The Signs Were There
Turffontein 23rd February:
The going was already soft at Thursday’s inner track meeting, and with rain falling quite heavily at times the meeting was abandoned after five races. Two of the five that were staged took place over 1200m and quickest home in these was EGO AMIGO when getting off the mark in the maiden plate. Sporting blinkers for the first time, in this his third run after a rest, the 8/1 shot was always handy. He put his head in front shortly after passing the 200m marker and won going away by a length and a half.
They also ran two races over 2600m and in a time almost six seconds faster than that of the maiden plate, the MR78 Handicap was the fastest. The improving DETONATION had been backed into the red prior to the off and on striking the front 350m from home, the Dynasty gelding looked to have done everything right. FORTUNE FELLA had struck the front shortly before that though and rallying gamely after being headed, he got back up 150m out.
The only other race to be run was a work rider’s maiden plate over 1600m and here the 4yo MISS WALES won a lot more easily than the official winning margin of 1,9 lengths would suggest. Content to sit eighth of the ten for most of the journey, Geoff Woodruff’s charge was visibly cruising throughout. Work rider Goodman Dadamasi was already looking around for challengers as they took up the running 200m out, and they went on to score with a ton in hand.
Titbits
The newcomer GREEN TOP ran on well from off the pace when winning the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1200m going away.
Sailing Clear
Fairview 24th February:
The easiest victory in Port Elizabeth on Friday was undoubtedly that of the aptly named CLEAR SAILING in the feature event, the listed Lady’s Pendant over 1200m. Freely available at 11/2 on the off the joint top weight raced in midfield early on. She put her head in front going through the 400m, and after quickly going clear she won very easily by three and a half.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was KINGVOLDT when registering his fifth career victory in the MR100 Handicap. Easy to back at 10/1 on the off, the son of Western Winter was always handy. He took up the running shortly after passing the 200m marker and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the running on AFRIKABURN by a length and a quarter.
Quickest home in the two 1000m races was JUAN TWO THREE in the MR100 Handicap. Sent off a strong favourite at 11/10, Alan Greeff’s charge led throughout. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and although his stable companion THAYER tried his best to make a race of it, he did have that one held at the wire.
Titbits
The 4yo KASHMIRA didn’t find the clearest of passages en-route from the backend of midfield when getting up late to win the maiden plate for the girls over 1400m.
Real Value
Greyville 24th February:
As has become the norm, they raced on the poly track on Friday evening. Three of the eight races were staged over 1400m and by far the fastest of these was the MR62 Handicap won by ASTROMAN. Positioned in the backend of midfield as the eleven runners swung for home, Frank Robinson’s charge ran on best of all in the straight. He struck the front as they approached the 200m marker, and after fending off a determined challenge from the uneasy favourite, he went on to score comfortably by a length.
The faster of the two 1900m events was a MR70 Handicap and here victory went to Sporting Post’s top bet NIGHT CIRCUS. Freely available at 2/1 on the off, the top weighted son of Mambo In Seattle was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front early in the straight and kept on strongly late to beat the running on FIRST APOSTLE by a neck.
Sporting Post was also on the mark with their each way value bet when CLASS ACT put up a very gutsy performance to win the MR66 affair over 1000m. Taken straight to the front by apprentice Moodley, the 15/1 shot led throughout. She looked like being swamped halfway down the straight, but answering every call she kept finding, and held on by the narrowest of margins.
Titbits
After being hampered 300m out, the 35/1 shot ACE PILOT produced a fair turn of foot when getting up late to win the maiden plate over 1200m.
Plenty Of Mettle
Turffontein 26th February:
This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place on Saturday 25th February. The going was good to soft on Sunday where four of the nine races were run over 1450m. Comfortably the quickest home amongst these was the 4yo THE SMELL OF RAIN in the MR85 Handicap. Always available at around 8/1, Erico Verdonese’s charge sat seventh for most of the journey. She quickened well coming off the strip and won going away by a length and a quarter after striking the front 120m from home.
