Money For Love
Fairview 8th November: The only event on the eight race program to be run on the poly track on Friday was the opening MR79 Handicap over 1800m won by SHOW TIME. Easy to back at 6/1 on the off the 4yo daughter of Tiger Dance sat in midfield during the early part of the race. She quickened well at the top of the short home straight and in what proved to be a real thriller she only got the better of both MARRY ME MULLINS and RUSHING ELF (finished best of all) by a short head.
Four of the afternoon’s seven turf races were run over 1400m and surprisingly the fastest of these was the MR73 Handicap in which MISTER GONE caused a major upset. Freely available at 33/1 when the gates opened Alan Greeff’s charge was always in touch with the leaders. The much more fancied KANTAKA struck the front 100m from home and at that stage a quick double looked on the cards. Mister Gone had been sneaking up alongside the inside running rail though and in another classic finish the 6yo got up in the very last stride.
A MR90 Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and in yet another race in which the result was determined by the photo finish camera the 8/1 shot JET BURST landed the spoils. On leaving the stalls it was TEALION who elected to make the running whilst Justin Snaith’s charge raced close up in fourth. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and in a three way finish he just held on by the narrowest of margins.
Titbits
Detached at the rear early on, MONEY FOR LOVE cut through the field like a knife over the final 400m and won the graduation plate over 1200m going away by two and a half.
IRISH LADY ran on well from midfield and had the rest well beaten when getting up late to deny the strongly fancied Miss Jamie in the maiden 1200m.
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To Be King
Greyville 8th November: The listed KZN Guineas Trial topped the bill on Friday evening and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1600m events on the card we saw a smart performance from the More Than Ready colt DIAMOND KING. Freely available at 15/2 on the off, Tony Rivalland’s charge didn’t have the best of the draw and being a little slow into stride to boot he very quickly found himself positioned in the rear. The field was always very tightly grouped though and once asked for an effort he quickly began to make headway. He finished best of all and under a well judged ride from Brandon Lerena he got up late to score by three quarters.
The faster of the two 1200m races was a MR82 Handicap and here the 11/1 winner ARGYLE BAY caught the eye. Another to be found in the rear turning for home, Argyle Bay showed a nice turn of foot in the latter stages of the race and won going away by three quarters.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the eight race program was recorded by SPIN A COIN in the maiden 1900m. Making his fourteenth racecourse appearance here, the 4yo son of Miesque’s Approval raced sixth for most of the journey. He made his move coming off the bend and after striking the front 250m from home he cruised clear late on to score by three.
Titbits
Despite being a little slow into stride and losing two shoes in running, the 6yo ARTISTICALLY DONE finished strongly from the rear when only beaten three quarters of a length in the MR78 Handicap over 1600m.
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Lion Roars Home
Vaal 9th November: They raced on the inside track on Tuesday where the best bet on the card for Sporting Post was RUMBLING LION in the maiden plate over 2000m. Confidently ridden by S’manga Khumalo, Sean Tarry’s charge sat in midfield for most of the journey. He didn’t find the clearest of passages when starting his run, but once seeing daylight he fairly flew. He struck the front close home and is clearly better than the winning margin of a length would suggest.
Another to win well in the maiden ranks on this card was OUR BOY BLAKE in the 1200m event. Racing much closer to the pace than he had done when flying up late to finish second last time out, Dominic Zaki’s charge was always poised to strike. He did so going through the 200m and comfortably accounted for the easy to back FIGHTING FORCE by a length and a half.
Three of the afternoon’s ten races were run over 1400m and the fastest of these was the girl’s MR72 Handicap won by HURRICANE VELVET. She got away well when the gates opened and was always handy. The lightly raced SHEPARD ONE was the first to make a move and soon a couple of lengths clear after taking up the running 300m out it looked if she would go on to score. Hurricane Velvet steadily reeled her in at the business end of the race though and got up late to score by three quarters.
Titbits
DOLORES showed good improvement when making all to win the MR80 Handicap over 1000m.
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Three To follow
Kenilworth 9th November: The easiest victory in Cape Town on Saturday was recorded by the up and coming 3yo CAPTAIN AMERICA in the MR79 Handicap over 1600m. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to win by four and a half. Captain America has now won three from four and is clearly one to follow.
