Front Running Hat-Trick
Scottsville 12th August: Surprisingly the fastest of the three 1000m events in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday was the opening maiden plate won by CALVARY. A fair fourth when pitched in against winners in his only previous racecourse appearance, this son of Querari was returning from a four month break here. He led throughout and with the rest some eight lengths adrift, he easily accounted for the favourite BUCKLEBERRY by three and three quarters.
Another to win very comfortably from the front on this card was SILVER CENT in the faster of the two 1400m events, a MR64 Handicap. Completing a quick double here, the Bankable gelding quickened nicely at the top of the straight and won well by two and three quarters.
By far the quicker of the two 1600m races was the MR79 Handicap in which REACTIVE was allowed to commit daylight robbery. The first of three runners ridden by apprentice Sakayi to win from the front, Reactive was soon in command of a strung out field. He was four lengths clear coming off the bend and although GUNNER did cut that advantage in half, he never looked like being caught.
Titbits
At the back turning for home, ELUSIVE WOLF ran on strongly over the final 400m when a length and a quarter runner up in the MR72 Handicap over 1200m
A Piece Of India
Durbanville 14th August: Four of the eight races at the country course on Tuesday were staged over 1400m and comfortably the fastest of these was the bill topping MR91 Handicap won by the improving ORAKAL. Now a winner of four from fifteen, the Oratorio gelding was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the staying on pacemaker SPECTRA FORCE by a length.
Three of the other four races took place over 1800m and quickest home here was HELLO SUMMER when getting off the mark in the girls’ division of the maiden plate. Allowed to ease out to 27/4 at the track, Andre Nel’s charge sat in midfield for most of the journey. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and under a well-judged ride from Richard Fourie, she got the verdict over the perennial maiden ETERNAL NIGHT by a half.
A MR73 Handicap over 1250m made up the afternoon’s fare and here an upset was to be had when EMPIRE RISING registered her second career victory. Easy to back at 16/1 on the off, Harold Crawford’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. She ran on stoutly down the 600m straight and in what proved to be a real thriller she got the verdict on the nod over the lightly raced 3yo CROWDED HOUSE.
Titbits
RED SHIFT ran on stoutly from midfield in the maiden plate over 1400m, and despite hanging badly 150m out, won going away with some in hand.
Sweet Success
Greyville 15th August: The 3yo CANDY GALORE was all the rage to win the opening maiden plate for the girls over 1000m on the poly track on Wednesday afternoon, and the daughter of Noordhoek Flyer didn’t let down her supporters. Always in the red, Gareth Van Zyl’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride when the gates opened and for a short while raced in the rear. Once in the short home straight though she quickened best of all and after striking the front 100m from home won going away.
The bill topping MR80 Handicap was the only other race over 1000m and in a time 1,58 seconds faster than Candy Galore, the well-supported LESLIE SHADOWLINER registered his third career victory. Prominent throughout, the Main Aim gelding kept on strongly at the business end of the race and just held on from the luckless favourite SOCRATES. Coming off a three month break here, the runner up didn’t find the clearest of passages over the final 300m and only lost out by a short head.
By Far the faster of the two 1600m events was the MR76 Handicap in which ROY’S PONY caused an upset. Allowed to drift right out to 15/1 from 8’s at the track, Alyson Wright’s charge led throughout. She was two lengths clear coming off the bend and didn’t relinquish an inch of her advantage over the final 450m.
Titbits
After being a little slow into stride, SPUME ran on strongly from the backend of midfield and didn’t find the clearest of passages over the final 300m when only beaten a short head in the maiden plate over 1400m.
Split Seconds
Vaal 16th August: Just a tenth of a second separated the winners of the three 1000m races on the classic track on Thursday, the fastest being the MR84 Handicap won by the former Eastern Cape campaigner AN AIR OF SUCCESS. Just 3,5 lengths covered all going through the 400m and finishing best all, Dorrie Sham’s charge went on to score with authority by two.
The faster of the two 1200m races was the opening work rider’s maiden plate in which COUNT KOURNIKOVA got off the mark. Pitched in against a very moderate bunch, the 13/20 favourite led throughout. She was always in command and with some in hand, cruised in by four and a quarter.
They also ran two races over 2000m and stopping the clock in the faster time in these was KINGS CUP in the MR61 Handicap. Freely available at 15/1 on the off, the 5yo son of Dynastic Rule sat in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well from the 500m mark and after taking up the running 250m later, won fair and square from the running on HIGHLANDER by two.
