Worth A Few Bob
Vaal 3rd July: The only distance to stage more than one race on the inside track on Tuesday was 1400m where marginally the fastest of the three events was the opening maiden plate won by OLOFBERG. Easy to back at 13/1 on the off, Paul Matchett’s charge made all. He was always clear and won without any anxious moments by a length and three quarters.
Another to win with authority in the maiden ranks on this card was BIG MYTH when getting off the mark in the 1700m affair. Deep in the red at 9/20, the daughter of Big Brown also made all. She raced two and a half lengths clear for most of the journey before extending her advantage to four and a quarter over the final 400m.
A MR92 Handicap over 1200m topped the bill and here we saw a smart performance from the lightly raced PRETTY PENNY. Now a winner of three from four, Alec Laird’s charge was yet another to race from the front. She was always in command and quickened away nicely in the closing stages of the race to score by four and three quarters
Titbits
The 3yo DEFY GRAVITY ran on well from midfield when comfortably accounting for his thirteen rivals in the MR72 Handicap over 1800m.
Stuck In Jail
Kenilworth 4th July: This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place at Durbanville. Four of the nine races on Wednesday were staged over 1400m. The MR70 Handicap was the fastest of these and here the recent maiden winner GRAND SILVANO completed a quick double. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the running on PARA HANDY by three quarters.
The two 1000m races were both juvenile plates and quickest home here was VODKA LIME in the girl’s affair. Freely available at 71/10 on the off, the daughter of Captain Al was taken straight to the front by Greg Cheyne and led throughout. She only had to be pushed out at the business end of the race and won with plenty in hand by three and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1600m where not surprisingly the quicker was the bill topping MR90 Handicap won by HEMMINGWAY. Soon positioned close to the speed, Hemmingway was always poised to strike. He did so 150m out and just had enough in hand to beat the luckless JAILHOUSE ROCK by the narrowest of margins. Positioned in fifth turning for home, the runner up battled to get a clear run in the straight and flying at the finish, he only lost out on the nod.
Titbits
Always handy, ROCK OF ASIA won the opening juvenile plate over 1000m going away with some in hand.
Dazzling Palace
Vaal 5th July: A work rider’s maiden plate over 2000m got proceedings underway at the classic track on Thursday and here we saw a much improved performance from the 3yo AFRICA’S GOLD. The field was always very tightly bunched and although the son of Judpot raced in the rear he was only three and a quarter lengths off the speed. He ran on best of all over the final 400m and won going away by three quarters after striking the front close home.
Two maiden juvenile plates over 1000m were next up and clocking the faster time in these was GANESH TALAI when getting off the mark in the boy’s division. Making his first racecourse appearance here, the Philanthropist gelding also came from off them. He struck the front 120m out, and won going away by a length and a quarter.
A MR94 Handicap over 1450m topped the bill and in what proved to be the faster of the two events over the distance, PERA PALACE scored a gutsy victory. Taken straight to the front by apprentice Luke Ferraris, Paul Peter’s charge was headed going through halfway and looked destined for a place. He regained the lead 500m out though, and went on to score with authority from the running on COUNT TASSILO by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
Lightly raced DANCING QUEEN was always in command when cruising in by five in the girl’s division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1000m.
Flying Start
Turffontein 7th July: Favourite backers got off to a nice start at Saturday’s old stand side track meeting when CIRILLO did the business in the opening juvenile plate over 1400m. Confidently ridden by Chase Maujean, the son of Pomodoro was positioned at the back of the seven going through the 400m. Once given rein though he quickened by far the best, and won going away by two and a half after striking the front 210m from home.
Marginally the faster of the two 2000m events was the graduation plate in which the 3yo PUGET SOUND registered his third career victory. At the helm for most of the journey, the Sail From Seattle gelding was headed by the favourite FOREST EXPRESS 220m out, but fought back gamely below the distance to get back up late.
The pinnacle stakes was the faster of the two races over 1600m and here we saw a comfortable victory for the 3yo SARAGON. Always handy, the daughter of Ideal World quickened nicely from the 400m marker and got up late to deny DESERT RHYTHM (raced handy – led 300m).
Titbits
Returning from a 34 week break here, MUSIGNY made all when comfortably accounting for his six rivals in the maiden plate over 1160m.
