Money Talks
Vaal 20th February: Followers of the money got off to a nice start at the Vaal on Thursday when WAIMEA landed a gamble. Backed throughout the morning into 4/1 from 12’s, the Corne Spies trained 3yo led throughout. He was three and a half lengths clear going through the 400m and although both MOUNT EVEREST and FISTS OF FIRE ran on strongly from off the pace, he won without any anxious moments by a length and three quarters.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1600m and in marginally the fastest of these, a MR84 Handicap, the well supported DESTINYS GAME registered her third career victory. Backed into joint favouritism before the off, Paul Peter’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride and raced in midfield during the early part of the race. Once give rein though she quickened best of all and under a well-judged ride from Warren Kennedy, she got up late to beat CIRCLE OF LATITUDE.
1000m was the only other distance to stage more than one race on the card and in the faster of the two events, A MR76 Handicap, TOWARDS THE SUN followed up on her recent maiden win. Nibbled at into 7/1 from 17/2, Sean Tarry’s charge was soon up handy. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race, and with the rest well beaten she got the better of a thrilling tussle with the always handy BEFORE THE DAWN by a quarter.
Titbits
In the rear early on after being a little slow into stride, the Paul Peter trained IMPERIAL RUBY won the MR92 Handicap over 2000m going away by four and three quarters.
Winning With Authority
Fairview 21st February: The opening Juvenile Plate for the girls was the faster of the two 1000m races to be run and here we saw a comfortable victory for the favourite DELICASEA. Always in the red, the daughter of Global View was soon positioned close to the speed. She put her head in front 150m out and with some in hand she comfortably accounted for the staying on pacemaker SLOANE by a length and a quarter.
Race three on the card was a maiden plate over 2000m and in an event where just three runners went to post victory went to the odds on favourite ARMO. Content to lead at a sedate pace, Gavin Smith’s charge was always doing it easily. He was headed by his only serious rival in the betting market PRINCE IN ACTION 800m out, but he regained the lead with ease 400m later, and asked to do no more than was necessary from there onwards, he went on to score with a ton in hand by two and a quarter.
Another to win with plenty in hand was MALDIVES in the maiden plate over 1400m. Making his first appearance since relocating to the Eastern Cape, the son of Ideal World sat sixth of the eight early on. He cut through the field quickly when asked for his effort and won a lot more easily than the official winning margin of a length and a quarter might suggest.
Titbits
This meeting was abandoned after the running of race four due to a labour protest on and around the course.
Only Four Again
Turffontein 22nd February: They raced on the old stand side track on Saturday where due to a severe electrical storm and torrential rain the meeting had to be abandoned after the running of race four.
The two 1160m races that took place were both maiden juvenile plates and in the faster of these, the girls’ affair, the favourite DUBAWI PRINCESS opened her account. Always in the red, the daughter of Willow Magic sat fifth during the early part of the race. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 400m marker and won going away from the running on ULULATE.
A work rider’s maiden plate over 1600m had opened up proceedings and here we saw a very easy victory for CREATION. Four lengths clear at the top of the long home straight, Alec Laird’s charge had extended that advantage to six going through the 400m. He kept on strongly from there onwards and although the favourite OPENING GAMBIT tried hard to make a race of it in the closing stages, Creation still had five and a quarter to spare at the wire.
The maiden plate over 1000m proved to be the final race on the card and here we saw a comfortable victory for the Clinton Binda trained BLOW ME DOWN. Positioned in midfield early on, the 3yo son of Toreador ran on stoutly at the business end of the race and won going away after striking the front 150m from home.
Titbits
A stable companion to the 1000m maiden plate winner Blow Me Down, ETHEL ROSE ran on strongly from the rear when third beaten just a length and three quarters.
It’s In The Genes
Kenilworth 22nd February: The Gr1 Cape Derby for 3yo’s over 2000m topped the bill in Cape Town on Saturday and in what proved comparatively to be only the third fastest of the four races around the turn, victory went to the nibbled at GOLDEN DUCAT. A half-brother to both Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam, Golden Ducat raced seventh coming off the bend. He ran on strongly down the long new course home straight and with the rest left trailing in their wake, he got the better of SACHDEV (raced handy – led 350m) close home.
The Gr2 Diadem Stakes was the supporting act and in what proved to be by far the fastest of the five 1200m events on the card, the talented KASIMIR registered his eighth win from just nineteen starts. Prominent throughout, Justin Snaith’s charge ran on stoutly below the distance and in a thrilling three way finish he got the verdict by 0,3 lengths.
The listed Jet Master Stakes was by far the faster of the two 1600m races on the card and here the friendless CROWN TOWERS caused an upset. Allowed to drift right out to 40/1 from 14’s before the off, the lesser fancied of Justin Snaith’s three runners was soon nicely positioned in second. He put his head in front shortly after passing the 400m pole and in another thriller he held on by the narrowest of margins from the always handy CAPOEIRA.
