Slow, Quick, Slow Slow, Quick
Fairview 28th October
Racing returned to the turf in Port Elizabeth on Friday and with a 26k tail wind blowing the times were fast. VILLA DEL LARGO in the non-black type Cradock Place Stakes was the best bet on the card for most and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1200m races on the card, the 7yo didn’t let down his supporters. Extending his winning sequence to four here, Justin Snaith’s charge raced a handy sixth. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the easy to back NORMANZ by two and a quarter.
Surprisingly the faster of the two 1600m events on the card was the maiden plate won by the Western Cape raider KING OF THE RALLY. Sent off second in the betting market at 3/1, the son of Sebring was always handy. He put his head in front approaching the 300m pole and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to beat the unfancied EMERALD ISLAND by three and three quarters.
The listed Racing Association Stakes over 1600m topped the bill and in a time 1,5 seconds slower than that of the horse whom he had beaten by 3,25 lengths last time out (King Of The Rally), GOLD STANDARD landed the spoils. Running on best of all off a farcical pace, Glen Kotzen’s charge got up late to beat I TRAVEL LIGHT by a neck.
Titbits
FRENCH CAPTAIN only had to be pushed out when easily accounting for his fourteen rivals in the opening work rider’s maiden plate over 1200m.
Night To Remember
Greyville 28th October
The listed Michaelmas Handicap topped the bill on the poly on Friday night and in what not surprisingly turned out to be the fastest of the three races over the distance, the Gareth Van Zyl trained CELTIC CAPTAIN was first past the post. Freely available at 8/1 on the off, the Captain Al gelding raced sixth for most of the journey. He put his head in front as they approached the 200m marker and although the more fancied ASHTON PARK challenged strongly over the final 100m, he did have that one held by a half-length at the wire. Both of new trainer Gareth Van Zyl’s runners won here. A night to remember.
The faster of the two 1600m races was the MR76 Handicap won by VOGUE IDEA. In a race where rain fell heavily throughout, SEEK THE SUMMIT elected to make the running whilst Andre Nel’s charge was content to sit in the rear. She ran on best of all in the short home straight and won well by two after striking the front 100m from home.
They also ran two races over 1400m (both maiden plates) and stopping the clock in the fastest time in these was the formless WARRIOR POET in the first division. Unable to get within twelve lengths of a winner in any of his two previous starts, the Western Winter gelding was sporting the magic blinkers for the first time. He made all and won without any anxious moments by three.
Titbits
The 4yo SILVER ROSE ran on well from midfield when comfortably accounting for his eleven rivals in the MR68 Handicap.
57 For 2
Vaal 29th October
They raced on the inside track on Saturday where three of the eight races were run over 1400m. The fastest of these was the MR68 Handicap won by WARBASH. Finding the winner’s enclosure for just the second time in 57 starts, the 6yo Antonius Pius gelding was soon up handy. He was asked to take up the running shortly after passing the 300m pole and kept on strongly late to beat the regular place getter STREETWEAR.
A maiden plate opened up proceedings and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1200m races, the well supported favourite EBONY KNIGHT did the business. He got away well when the gates opened and taken straight to the front by Weichong Marwing, he led throughout. He was always in command and with his jockey already looking around from the 300m marker, he went on to win with a ton in hand by five and a half.
Another to win very easily was CHARMING CHARLIE in the maiden plate over 2000m. Adopting the same tactics as those of Ebony Knight, Mike De Kock’s charge was always clear and won with authority by the same margin.
Titbits
Well-supported SILVER STRIPE didn’t find the clearest of passages when running on to finish second (beaten a neck) in the MR73 Handicap over 2000m.
What A Classic
Kenilworth 29th October
The Gr2 Choice Carriers Championship for 3yo fillies topped the bill in Cape Town on Saturday and here victory went to the Gauteng raider EKTIFAA. Soon up handy, despite being a little troublesome at the start, Mike De Kock’s charge raced prominent throughout. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the luckless SAIL by three quarters. The runner up was carried out 300m from home and then ran into the back of a runner 150m out. She was flying late and only went down by three quarters.
