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.Four From Five
Scottsville 14th December: Four of the nine races in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday were run over 1400m and the fastest of these was the MR70 Handicap won by CHARTWELL. On leaving the stalls it was the 7/2 favourite RACHEL LEIGH who elected to make the running whilst the daughter of A P Answer raced close up in fifth. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m marker and went on to score comfortably by three quarters. GLORIOUS MOMENT ran on well from the backend of midfield to finish third in this race.
The faster of the two 1000m events was the MR86 affair in which ROYALSECURITYPOWER registered his fifth career victory. Nicely positioned in second behind the speedy CHERRY TRIPPER for the vast majority of the journey, Kom Naidoo’s charge was always travelling well, and went clear quickly after striking the front 50m from home. Royalsecuritypower has now won four of his last five starts.
There was also two races run over 1950m and fastest against the clock here, albeit in a very falsely run race, was SUPERCEDE in the MR86 Handicap. There was just a steady pace throughout, and sat fourth of the five, the top weight was always poised to strike. She did so going through the 200m and although the pacemaker SAN TRIP rallied gamely once headed she kept on strongly to win by a neck.
Race two on the card was a maiden juvenile plate over 800m and here we saw a nice debut effort from the fancied TONI PERFORMS. Backed into favouritism at the track (9/2 into 22/10), Mike Miller’s charge raced close up in second. She was asked to take up the running shortly after passing the 300m pole and won well from the front running MAYFAIR (11/2 into 9/2) by two.
Titbits
SILVER HONEY won the girl’s maiden 1400m with authority by a length and three quarters.
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Losing Weight
Fairview 15th December: Six of the races in Port Elizabeth on Monday took place over ground and the fastest of the three 1800m events was the MR73 Handicap won by SCARLET BERRY. Sent off joint third in the betting market at 9/2, the daughter of Horse Chestnut was very quickly three and a half lengths clear. She went a solid clip throughout and barely relinquishing an inch of her advantage she won without any anxious moments.
The faster of the two 1900m races was the MR85 affair won by TIGER PLAY. Another to lead from pillar to post, Dorrie Sham’s charge kept on strongly at the business end of the race and he did have the runner up LORD BADGER held by three quarters at the wire.
The longest race on the card was the maiden plate over 2200m and here we saw a comfortable victory for the favourite PARISIAN PARK. Having only his third career outing here, Glen Kotzen’s charge raced in the rear early on. The pace was a steady one though and with just seven runners going to post he was always within striking distance. He quickened nicely at the top of the short home straight and won well by two and a quarter after striking the front 200m from home.
Race seven on the card was a novice plate over 1000m and here we saw a nice performance from the drifter THE BEAT. Allowed to ease out to 28/10 from 9/2 at the track, the 3yo son of Mogok was always handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m marker and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to hold off a wall of horses by three quarters.
Titbits
Albeit very narrowly, PURE ELEGANCE was first past the post in the MR59 Handicap over 1800m, but having lost the weight cloth in running was disqualified for weighing in 2,9kg less than what she weighed out.
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Just Four
Flamingo Park 15th December: A maiden plate over 1800m got proceedings underway in Kimberley on Monday and here we saw a very easy victory for the well exposed AMAAN. Making her 25th appearance in the maiden ranks here the Kahal mare raced in the backend of midfield early on. She began to take closer order rounding the turn and cruised clear after striking the front 350m out to score by eight and a quarter.
The fastest of the three 1400m events to be run was the MR62 Handicap won by CLOUD RUNNER. Always handy the top weighted daughter of Stronghold struck the front 200m from home and won comfortably from the nibbled at SOMETHINWICKED (also raced handy) by a length.
After the running of race four a formal protest was lodged by the jockey’s and as a result races 5-9 were abandoned as the track was considered unsafe.
Titbits
Lightly raced MCGEEK was always clear when comfortably accounting for his eight rivals in the boy’s maiden plate over 1400m.
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Smart Beginning
Turffontein 16th December: They raced on the old stand side track on Tuesday evening where victory in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 800m went to the well supported second favourite ROGUEBRUNE. Backed into 22/10 from 3/1 at the track Michael Azzie’s charge made all. He was soon two lengths clear and extended his authority to four and three quarters over the final 400m.