Titbits
Now unbeaten in two starts since returning from a four month break, the lightly raced DANCING QUEEN ran on well from midfield when winning the novice plate over 1000m going away by three.
Easy Does It
Kenilworth 18th August: The going was good to soft in Cape Town on Saturday where the first three races on the card were all staged over 1200m. The opening graduation plate for 3yo’s was marginally the fastest of these and here we saw a very easy victory for the 15/10 favourite CLOUDED HILL. Soon positioned close to the speed, the Horse Chestnut gelding was ridden to lead 200m out by Richard Fourie and with some in hand won going away by two and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1600m where by far the faster of the two maiden plates was the boy’s affair in which HUDOO MAGIC opened his account. Always in the red, Brett Crawford’s charge sat third for most of the race some 8 lengths off the runaway leader ONE LIFE LIVE IT. He ran on best of all in the short home straight and under a well-judged ride from Piere Orffer, he got up 100m from home to beat CHROME YELLOW going away.
A MR94 Handicap over 1000m topped the bill and here we saw a smart performance from the 4yo OSTINATO. Content to race at the back of the six for the first half of the race, Glen Kotzen’s charge ran on stoutly over the final 500m and cruised clear 100m out to score by a length and a half.
Titbits
The Brett Crawford trained newcomer FRONT AND CENTRE couldn’t have been more impressive when running on from midfield to win the girl’s division of the maiden 1200m going away. Interestingly, the time of this race was just 12/100th of a second slower than that of Clouded Hill.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (6) Flying Fort 21
Race 2: (1) Mega Scene 44
Race 3: (4) Cape Leopard 19
Race 4: (1) Mahir 2
Race 5: (12) Leadman 64
Race 6: (9) Pacific Spirit 70
Race 7: (2) Fresnaye 66 (NAP**)
Race 8: (8) Data Link 37
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Liberado 14
Race 2: (2) Dunas Douradas 5
Race 3: (2) Hidden Agenda 43
Race 4: (5) Kissmeinmydreams 32
Race 5: (2) River Ayre 31
Race 6: (5) Rebel Renegade 34
Race 7: (1) Noble Secret 58 (NAP**)
Race 8: (3) Miss Turbo 39
Race 9: (9) Yer-Maan 34
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (8) Pippielangkous 9
Race 2: (1) Shadowing 16
Race 3: (2) Forty Days 5
Race 4: (2) Contessa’s Glance 1
Race 5: (7) Waning Crescent 46
Race 6: (11) African Messiah 55
Race 7: (3) Quickfire 69
Race 8: (9) Flower Of Carmel 32
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (2) Stone Tiger 7
Race 2: (6) Canadian Bolt 20
Race 3: (14) White Lightning 20
Race 4: (3) Osprey 70
Race 5: (4) Anneline 62
Race 6: (7) Elusive Wolf 59
Race 7: (3) Perfect Air 36
Race 8: (16) Dom Seguidor 43
Top rated winners last week included
Oloye won 30/1
Sharp Gitano won 28/1
Miss Varlicious won 5/1
Dancing Queen won 10/3
Paths Of Victory won 57/20
Black Indy won 47/20
Majestica won 21/10
Riptide won 18/10
Notebook:-
Calvary (Gareth Van Zyl, KZN)
Front And Centre (B Crawford, W-Cape)
Socrates (S Humby, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 12th August
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 0,46s slow
1000m (3) Calvary 56,90
1200m (1) Roy’s Magic 69,49
1400m (2) Silver Cent 84,64
1600m (2) Reactive 96,33
Durbanville 14th August
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,01s fast
1250m (1) Empire Rising 75,63
1400m (4) Orakal 82,82
1800m (3) Hello Summer 110,19
Greyville (poly) 15th August
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,17s slow
1000m (2) Leslie Shadowliner 57,66
1400m (1) Internet Kid 84,13
1600m (2) Roy’s Pony 96,97
1800m (1) High Green 108,96
1900m (2) Paths Of Victory 118,23
Vaal (classic) 16th August
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,75s slow
1000m (3) An Air Of Success 58,10
1200m (2) Count Kournikova 72,23
1600m (1) Elegancia 99,20
2000m (2) Kings Cup 125,92
Kenilworth (old) 18th August
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
1000m (1) Ostinato 60,07
1200m (3) Clouded Hill 73,95
1600m (2) Hudoo Magic 100,59
1800m (1) Symphony 116,30
2400m (1) The Silva Fox 160,63
