Pouliche Prometteuse
Kenilworth 18th December: Four of the eight races in Cape Town on Wednesday were staged over 1400m and in the fastest of these, the MR92 Handicap, the Silvano filly STAR OF SILVER caused an upset. Sent off as the rank outsider of the five horse party at 13/1, the column’s top rated selection raced at the back for most of the journey. She quickened best when the race developed into a sprint early in the straight, and under a well-judged ride from Bernard Fayd’Herbe, she got up late to win going away.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1000m where the faster of the two handicaps was the MR80 affair won by another unfancied runner in VODKA LIME. On leaving the stalls it was PIPPIELANGKOUS who elected to make the running whilst the 16/1 shot raced close up in third. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and won well by a length and a quarter after striking the front 50m from home.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by HAMMIE’S FAN in the MR76 Handicap over 1400m. Soon up handy, the Gitano Hernando mare was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by four and a quarter.
Titbits
Now unbeaten in three starts, BINOCHE won the MR97 Handicap over 1000m with authority by two and a quarter.
Grand Performance
Vaal 19th December: Two 1000m maiden events opened up proceedings on Thursday and in what proved by just 1/100th of a second to be the slower of these we saw a smart performance from the 3yo VALETORIO. An eye catching third when running on stoutly from off the pace in just his second start last time out, this son of Oratorio again showed a nice turn of foot. Positioned in the backend of midfield early on, Corne Spies’ charge ran on best of all and with the rest well beaten he won going away from the heavily supported SOLARIZE (11/2 INTO 16/10) by just over a length.
The non-black type Grand Heritage topped the bill and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1475m events the progressive 3yo RIVERSTOWN landed the spoils. Sent off second in the betting market at 5/1 to win this 24 runner event, Paul Peter’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He quickened well over the final 400m, and in what proved to be a real thriller he got the verdict by a neck over the Sean Tarry trained SOCIAL ORDER.
Trainer Sean Tarry did go one better in the Grand Heritage consolation though when IN CAHOOTS registered his second career victory. In touch throughout, the Visionaire gelding ran on strongly over the final 400m and got up late to deny the free striding 8yo KINGS ARCHER.
Titbits
The newcomer ENCRYPTION made all and was always in command when winning the opening work rider’s maiden plate over 1200m.
100 Small Islands
Greyville 20th December: Somewhat unusually, other than the two races over 1000m, all of the races on Friday evening’s turf card were run over different distances. The MR70 Handicap was the faster of the two 1000m events and here we saw a smart performance from the 3yo PRINCE OF VENICE. Now a winner of three from six, the son of Vercingetorix made all. He held just a slender lead for most of the trip before exerting his authority in the straight to win going away by two and a half.
A MR86 Handicap over 2400m topped the bill and here the Brave Tin Soldier gelding MERLIN FROM BERLIN completed a hat-trick. At the head of affairs throughout in a race devoid of pace, Nathan Kotzen’s charge kept on determinedly when the race developed into a sprint in the home straight and held on by a half from the running on PAYBACKTHEMONEY.
In terms of distance, the Master Of My Fate filly PREFERENTIAL recorded the easiest victory on the card when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1600m. Soon up handy despite being a little slow into stride, Alyson Wright’s charge took up the running 300m out and won going away from the regular place getter ROSE DANCER.
Titbits
Having his first start out of the maidens, and that after a three month break, DOUBLE ESPRESSO caught the eye running on strongly late when fourth in the MR80 Handicap over 1200m.
Hoping For The Best
Turffontein 21st December: They raced on the stand side track on Saturday where the faster of the two 1000m events was the opening maiden plate won by the unfancied GREEN GUNSTON. Freely available at 20/1 in this just his second racecourse appearance, the 4yo Gimmethegreenlight gelding wasn’t the quickest into stride and raced in midfield early on. Once given rein though he quickened well and with the rest well beaten he got the verdict by the narrowest of margins over the front running 5/10 favourite CAPTAIN HINDSIGHT.
Run in a time 9/100th of a second quicker than the graduation event, the maiden plate was surprisingly the quicker of the two 1600m races on the card and here the ultra-consistent WILD THOUGHTS gained a well-deserved first career victory. Soon positioned close to the speed, the daughter of Elusive Fort ran on stoutly over the final 400m and won well by a length from the more fancied DIORAMA.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by SPERO OPTIMA when registering his second career victory from just four starts in the graduation plate over 2000m. Just four went to post and nicely positioned in second he was always poised to strike. He did so going through the 500m and went on to score with authority by two and three quarters.
