Horses For Courses
Vaal 17th January: Thursday’s action took place on the sand where victory in the opening maiden event over 1000m went to the 3yo son of Lecture MBOWENI. Allowed to ease a little at the track out to 11/2, Leon Erasmus’ charge was soon up handy. He took up the running passing halfway and kept on strongly late to fend off a determined challenge from HANDSOME DANCER by a neck.
The fastest of the three 1000m events on the card was the MR64 Handicap in which BEAUTIFUL DAWN registered her second career victory. Nibbled at on course to go off a joint favourite at 9/2, the Kabool filly got away well when the gates opened and was soon positioned up with the speed. She began to assert her authority going through the 400m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by four.
On a day when four of the winners came home smoking by four or more the biggest margin was recorded by MOTOWN in the MR74 Handicap over 1200m. Another to race handy, the Natal raider struck the front 400m out and won going away by five and a quarter with some in hand. Motown has now made two sorties to the Vaal’s sand track and won them both.
Titbits
MEMGHAR was gaining quickly at the finish when running on from off the pace to take second (beaten just three quarters of a length) in the MR68 Handicap over 1000m.
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Five From Seven
Arlington 18th January: The fastest of the two 1000m events run in Port Elizabeth on Friday was the Pinnacle Stakes in which the former Natal campaigner NEVER FOREVER found the winner’s enclosure for the eighth time. Heavily supported into 6/10 from even money at the track, the 6yo son of Captain Al raced second during the early part of the race. He took up the running as they approached the 200m marker and finding extra when challenged by AFRICAN ALLIANCE below the distance he looked to score with a little in hand. Never Forever has now won five from seven since relocating to the Eastern Cape.
The non-black type Aloe Handicap for 3yo’s over 1300m topped the bill and here victory went to the rapidly improving TUDOR STAR. Another to be sired by Captain Al, Tudor Star was always handy. He ran on strongly in the short home straight and in a race where less than a length and a half separated eight of the ten runners at the wire, he only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by the former Western Cape campaigner EDEN ROSE when opening her account in the maiden 1400m. Unable to win in thirty starts in Cape Town, Eden Rose was always in touch with the leaders. She quickened well when asked for her effort at the top of the straight and won going away by three and three quarters after striking the front 100m out.
Titbits
Sixth placed BREAK OF DAWN (beaten just 0,65 lengths) was finishing best of all when running on from the rear in the Aloe Handicap.
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Mountain High
Kenilworth 19th January: The Gr2 Graham Beck Sceptre Stakes topped the bill in Cape Town on Saturday and in what proved to be the fastest of the four 1200m events victory here went to the easy to back BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN. Freely available at 14/1 on the off, the daughter of Giant’s Causeway was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead passing the 100m pole and kept on strongly late to beat the Gr1 Allan Robertson winner ALL IS SECRET by three quarters.
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by the aptly named PAN AMM in the listed Jamaica Handicap over 1700m. One of just two runners to race down the outside in the straight, Pan Amm made her move from midfield coming off the bend. She hit the front going through the 400m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three and a half.
Another to show good improvement on this card was SUMMER SANCTUARY when winning the MR74 Handicap over 1700m. On leaving the stalls it was SINGANA who elected to make the running whilst Eric Sands’ charge raced close up in sixth. He ran on strongly down the long new course straight and got up nicely late to beat the well supported 15/10 favourite NIGHT TRIP by a half. Interestingly, the time of this race was marginally quicker than that of Pan Amm.
Titbits
Although never a threat to the winner, NONKI POO ran on well from the rear when third to Pan Amm in the listed Jamaica Handicap.
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Impressive wins
Turffontein 19th January: A maiden event over 1200m was first up at Saturday’s inner track meeting and here we saw an impressive performance from the newcomer JET BELLE. Positioned in the back end of midfield coming off the strip the daughter of Jet Master fairly flew and cruised clear to win by three and a quarter after striking the front 150m out. Jet Belle didn’t bump the strongest of fields here, but the manner of her success would certainly suggest that there is more to come.
Another to impress here was ESPUMANTI in the progress event over 1450m. She got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy was always poised to strike. She did so as they approached the 300m marker and although the useful SEA SHADOW kept on strongly after being headed, she drew clear easily to score by five. Behind at weight for age the unbeaten Espumanti is clearly improving with each outing and looks to have a very bright future ahead of her.
After further rain on the already soft track it was considered unsafe to continue racing after the third race.
Titbits
After running on from midfield PRINCESS LINE won the maiden 2600m with authority by two.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (16) Reality Show 17 Race 2: (9) Golden Breeze 24 Race 3: (15) Diamond Strike 10 Race 4: (13) Western Leader34 Race 5: (15) Majikat 43 Race 6: (9) Campo De Santana 83 Race 7: (2) Exultation 39 Race 8: (1) Zaafiel 56 Vaal Race 1: (12) Water Music 4 Race 2: (5) Tzigane 23 (NAP*) Race 3: (7) Amur Affair 91 Race 4: (9) Heyouneverknow 95 Race 5: (2) Empenoso Henn 84 Race 6: (5) Hang Fire 83 Race 7: (3) Malaga-Belle 81 Race 8: (3) Variety 55 Greyville Race 1: (6) Fortuny 16 (NAP*) Race 2: (4) Campanologist 22 Race 3: (13) Night Tide 45 Race 4: (11) Radio Waves 76 Race 5: (3) I Am Will 42 Race 6: (4) Langoustier 50 Race 7: (1) King Neptune 52 (nb) Race 8: (2) Alibaba’s Jewel 55 Fairview Race 1: (1) Fairy Lantern 8 Race 2: (1) Drumminor 8 Race 3: (4) Ivy Parade 48 Race 4: (5) Kindred Spirit 36 Race 5: (1) Fly Emirates 63 Race 6: (9) Regal Man 61 Race 7: (11) The Berryman 84 Race 8: (13) Anne Bonny 54 Clairwood Race 1: (11) Victory Takeover 18 Race 2: (11) Tullynally 22 Race 3: (5) Tiger Cub 54 Race 4: (3) Trix Of The Trade 21 Race 5: (7) Nitro Nori 59 Race 6: (4) Mike’s Choice 87 Race 7: (12) Twice Double 46 Race 8: (1) Lord Leigh 28 Race 9: (15) Izora 23 (NAP*) .
Top rated winners last week included
Adobe Pink won 6/1 Authentic Albert won 7/2 Baxter won 3/1 For Freluche won 22/10 Gogotine won 18/10 Bay Mariner won 11/10 In Tribute won 7/10 Espumanti won 1/5 .
Notebook:-
Blueridge Mountain (G Alexander, W-Cape) Jet Belle (R Sage, Gauteng) Espumanti (M De Kock, Gauteng) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherVaal (sand) 17th January Going Standard 1000m (3) Beautiful Dawn 59,90 1200m (2) Motown 72,27 1450m (2) Keagan’s Jet 91,40 1600m (1) Taptap Makhatini 99,76 .
Arlington 18th January Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (2) Never Forever 58,03 1300m (1) Tudor Star 78,70 1400m (2) Blaze Of Fire 83,20 1800m (3) Parceval 109,37* .
Kenilworth (new) 19th January Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1200m (4) Blueridge Mountain 72,,34 1400m (1) In Tribute 88,18 1600m (1) Irish May 102,60 1700m (2) Summer Sanctuary 106,08 2000m (1) Born To Be Wild 126,34 2400m (1) Adobe Pink 156,37 .
Turffontein (inside) 19th January Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft 1200m (1) Jet Belle 72,76 1450m (1) Espumanti 86,81 2600m (1) Princess Line 167,84
