Gutsy Prince
Turffontein 4th June:
They raced on the inner track on Sunday where three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1450m. The fastest of these was the graduation plate in which the recently gelded DAFFIQ narrowly prevailed. Sent off third in the betting market at 9/2 Mike De Kock’s charge raced 8th of the ten for most of the journey. He quickened well early in the short home straight and in what proved to be a real thriller he only got the verdict by a short head over MACHISMO.
The only other distance to stage more than one race on the card was 1600m where BONNIE PRINCE in the MR90 Handicap was quickest home. This 3yo son of Pathfork got away well when the gates opened and taken straight to the front by Karl Zechner, led throughout. He was just a neck clear going through the 400m and giving his all on the run to the line he marginally extended his advantage to a half.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by SAVETHEBESTFORLAST when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1800m. Soon up handy, Erico Verdonese’s charge took up the running coming off the strip and cruised clear over the final 450m to score by seven and a quarter.
Titbits
PUGET SOUND won the opening juvenile plate over 1450m with some in hand.
The 2yo VARIMAX only had to be pushed out when winning the maiden event over 1200m with a ton in hand by six and three quarters.
Pillar To Post
Vaal 6th June:
The action took place on the inside track on Tuesday where marginally the fastest of the three 1200m races was the MR80 Handicap won by the once highly regarded ROQUEBRUNE. Taken straight to the front by JP Van Der Merwe, the 25/1 shot led throughout. He was six lengths clear going through the 400m and although the pack headed by GOLDEN MAN did narrow that gap in the closing stages of the race, he still had almost two to spare at the wire.
Run in a time just 11/100th of a second slower than that of Roquebrune was the boy’s division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m where victory went to his stable companion DOWN TO ZERO. Soon positioned close to the speed, the lightly raced son of Judpot took up the running 450m out, and comfortably accounted for the running on SURCHARGE (7/1 into 2/1).
The faster of the two 1400m races on the card was the not so lucky last won by QUEEN’S JET. Freely available at 44/1 at the off, the friendless Jet Master mare also made all. She was just a neck clear going through the 400m and challenged strongly all the way to the wire, she held on by that margin.
Titbits
The newcomer FREDERICO’S DREAM ran on well from midfield when only beaten a neck in the maiden juvenile plate for the girls over 1200m.
The 3yo ALWAYS A LADY ran on well from midfield when winning the MR68 Handicap over 1800m a bit more easily than the official winning margin of 0,3 of a length would suggest.
Destined For Success
Scottsville 7th June: Four of the nine races in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday were staged over 1200m and by far the fastest of these was the allowance plate won by OUR DESTINY. Freely available at 21/2 on the off, Dennis Drier’s charge was always handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and won going away by two.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1000m where the faster of the two maiden juvenile plates was the girl’s affair won by Sean Tarry’s newcomer IMAGE AWARD. Friendless in the betting market at 30/1, the daughter of Jay Peg sat in midfield for the first half of the race. She ran on strongly over the final 500m and with the rest well beaten she got the better of the well-supported second favourite RED ENCHANTMENT (8/1 into 4/1) by a length and a quarter.
Race 8 on the card was a MR86 Handicap over 1700m and here the stable of Dean Kannemeyer were on the mark when the 3yo THE SLADE registered his second career victory. Returning from a five month break here the Philanthropist gelding raced 4th of the seven early on. He made his move early in the straight and under a well-judged ride from Warren Kennedy he got up late to deny EVER DEAR.
Titbits
Lightly raced DINNER DATE was baulked for a run twice en route from midfield when only beaten a neck in the first division of the girl’s maiden 1200m.
Although not beating the strongest of fields in the second division of the girl’s maiden 1200m, the newcomer DAMARALAND ran on well from the backend of midfield and couldn’t have been more impressive.
Arriving In Style
Vaal 8th June:
The not so lucky last, a MR72 Handicap, was the fastest of the three 1000m events at the Vaal’s outside track on Thursday. Freely available at 36/1 on the off, the eventual winner TANDAVA raced in midfield for the first of the race. The former Zimbabwe campaigner quickened best of all when given rein though, and won going away by almost two and a half after striking the front 150m from home.
They also ran three races over 1400m and quickest home here was the recently gelded BOLD COAST in the MR72 Handicap. Nibbled at on course into 72/10 from 12/1, Stanley Ferreira’s charge also came from off them. He struck the front 100m out and won going away from the veteran front runner VULCAN.
The best bet on the card for most was HAKEEM in the maiden plate over 1400m and despite easing out to 6/10 from 1/5, he did the business very easily. Soon at the head of affairs, the son of Redoute’s Choice led throughout. He was always in command and when stepping on the gas 300m out he cruised clear to score by five and a quarter.
