An important scientific complimentary tool of the trade for punters and racing enthusiasts, sectional timing data can enhance both the form study and horseracing viewing experience on both KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape race meetings.
In this second of a new weekly column entitled Time Is Money, we look at some of the past weekend’s highlights, and commence with Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth racemeeting, headlined by the non-black type Clapham Stakes.
Just 8mm of rain fell in the seven days leading up to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth racemeeting on Saturday 1 February and as a result 30mm of irrigation was added to the track.
The penetrometer read 23 on the straight course signalling good ground, and 24 on the turn, which was good to soft.
As with the Met meeting last week, the false rail was in its original position from the 1700m mark with a 2m spur at the 600m mark. The outside rail was also moved in 4m from the 400m mark.
There was a light to moderate south easterly head wind of between 10-18km/h.
Course Variant was 1,6s fast.
Clapham Stakes (NBT) & D Stakes 1600m
With an average merit rating of 88, the non-black type Clapham Stakes topped the bill and in a time 0,67 seconds slower than that of the D Stakes contested by runners with an average merit rating of just 62, CALLMEGETRIX registered her fourth career victory.
The non-black type Clapham Stakes topped the bill and in a time 0,67 seconds slower than that of the D Stakes contested by runners with an average merit rating of just 62 (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
There was no pace early on and with the rest of the field tightly bunched this daughter of Vercingetorix gained a soft two lengths advantage.
The sectionals show that she slowed things up coming off the bend and then challenged strongly by the always handy GOODNESSGRACIOUSME she only held on by the narrowest of margins after the race developed into a sprint.
ETOILEFILLANTE and AVIGNON strung the field out rounding the turn in the D Stakes and not surprisingly ran out of gas in the straight.
Four lengths off that pair in third was GOLDEN GREY and that one looked to have done everything right on striking the front 230m out. Finishing strongly from off the pace though was the very well weighted COSMIC RHYTHM and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up 50m from home.
Vaughan Marshal’s charge raced off a mark 21 points lower than that of his earlier best here.
Racecape (powered by Hollywoodbets) Open Maiden 1200m
Comparatively, this open maiden event was comfortably the fastest of the afternoon’s four sprint races and here we saw a smart performance from the favourite HAPPY WIVES.
Backed into 9/4 from 7/2, Clinton Binda’s charge kept up a healthy, relatively even gallop throughout and was always a length clear. The always handy pair of BENEATH THE CLOUDS and CAPE CAPTAIN both chased hard, but neither could make any impression.
Hollywoodbets Scottsville 2 February – Track Condition
Rain and irrigation totalled 22mm in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday. The penetrometer reading was 26 on both tracks and as a result the going was posted as good to soft.
There was a moderate 10-15km/h south easterly headwind and the false rail was out 9m.
Course Variant was 0,79s fast.
Marula Sprint (NBT) 1200m
The runner up in this event last season, WILLIAM ROBERTSON always looked to be the best bet on the card and so it proved to be.
Soon up handy in a race run over 2 seconds faster than the two maiden events over the same distance, Corne Spies’ charge was right alongside when the mare Shipholia narrowly put her head in front 500m out.
After some fast sections early on though, the tightly bunched field began to slow considerably at that stage and staying on the best Willam Robertson went on to score comfortably. William Robertson has now won three from five over this trip.
Hollywoodbets Bright Future B Stakes 1000m
With a 4kg claimer on board, the nibbled at Jet Legacy set brisk early fractions here and in a fast run race was two lengths clear for the vast majority of the journey. Indeed, the Divine Jet gelding only really began to slow 100m out and was not headed until they hit the distance.
After racing second throughout, the 3yo Twenty One May then put his head in front, but in what proved to be a real thriller it was SMORGASBORD, running on from the backend of midfield who got the verdict on the nod.
www.tabgold.co.za Middle Stakes 1600m
Although this comparatively was the fastest of the three races run around the turn on the inner track, the middle stakes was a very false paced affair.
Just four lengths covered all for most of the journey and they could visibly be seen to slow rounding the turn, before making it into a sprint.
The winner ICE RAIN had raced at the back of the six and finishing by far the best, she cut through the field like a knife over the final 200m.
Hollywoodbets Greyville 31 January – Track Condition
Although 40mm of rain had fallen in the previous seven days, there had been nothing at all in the proceeding 24 hours.
The going was posted as Standard. Course Variant was 1,7s fast
Follow In The Box Seat Podcast B Stakes 1600m
The fastest of the six races on the polytrack comparatively on Friday evening was the bill topping B Stakes won by the What A Winter gelding WINTER GAMES.
Lindbergh (offered on the BSA Online Sale this week) made the running and setting brisk fractions in a race run just 0,21 seconds outside the course record, he not surprisingly tired quickly late on. Few Dollars More had “followed in the box seat” in second and on taking up the running 230m out, he was looking like the winner.
Winter Games had been setting consistently good fractions back in seventh though and distinctively quickening between the 400 and 200m markers he soon became a threat. He ran on best of all in the closing stages and under a well-judged ride from Tristan Godden he got up 60m from home to win going away.
Notably, Winter Games was racing off a mark 16 points below that of his earlier best here. He was also having his third run after a rest and stepping up in distance. That was excellent each way value at 16/1!
Sectional timing data, which has been produced by the internationally acclaimed French company McLloyd, who also provide the service to French and Hong Kong horseracing, is currently available on the Winning Form website (www.winningform.co.za) and on the Gallop site (www.gallop.co.za)