The faster of the two 1600m apprentice handicaps was the MR70 affair in which the consistent POST GRAD gained a deserved fourth career victory. More often than not seen running on stoutly from off the pace, the 5yo Announce gelding raced close up in second here. He struck the front early in the short home straight and went on to score with authority from SPACE TORNADO.
By far the easiest victory on the card was that of COLD CASH in the opening maiden plate over 1800m. Ridden to lead coming off the strip, Johan Janse Van Vuuren’s charge cruised clear over the final 400m and won going away by ten and a quarter.
Titbits
Drawn wide and slow into stride to boot, KNYSNA ROSE ran on stoutly from the backend of midfield, and gaining quickly at the finish was only beaten a neck.
Lightly raced YELLOW METAL won the MR89 Handicap for 3yo’s over 1200m with some in hand by a length.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (13) Widow’s Lamp 17
Race 2: (2) Elusive Mist 4
Race 3: (2) Kir Royale 4
Race 4: (2) Silken Summer 11
Race 5: (3) Shadow Ofhis Smile 89
Race 6: (4) Oriental Tiger 54
Race 7: (10) Winter Breeze 29
Race 8: (4) Green Lantern 57
Race 9: (15) Juds Express 49
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (6) Q Behind Me 15
Race 2: (10) Inyati 24
Race 3: (10) Arpad 54
Race 4: (13) Academy Princess 50
Race 5: (1) Out My Way 53
Race 6: (8) Principate 47
Race 7: (12) Lily’s Rush 27
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (3) Celestina 1
Race 2: (10) Whorly Whorly 9
Race 3: (9) Star Profile 1
Race 4: (2) Barbarella Nights 21
Race 5: (12) She’s Foxy 18
Race 6: (2) Kangaroo Jack 102
Race 7: (10) Shaama 84 (NAP*)
Race 8: (1) Safe Harbour 74
Race 9: (1) Heavenly Blue 64
Race 10: (7) The Elmo Effect 81
Race 11: (9) Parabola 50
Race 12: (12) Cuduiari 50
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (5) Kasimir 34 (NAP**)
Race 2: (3) Echo In Eternity 7
Race 3: (1) Cossack Guard 22 (nb)
Race 4: (2) Winter Trade 42
Race 5: (7) Jingle Belle 38
Race 6: (5) Galla Placidia 6
Race 7: (8) In The Jungle 42
Race 8: (12) Two Brothers 12
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (8) Pomona 5 (nb)
Race 2: (6) Kudra 45
Race 3: (7) Uposeupay 13
Race 4: (8) Roy’s Sailor 34
Race 5: (5) Astroman 35
Race 6: (3) Spanish Captain 66
Race 7: (1) Seatops 28
Race 8: (9) A-Rod 11 (NAP*)
Top rated winners last week included
Kashmira won 9/1
Astroman won 7/1
Post Grad won 4/1
Q The Music won 33/10
Love Lyric won 22/10
Mess won 2/1
Autumn In Seattle won 18/10
Cold Cash won 3/10
Notebook:-
Ace Pilot (A Gordon, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (inner) 23rd February
Penetrometer 27 Soft
Course Variant: 1,5s slow
1200m (2) Green Top 73,54
1600m (1) Miss Wales 101,63
2600m (2) Fortune Fella 171,83
Fairview (turf) 24th February
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant:
1000m (2) Juan Two Three 55,53
1200m (1) Clear Sailing 68,12
1400m (3) Kingvoldt 82,85
1600m (2) Fear Not 96,20
2400m (1) One Away 151,75
Greyville (poly) 24th February
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,52s slow
1000m (1) Class Act 58,40
1200m (1) Ace Pilot 71,60
1400m (3) Astroman 84,00
1600m (1) See The Sea 97,60
1900m (2) Night Circus 115,30
Turffontein (inner) 26th February
Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 2,61s slow
1200m (1) Yellow Metal 74,05
1450m (4) The Smell Of Rain 90,73
1600m (2) Post Grad 100,74
1800m (1) Cold Cash 115,26
2600m (1) Balalaika 171,00