Race five on the card was a MR96 Handicap over 1600m and here we saw another impressive performance from the highly regarded MASTER OF MY FATE. A winner of three from four coming into the race Dennis Drier’s charge sat third for most of the journey. He moved through to take up the running as they approached the 200m marker and went on to win with authority by two. Another to follow.
The Gr2 Choice Carriers Championship over 1400m topped the bill and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the Justin Snaith trained IN THE FAST LANE. Her stable companion HIGHLY DECORATED was the first to make a move and looked to have the race won on striking the front 100m out. Running on strongly from midfield the aptly named In The Fast Lane quickened well in the latter stages though and just as scripted she got up late to score by a neck.
Titbits
JET AGLOW won the progress plate over 1500m without any anxious moments.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (8) Prince Chichibu 15 Race 2: (1) Super Groove 6 Race 3: (6) Sarge Tattoo 31 Race 4: (11) Ilisabetta 6 Race 5: (4) Regal Breeze 35 Race 6: (5) King Fernando 46 Race 7: (9) Que Sera Sera 37 Race 8: (2) Code Red 67 (NAP*) Race 9: (6) Five Rings 27 Scottsville Race 1: (3) Argo’s Jet 22 Race 2: (2) Catching Zeds 25 Race 3: (1) Champagne Showers 25 Race 4: (10) Master Archer 21 Race 5: (1) Peter Culture 58 Race 6: (4) Golden Dynasty 41 Race 7: (5) Henchman 78 Race 8: (8) Barcelona Boy 57 Race 9: (5) Promising 22 Turffontein Race 1: (16) Sovereign Mint 39 (nb) Race 2: (8) Captain Haddock 90 Race 3: (2) Urgent Fury 20 Race 4: (2) Danish Zealot 20 Race 5: (3) Bezanova 53 (NAP*) Race 6: (18) Stormy Tiger 41 Race 7: (5) Pej 68 Race 8: (3) Tell My Star 40 Kenilworth Race 1: (10) Delago Delight 17 Race 2: (3) Evening Storm 15 Race 3: (3) Warcraft 30 Race 4: (10) Prescient 56 Race 5: (6) Takeyouroath 73 Race 6: (9) Fort Bukloh 76 Race 7: (6) Kukama 53 Race 8: (2) Cat’s Paw 63 Race 9: (3) Headstrong Harry 23 Vaal Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (1) Dark Ages 29 Race 3: (2) Classy Looker 22 Race 4: (5) Mogok’s Express 18 Race 5: (3) Wensleydale 23 Race 6: (8) Aurum Pot 46 Race 7: (12) Glitter Alley 67 Race 8: (7) Gypsey Myth 44 Race 9: (7) Dirtydealin Mamma 55 Race 10: (7) Leeuloop Jet 15 .
Top rated winners last week included
Irish Lady won 14/1 Money For Love won 8/1 Hurricane Velvet won 6/1 Global Express won 7/2 Spin A Coin won 3/1 Lilly’s Rush won 22/10 Our Boy Blake won 14/10 Jet Aglow won 8/10 .
Notebook:-
Argyle Bay (D Campbell, KZN) Captain America (B Crawford, W-Cape) Diamond King (A Rivalland, KZN) In the Fast Lane (J Snaith, W-Cape) Master Of My Fate (D Drier, W-Cape) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherFairview 8th November Going: Turf good/Poly standard 1200m (3) Money For Love 70,64 1400m (4) Mister Gone 85,50 1800m (1) Show Time 111.12 .
Greyville 8th November Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1200m (2) Argyle Bay 72,35 1400m (2) Mesmerize 84,98 1600m (3) Diamond King 96,93 1900m (1) Spin A Coin 120,39 .
Vaal (inside) 9th November Penetrometer 19 – Going Good 1000m (2) Dolores 55,94 1200m (1) Our Boy Blake 68,73 1400m (3) Hurricane Velvet 80,86 1700m (1) Strong Scent 103,99 2000m (1) Rumbling Lion 122,92 2400m (2) Rythmic Roxy 147,05 .
Kenilworth 9th November Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1000m (1) Cosmic Flower 60,76 1200m (2) Silver Bluff 73,34* 1400m (1) In The Fast Lane 87,76 1500m (1) Jet Aglow 91,94 1600m (3) Captain America 99,18 2400m (1) Global Express 153,24
