race 8: (10) Fleuriste 37 Race 9: (11) Change Your Mind 31 Vaal (tues) Race 1: (1) Distinctly 17 Race 2: (1) Kings Bounty 17 Race 3: (2) Hello Polly 7 Race 4: (7) Eva Tibbs 22 (NAP*) Race 5: (14) Legal Account 47 Race 6: (11) Red Sox 44 Race 7: (9) Jellie Tot 50 Race 8: (11) Prime Mover 84 Race 9: (8) Made Of Magic 64 Greyville Race 1: (1) Cadilac Palace 31 Race 2: (8) Alexander 16 Race 3: (14) Moulin Noir 54 Race 4: (2) Saddle Me Up 49 (EW) Race 5: (13) Gandolf The Great 58 Race 6: (6) Chief Pigeon 67 (EW) Race 7: (2) Zire Special 41 Race 8: (3) Winds Of Noordhoek 28 Kenilworth Race 1: (1) Slavetotherhythm 9 Race 2: (3) Sunshine Rock 61 (NAP*) Race 3: (2) Ashton Park 20 Race 4: (6) Stormin Cat 15 Race 5: (3) Here I Am 46 Race 6: (3) Tipo Tinto 62 Race 7: (10) Talent Scout 55 Race 8: (15) Blushing Grey 53 Vaal (thur) Race 1: (6) Pardon 7 Race 2: (4) Stylish Bay 19 Race 3: (6) Go Foxy 32 Race 4: (6) Golden Veil 59 Race 5: (13) Club Captain 46 Race 6: (11) Fantasia Island 86 Race 7: (10) Jolly Good Sir 59 Race 8: (8) Al Felon 45 Race 9: (11) Just Knock 53 .
Top rated winners last week included
Captain’s Lullaby won 28/10 Celebration won 28/10 Prayer Of Praise won 28/10 French Filly won 22/10 Mozart Memorial won 17/10 General Sherman won 13/20 Big City Angel won 7/10 Irrebuttable won 7/20 .
Notebook:-
Astro News (B Wiid, Gauteng) Burlaine Forest (Y Bremner, E-Cape) Sky Pirate (W Marwing, Gauteng) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherVaal (inside) 29th November Penetrometer 20 Going – Good 1000m (2) Howhighcanufly 57,58 1200m (2) Moon Of Rangoon 70,12* 1400m (2) Chop Suey 82,55* 1800m (1) Bhanoyi 110,80 2400m (1) Double Bind 148,77 .
Fairview 30th November Penetrometer 20 Going – Good 1000m (3) Camancho 56,08 1400m (2) Daffodil Day 84,00 1600m (3) Senor Doba 97,44 1800m (1) Mozart Memorial 111,47* .
Turffontein (old) 1st December Penetrometer 22 Going – Good 1160m (3) Jackodore 65,65 1600m (6) Baracah 95,66 2000m (2) Wagner 122,23 3200m (1) Avenue Of Gold 208,68 .
Clairwood 2nd December Penetrometer 25 Going – G/Soft 1000m (2) Choir Maiden 57,11 1200m (2) Commodity Strike 69,93 1450m (4) General Sherman 86,45 2000m (1) Double First 124,13