In Quick Succession
Turffontein 8th July: The action switched to the inner track for Sunday’s meeting where the fastest of the three 1000m races was the maiden plate won by SWEET TRIAL. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 2/1, Roy Magner’s charge was soon up handy. He ran on strongly from halfway and got the better of the fancied COASTAL TORRENT by a half.
They also ran three races over 1200m and quickest home amongst these was BENJI in the juvenile plate. Another to race handy, the son of Elusive Fort put his head in front 350m out and with the rest some 3,5 lengths adrift, he beat the always handy HIT THE GREEN by three quarters.
The faster of the two 1600m events was the MR72 Handicap won by the second favourite TRIP TO PARADISE. Content to amble along eleventh of the twelve, the 5yo son of Trippi cut through the field quickly when given rein. He struck the front 150m out and kept on strongly late to beat LUTE SOCIETY (also came from the rear) by a half.
Titbits
The best bet on the card for many, LONG POND was always in command when opening her account in the maiden plate over 1600m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (5) European Roller 5
Race 2: (1) Countess Cantabria 7
Race 3: (7) Adalberto 16
Race 4: (13) Shantytown 37
Race 5: (11) Meritocracy 38 (NAP*)
Race 6: (7) Pacific Spirit 62 (nb)
Race 7: (9) Fort Viva 36
Race 8: (1) Fools Garden 26 (EW)
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Dunas Douradas 9
Race 2: (5) Top Shot 85
Race 3: (1) Liberado 19
Race 4: (1) Smart Deal 12
Race 5: (3) Dalley 41
Race 6: (6) Lunar Dancer 37
Race 7: (2) Greasepaint 64
Race 8: (7) Rebel Renegade 38
Race 9: (9) Winter’s Forge 80
Race 10: (9) Front Rank 41
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (8) Winter Five 28
Race 2: (8) Friendly Tibbs 62
Race 3: (1) Coral Bay 47 (nb)
Race 4: (13) Frank Lloyd Wright 7
Race 5: (9) Cape Charlotte 70
Race 6: (1) Fresnaye 62 (NAP*)
Race 7: (4) Spring Man 51
Race 8: (11) Keep The Faith 36
Race 9: (9) Metorite 53
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (6) Eastbrook 3
Race 2: (11) Boundless Deep 32
Race 3: (9) Prince Charming 10 (NAP*)
Race 4: (2) Rock Of Africa 73
Race 5: (3) Kinsky’s Crusade 42
Race 6: (16) Roy’s Uncle 35
Race 7: (3) Star Evolution 41
Race 8: (13) Dom Seguidor 43
Top rated winners last week included
Dagmar won 8/1
Itsmydarlin won 31/4
Varimax won 27/4
Musigny won 4/1
Lady Of The World won 61/20
Sweet Trial won 2/1
Valderrama won 2/1
Cirillo won 17/10
Notebook:-
Cirillo (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Jailhouse Rock (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Pretty Penny (A Laird, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Vaal (inside) 3rd July
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,27s slow
1000m (1) Copper Jay 57,05
1200m (1) Pretty Penny 68,92
1400m (3) Olofberg 83,42
1700m (1) Big Myth 104,63
1800m (1) Defy Gravity 109,90
2000m (1) Itsmydarlin 124,63
Kenilworth 4th July
Penetrometer 29 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 3,14s slow
1000m (2) Vodka Lime 61,82
1400m (4) Grand Silvano 89,34
1600m (2) Silver League 102,16
1800m (1) William The Brave 115,71
Vaal (classic) 5th July
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (2) Ganesh Talai 57,15*
1200m (1) Chapel Jive 69,99
1450m (2) Pera Palace 85,83
1600m (2) Jamra 96,53
2000m (1) Africa’s Gold 124,18
Turffontein (stand side) 7th July
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (1) Lady Of The World 56,65
1160m (1) Musigny 67,34
1400m (2) Dagmar 84,47
1600m (2) Saragon 98,18
2000m (2) Puget Sound 123,55
Turffontein (inner) 8th July
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (3) Sweet Trial 57,37
1200m (3) Benji 72,00
1450m (1) Strawberry Pavlova 88,75
1600m (2) Trip To Paradise 98,17