The stable of Michael Azzie were again on the mark in the next, a conditions plate over 1000m when FLAME CAT registered her fourth career victory. Very uncharacteristically, the daughter of Tale Of The Cat lost two lengths at the start and then found herself detached at the rear. She steadily worked her way into contention under a confident ride from JP v’d Merwe though, and won well by two after striking the front 200m out.
Race four on the card was the second division of the maiden 1400m and here we saw a smart performance from the Count Dubois gelding LUCA DELAGO. Alec Laird’s charge got away well when the gates opened and soon had the field well strung out. He was always clear and although the friendless GIANT STEP (14/1out to 33/1) chased hard, he won very cosily by three and three quarters.
There were five races run over 1400m in total and the fastest of these was the MR86 Handicap won by MR MULLINER. Nibbled at throughout the evening into 16/1 from 40’s, the Mullins Bay gelding was always handy. He ran on strongly in the straight and with the rest well beaten he did well to reel in the free striding VICTORY CRUISE close home.
Titbits
BATTLE IN SEATTLE and RIVER RUN won their respective maiden plates over 1400m comfortably by two.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: No Qualifiers
Race 2: (2) Special Effects 41
Race 3: (3) Redsun 11
Race 4: (1) King’s Blog 12
Race 5: (3) Oats 73
Race 6: (2) Drill Sargeant 67
Race 7: (9) River Tyne 67
Race 8: (10) Bryonybrightwater 48
Race 9: (5) King Of The Deep 35
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (3) Playful Time 26
Race 2: (1) Moi Power 29
Race 3: (5) Risky Rosco 39
Race 4: (3) Vitruvian Man 50 (EW)
Race 5: (1) Poetic Justice 8
Race 6: (13) Emperor Niarchos 97
Race 7: (7) Entrée 26
Race 8: (12) It Wasn’t Me 47
Race 9: (2) Make Me Money 5
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (9) Eurozone 12
Race 2: (3) Muskogee 18
Race 3: (1) Arabian Bay 20
Race 4: (8) Down Under 36
Race 5: (2) Shadow Ofhis Smile 72
Race 6: (8) Mystic Tigress 53
Race 7: (5) Chief Sioux 56
Race 8: (9) Mutamakkin 77 (NAP**)
Race 9: (9) Dancethemoonaway 50
Race 10: (10) Kara 22
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: No Qualifiers
Race 2: (3) Black Marble 11
Race 3: (5) Spirit Of Hamilton 16
Race 4: (9) Judd’s Joy 49
Race 5: (1) Asstar 79 (EW)
Race 6: (1) The Which Doctor 79
Race 7: (10) Fly By Night 101 (NAP*)
Race 8: (8) Independence 69
Race 9: (10) King Of The Knight 68
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (3) Hunger Games 7
Race 2: (5) The Poet 26
Race 3: (5) Princess Ariel 17
Race 4: (5) Harry’s Horse 22
Race 5: (6) Preamble 70
Race 6: (5) Tip Toe 52
Race 7: (7) Rachel Leigh 46
Race 8: (8) Cage Fighter 75 (EW)
Race 9: (7) Blaze The Trail 54
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Top rated winners last week included
Mr Mulliner won 16/1
Big Bucks won 13/2
Djembe Jamming won 11/2
Feels Like Heaven won 5/1
Sail South won 7/2
Battle In Seattle won 3/1
Liquid Mercury won 3/1
Fort Meyers won 22/10
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Notebook:-
Royalsecuritypower (K Naidoo, KZN)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 14th December
Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft
800m (1) Toni Performs 46,75
1000m (2) Royalsecuritypower 57,50
1400m (4) Chartwell 84,73
1950m (2) Supercede 123,17
Flamingo Park 15th December
Going – Rain Affected
1400m (3) Cloud Runner 87,35
1800m (1) Amaan 116,18
Fairview (poly) 15th December
Going – Standard
1000m (1) The Beat 57,65
1300m (1) Stormin Cat 75,62
1800m (3) Scarlet Berry 107,96
1900m (2) Tiger Play 115,07
2200m (1) Parisian Park 136,72
Turffontein (old) 16th December
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
800m (1) Roguebrune 45,60
1000m (2) Flame Cat 56,89
1400m (5) Mr Mulliner 86,24
2450m (1) Lucky Gambler 158,78*