Titbits
Hampered 400m out, JOSEPH BARRY was gaining at the finish when only beaten 0,3 lengths by the talented ERIK THE RED in the Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery.
Three From Five
Greyville 23rd February: Sunday’s action took place on the poly track where the first three races were all run over 1000m. The MR88 Handicap was not surprisingly the fastest of these and here we saw a smart performance from the Dean Kannemeyer trained WOLFGANG. Soon positioned up with the speed, the son of Dynasty took up the running early in the short home straight and eased late won very cosily by a length and three quarters.
The stable of Dean Kannemeyer (three winners from five runners) were also on the mark when CHROME GYPSY opened her account in the maiden plate over 1600m. At the back of the twelve when the race developed into a sprint at the top of the short home straight, the daughter of What A Winter finished best of all and won going away after striking the front 150m from home.
A MR90 Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and completing a hat-trick for the Kannemeyer stable here was MOUNT ANDERSON. One of five in a line at the head of affairs going through the 200m, Mount Anderson showed a nice turn of foot below the distance and with some in hand won going away by two.
Titbits
Taken straight to the front by Warren Kennedy, the Gauteng raider JOZI HUSTLE was always in command when opening his account in the maiden plate over 1000m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (3) Eternal Hope 22
Race 2: (5) Field Dancer 3
Race 3: (6) Evening Song 31
Race 4: (3) Stream Of Kindness 53
Race 5: (11) Easybyfar 44
Race 6: (6) Seeking Wisdom 69
Race 7: (8) Point Of Sale 80
Race 8: (3) Elusive Heart 71
Race 9: (11) Gimme Katrina 48
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Gold Lightning 17
Race 2: (3) All The Way Up 53
Race 3: (13) Netanya 33
Race 4: (8) Plymouth Rock 69
Race 5: (6) Excessive Grace 18
Race 6: (1) High Green 64
Race 7: (3) Hampton Court 57
Race 8: (6) Charlie-Fox 37
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (5) Master Of Disguise 3
Race 2: (11) Ululate 1
Race 3: (14) Wylie Wench 16
Race 4: (1) Doublethink 26
Race 5: (1) Untamed Tiger 21
Race 6: (7) Silver Master 63
Race 7: (4) Spiritofthegroove 66
Race 8: (3) La Bella Mia 93
Race 9: (1) Marshall Foch 51
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (6) Cyber Blossom 24
Race 2: (9) Winter Flight 3
Race 3: (4) French Fling 1
Race 4: (4) Catkin 73
Race 5: (13) Metorite 59
Race 6: (3) Cruise Along 50
Race 7: (1) Tap O’Noth 75
Race 8: (13) Cyber Law 46
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (15) Hidden War 5
Race 2: (5) Arizona Sunset 52
Race 3: (2) Red Hot Night 25
Race 4: (10) Ariano’s Shadow 54
Race 5: (8) Mashari 52
Race 6: (2) Captain’s Girl 83
Race 7: (11) Tribal Fusion 85
Race 8: (5) Ruby Cove 20
Top rated winners last week included
Fire And Ice won 10/1
Academic Gold won 49/20
Chrome Gypsy won 47/20
Persica won 21/10
Kasimir won 5/4
Dubawi Princess won 9/10
Erik The Red won 11/20
Linda Loves Lace won 7/20
Notebook:-
Delicasea (A Greeff, E-Cape)
Golden Ducat (A Sands, W-Cape)
Joseph Barry (V Marshall, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Vaal 20th February
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,41s slow
1000m (2) Towards The Sun 57,60
1100m (1) Benji 63,17
1200m (1) Waimea 70,87*
1600m (3) Destinys Game 96,61
2000m (1) Imperial Ruby 123,92
Fairview (turf) 21st February
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (2) Delicasea 57,07
1400m (1) Maldives 85,37
2000m (1) Armo 131,06
Turffontein (stand side) 22nd February
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 2,31s slow
1000m (1) Blow Me Down 59,75
1160m (2) Dubawi Princess 69,79
1600m (1) Creation 101,43
Kenilworth (new) 22nd February
Penetrometer 21 (str) – 22 (bend) – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,14s slow
1200m (5) Kasimir 71,00
1400m (1) Pretty Young Thing 86,39
1600m (2) Crown Towers 98,81
2000m (1) Golden Ducat 125,51
Greyville (poly) 23rd February
Going Standard
Penetrometer 0,07s slow
1000m (3) Wolfgang 56,81
1200m (1) Agent Murphy 69,87
1400m (1) Mount Anderson 82,10
1600m (1) Chrome Gypsy 96,15*
1700m (1) Explosive Beauty 101,00
1900m (1) Rain Dance 116,12