Titbits
In what proved to be a very false paced affair, the lightly raced 2yo BRAXTON finished best of all when getting up late to open her account in the maiden 1400m.
Long Reign
Fairview 9th June: Four of the eight races at Friday’s turf meeting were run over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was the ultra-consistent LAWS OF SUCCESSION in the MR95 Handicap. Sent off second in the betting market at 7/2, the Jay Peg gelding was always handy. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and after a thrilling tussle with the favourite CLASSIFY, he only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins.
The listed Lady’s Slipper topped the bill and in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the two 1400m events, victory went to the lesser fancied of Alan Greeff’s two runners QUEEN FOREVER. Freely available at 16/1 on the off, the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight was nicely positioned in joint third as they came off the bend. She ran on strongly down the long home straight and in another classic finish, she too got the verdict by a short head.
Amazingly, the biggest winning margin on the card was the three quarters of a length recorded by both BRINKLY in the maiden 1600m, and Sacred Oration in the Juvenile Plate. Brinkley came from the back and won with plenty in hand whilst Sacred Oration made the running and fought on doggedly to hold off KIMBERLEY STAR.
Titbits
Running on stoutly from midfield, GREEN LANTERN didn’t find the clearest of passages, and would surely have won in another stride.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Battle Creek 9
Race 2: (7) Pina 4
Race 3: (7) Nacre 14
Race 4: (6) Main Attraction 9
Race 5: (16) Talca 43
Race 6: (1) Captain Alfredo 79 (NAP*)
Race 7: (9) The Wild Mistress 37
Race 8: (16) Winter Breeze 46
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) On That Boulevard 26 (NAP*)
Race 2: (8) Epic Sword 19
Race 3: (13) Stunning Seed 10
Race 4: (5) Ebony Knight 48
Race 5: (11) Mythical Magic 51
Race 6: (10) Simla 41
Race 7: (4) Barbosa 96
Race 8: (3) Fellow Traveller 59 (nb)
Race 9: (1) Excellerate 12
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (5) Aspen Shadow 5
Race 2: (8) No More Words 7 (NAP*)
Race 3: (1) Alraune 8
Race 4: (2) Island Legend 8
Race 5: (4) Discoveror 3
Race 6: (10) Sputnik Plain 58
Race 7: (8) Bizjet 73
Race 8: (4) Captain Chips 42
Race 9: (13) Open Road 24
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (1) Apollo Star 15
Race 2: (1) Samsara 17
Race 3: (12) Seattle Sound 2
Race 4: (1) Sabina’s Dynasty 13
Race 5: (1) Indigo Storm 28
Race 6: (9) Northern Corner 66
Race 7: (4) Katies Jay 68
Race 8: (7) Perovskia 55 (EW)
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (5) First Crusade 21
Race 2: (1) Ancestry 20 (NAP**)
Race 3: (4) Esteemal 23 (nb)
Race 4: (4) Dundrum 14
Race 5: (9) Sylvester The Cat 84
Race 6: (2) Rainbowinthesky 43
Race 7: (13) Epona 80
Race 8: (3) Helderberg Blue 94
Race 9: (12) Under The Rose 16
Top rated winners last week included
Our Destiny won 21/2
American Trilogy won 37/10
Concealed Secret won 32/10
Just Sensual won 16/10
Let It Flow won 29/20
Unchained Melody won 21/20
Varimax won 7/10
Hakeem won 6/10
Notebook:-
Damaraland (D Kannemeyer, KZN)
Dinner Date (G Puller, KZN)
Frederico’s Dream (M Azzie, Gauteng)
Green Lantern (A Greeff, E-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (inner) 4th June
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,12s slow
1000m (1) Pied Piperess 58,72
1200m (1) Varimax 72,12
1450m (3) Daffiq 88,18
1600m (2) Bonnie Prince 98,09
1800m (1) Savethebestforlast 113,67
Vaal (inside) 6th June
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,34s slow
1200m (3) Roquebrune 69,89
1400m (2) Queen’s Jet 83,21
1700m (1) Half A Bar 105,09
1800m (2) Always A Lady 110,99
2000m (2) Barbados Cruise 123,61
Scottsville (stand side) 7th June
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,92s fast
1000m (2) Image Award 56,67
1200m (4) Our Destiny 67,24
1600m (1) Asyouplease 98,46
1700m (1) The Slade 106,41
2400m (1) One Man Show 151,86
Vaal (outside) 8th June
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,26s fast
1000m (3) Tandava 56,86
1200m (1) Ponchielli 70,02
1400m (3) Bold Coast 81,49
1600m (1) Cape Infanta 95,34
Fairview (turf) 9th June
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,01s fast
1200m (1) Make It Count 69,98
1400m (2) Queen Forever 83,54
1600m (4) Laws Of Succession 94,94
1800m (1) Lotus Elan 149,39