There were four races run over 1400m in total and by far the fastest of these (1,68 seconds faster than the Choice Carriers) was the Gr3 Cape Classic in which we saw an impressive performance from TABLE BAY. Nicely positioned in second turning for home, Joey Ramsden’s charge took up the running 400m out and won going away by four.
Marginally the faster of the two 1200m events on the card was the pinnacle stakes won by SILICONE VALLEY. Run in a time just two one hundredth’s of a second quicker than that of the MR72 Handicap, Glen Puller’s charge raced in the rear during the early part of the race. Once given rein though, he quickened well and got up nicely late to deny the friendless VICTORIOUS JAY.
Titbits
Now a winner of three from six, CAPTAIN COURTEOUS ran on well from the rear when winning the MR72 Handicap over 1200m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park (mon)
Race 1: (9) Tesla 7
Race 2: (10) Captain King 29
Race 3: (10) Dr Finlay 38
Race 4: (15) Black Flower 23
Race 5: (1) Sky Full Of Stars 35
Race 6: (6) Temple Rock 35
Race 7: (9) Tip Of The Glacier 43
Race 8: (4) Black Toga 66
Race 9: (3) Moonlite Mist 24
Vaal (tues)
Race 1: (2) Artificio 8
Race 2: (3) Lady Of The World 17
Race 3: (9) Matador Man 19
Race 4: (2) Vogue’s Wood 12
Race 5: (8) Barcelona Babe 51
Race 6: (2) Gambol 67
Race 7: (17) Exploracy 42
Race 8: (2) Golden Mirabilis 59
Greyville (wed)
Race 1: (6) The Reformation 24
Race 2: (1) Power Horse 20
Race 3: (3) Sea Urchin 49 (NAP*)
Race 4: (7) Arabian National 82
Race 5: (13) Seventh Pillar 52
Race 6: (13) Academy Princess 50
Race 7: (10) Thaler Point 39
Race 8: (5) Ice Ridge 23
Kenilworth (thur)
Race 1: (3) Strikeitlikeamatch 12
Race 2: (1) Fire Master 66
Race 3: (5) Black Parrot 17
Race 4: (7) Desert Lark 32
Race 5: (9) Rubyana 22
Race 6: (7) My Emblem 62
Race 7: (7) Baqueira 28
Race 8: (4) Imperial Guard
Race 9: (15) Mogostar 23 (NAP*)
Turffontein (thur)
Race 1: (13) Beau Var 10
Race 2: (2) Samurai Blade 77 (NAP*)
Race 3: (15) Tropical Blow 15
Race 4: (5) Jackman 25
Race 5: (2) Persian Approval 24
Race 6: (12) Lisnoble 46
Race 7: (4) Eloquence 50
Race 8: (3) Roquebrune 44
Top rated winners last week included
French Captain won 7/1
Captain Courteous won 3/1
Icy Trail won 5/2
Rock On Wood won 2/1
Fish River Canyon won 1/1
Villa Del Largo won 1/1
Ebony Knight won 6/10
Sun Dynasty won 11/20
Notebook:-
Sail (D Drier, W-Cape)
Table Bay (J Ramsden, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (turf) 28th October
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,45s fast
1200m (3) Villa Del Largo 67,50
1400m (1) Hurricane Shelley 83,31
1600m (2) King Of The Rally 96,69
1800m (1) Steel Magnolia 113,57
2400m (1) One Away 151,88
Greyville (poly) 28th October
Going Rain Affected
Course Variant: 0,43s slow
1000m (1) Northern Storm 58,33
1400m (2) Warrior Poet 83,50*
1600m (2) Vogue Idea 96,46
1900m (3) Celtic Captain 115,09
Vaal (inside) 29th October
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,05s slow
1000m (1) Magic 57,16
1200m (2) Ebony Knight 69,60
1400m (3) Warbash 82,61
1800m (1) Fish River Canyon 111,30
2000m (1) Consequentially 122,60
Kenilworth (old) 29th October
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,67s slow
1200m (2) Silicone Valley 72,40
1400m (4) Table Bay 85,31
1600m (1) The High Life 99,25
1800m (2) King Of The Corn 111,21