The last three races at this meeting were abandoned due to an electrical storm.
Titbits
SNOW PALACE made all when comfortably accounting for her seven rivals in the graduation plate over 1600m.
Robots In Disguise
Scottsville 22nd December: Three of the nine races in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday were run over 1000m and in the fastest of these it was nice to see the sparingly raced 4yo ROBBERG EXPRESS gain a second career victory. Soon up handy the son of What A Winter took up the running 600m out and kept on strongly at the business end of the race to beat the early pacemaker BLAZE OF SILK by almost a length.
The bill topping pinnacle stakes was by far the faster of the two 1200m events and here victory went to the favourite ULTRA MAGNUS. At the head of affairs throughout, Brett Crawford’s charge ran on strongly over the final 300m and with the rest some three and a quarter lengths adrift, he beat the steadily gaining REBEL’S CHAMP by a half.
The MR68 Handicap was the quicker of the two 1600m races and here we saw a smart performance from the easy to back ROMANESCA. Freely available at 16/1 on the off, the poorly drawn son of Noble Tune lost three lengths at the start and soon found himself positioned in the rear. Once in the home straight though he cut through the field like a knife and won going away by two after striking the front 150m from home.
Titbits
At the head of affairs throughout, CAPTAIN OF COLOUR opened her account in the maiden 1000m without any anxious moments.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (8) Sugar Gum 2
Race 2: (1) Little Drummer Boy 35
Race 3: (4) World Squared 15
Race 4: (5) Cloud Atlas 50
Race 5: (10) Seattle Tango 48
Race 6: (8) Strawberry Wine 50
Race 7: (6) Dancing In Seattle 67
Race 8: (4) Miss Calypso 41
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (1) Proclaimer 29
Race 2: (4) Cyclonic Breeze 16
Race 3: (6) Hope And Pray 20
Race 4: (1) O Sole Mio 21
Race 5: (2) Mercurana 46
Race 6: (1) Perfect Air 57
Race 7: (7) Silver Plains 52
Race 8: (6) Stanley 51
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Titelist 7
Race 2: (2) Tuscan Light 27
Race 3: (2) Mambo Symphony 50
Race 4: (4) Secret Potion 9
Race 5: (6) Spiritofthegroove 65
Race 6: (5) Ikigai 69
Race 7: (3) Chijmes 93
Race 8: (3) Green Plains 80
Race 9: (12) Torre Del Oro 57
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (6) Brilliant Disguise 17
Race 2: (2) Exclusive Quantity 70 (nb)
Race 3: (13) Second To None 56
Race 4: (1) Moon In June 54 (NAP*)
Race 5: (6) Celebration Rock 56
Race 6: (8) Calvary 80
Race 7: (6) Divine Hugh 26
Race 8: (8) Bayview Express 12
Top rated winners last week included
Star Of Silver 13/1
Tom Bombadil won 5/1
Yaas won 5/1
Wild Thoughts won 9/2
Paper Ballerina won 4/1
Captain Of Colour won 34/10
Dawn Assault won 3/1
Snow Palace won 7/4
Notebook:-
Binoche (V Marshall, W-Cape)
Valetorio (C Spies, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Kenilworth (new) 18th December
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,02s fast
900m (1) Joseph Barry 53,03
1000m (2) Vodka Lime 58,22
1400m (4) Star Of Silver 87,08
1800m (1) Fortune Flies 114,98
Vaal 19th December
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,97s slow
1000m (1) Greasepaint 57,37
1200m (2) Encryption 70,54
1400m (1) Dancing Queen 82,93
1470m (2) Riverstown 87,61
1600m (2) Nordic Rebel 95,21
2400m (2) Dawn Assault 149,63
Greyville (turf) 20th December
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,93s slow
1000m (2) Prince Of Venice 58,70
1100m (1) Running Freely 65,50
1200m (1) Captain Demonami 71,07
1400m (1) Northern Route 84,75
1600m (1) Preferential 98,76
1800m (1) Sacred Ibis 111,61
1900m (1) Twice The Flight 118,85
2400m (1) Merlin From Berlin 152,42
Turffontein (stand side) 21st December
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,52s fast
1000m (2) Green Gunston 57,20
1160m (1) All At Once 65,99
1600m (2) Wild Thoughts 98,66
2000m (1) Spero Optima 124,39
Scottsville (inside) 22nd December
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 1,00s slow
1000m (3) Robberg Express 57,00
1200m (2) Ultra Magnus 68,60
1400m (1) Sheik’s Storm 85,50
1600m (2) Romanesca 97,40
2400m (1) Proud Warrior 154,40
