Lot To Like About Susanna
Kenilworth 26th April:
Five of the eight races in Cape Town on Wednesday were run over 1200m and the fastest of these was the MR68 Handicap won by SUN AT MIDNIGHT. Not the quickest into stride, the daughter of Elusive Fort raced in the rear early on. She ran on best of all at the business end of the race and under a well-judged ride from Richard Fourie, she got up late to deny the marginally more fancied ELUSIVE EMPRESS.
Race two on the card was a maiden juvenile plate over 1200m and here we saw an impressive performance from the Justin Snaith trained OH SUSANNA. Backed into the red at the track, the daughter of Street Cry was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and with a ton in hand went on to score easing down by six. One to follow.
The stable of Justin Snaith were also on the mark when Northern Ballet registered her fourth career victory in the MR78 Handicap over 2500m. Trying the distance for the first time here, the Silvano filly was content to amble along in the backend of midfield for most of the journey. She began to take closer order rounding the turn and racing on the grandstand side she got up late to deny the always handy PADDINGTON.
Titbits
Nibbled at into 37/10 from 5/1, the aptly named SHREWDY ran on well from the rear when getting up late to open her account in the girl’s division of the maiden 1200m.
Speed The Key
Turffontein 27th April:
By far the fastest of the four 1200m races on the inner track on Thursday was the progress plate in which ROMI’S BOY registered his second career victory. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 14/10 (op 22/10), Alec Laird’s charge was taken straight to the front by Pierre Strydom and led throughout. He very quickly had the field well strung out, and always clear, he came home lonely by five and three quarters.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1450m where the faster of the two was the novice handicap in which LEBANESE TRACTOR caused a bit of an upset. Easy to back at 21/2 on the off, Paul Peter’s 3yo was always handy. She ran on strongly over the final 400m and in what proved to be a real thriller she only got the verdict over the front running SEATTLE TANGO by the narrowest of margins.
Another to win well from the front on this card was PRINCE OF KAHAL in the maiden plate over 1000m. Holding just a three quarter length advantage coming off the strip, the 2yo in open company quickened nicely in the short home straight and won well by two and a quarter.
Titbits
The always handy 3yo SEATTLE SEAHAWK won the maiden plate over 1450m going away by two and three quarters.
Gaining at the finish, REBUKED was baulked for a run between the 400m and 200m poles when beaten less than half a length in the MR80 Handicap over 1200m.
7 From 22
Fairview 28th April:
Topping the bill in Port Elizabeth on Friday was a pinnacle stakes over 2400m and here victory went to the top weighted ALGHADEER. The only outright favourite to win on the card, Grant Paddock’s charge raced in midfield early on. He had moved up to third on entering the long home straight, and went on to score with authority by two and three quarters after striking the front 400m out. Alghadeer has now won 7 of his 22 starts.
The stable of Grant Paddock were also on the mark in the faster of the two 1400m races, a MR76 Handicap, when STRAWBERRY LIPS gained her second win from just six outings. Always available at around 25/1, the lightly weighted daughter of Ideal World raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She ran on stoutly in the straight and in what proved to be a real thriller she got up in the very last stride to deny the always handy (led 250m) BONNE VIE.
The MR75 Handicap was the faster of the two 1600m races on the card and here it was nice to see the Elusive Fort gelding GRAPE VINE back in the number one box. Winning for the first time since September ‘15, Justin Snaith’s charge also came from off the pace. He ran on best of all, and hard ridden all the way to the wire, he got the better of the front running, THE CAT by a half.
Titbits
The newcomer PINNACLE PEAK beat the even money favourite Dickensian going away when causing an upset in the juvenile plate over 1000m.
Beating Older Rivals
Greyville 28th April:
The first three races on the poly on Friday night were run over 1000m and marginally fastest of these was the opening maiden plate won by ZARNITSA. Racing in open company the 2yo led throughout. She was two lengths clear coming off the bend and drew clear easily in the short home straight to score by six and a half.
They also ran three races over 1600m, and quickest against the clock in these was the MR66 Handicap in which the top weight JUST CRUISED IN registered his second career victory. Allowed to ease right out to 59/10 from 5/2 at the track, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge was always handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the well-supported LEDIMASPRINCESS (8/1 into 5/1) by a length and a half.
The two remaining races were both staged over 1200m, the faster of which was the bill topping MR88 Handicap won by RESPECT AT BAY. Confidently ridden by Eric Ngwane, the Mullins Bay mare raced at the back for most of the journey. She quickened best of all in the straight and under a well-judged ride she got up late to win going away.
Titbits
Positioned in the rear for most of the journey, TRIP QUEENS was flying at the finish when a one length runner up in the MR68 affair over 1600m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (9) Miss Aphrodite 17
Race 2: (11) Run For Your Life 2
Race 3: (5) Cream Of Chrome 11
Race 4: (2) Stokvel 7
Race 5: (10) Lotus Elan 54
Race 6: (5) One Love 56
Race 7: (14) Impressionist 51
Race 8: (12) Reef Of Fortune 44
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (4) Bankable Teddy 86
Race 2: (1) Just As I Said 66
Race 3: (9) Kanonkop 79
Race 4: (2) Barrack Street 53
Race 5: (1) Daring Diva 44
Race 6: (2) Smiling Blue Eyes 61
Race 7: (1) Heavenly Blue 77
Race 8: (1) Trip To Heaven 105
Race 9: (1) Legal Eagle 101 (NAP**)
Race 10: (3) Trophy Wife 78
Race 11: (9) Arpad 46
Race 12: (9) Exquisite Touch 98 (nb)
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (5) Miss Mymoney 3
Race 2: (8) Varside 15
Race 3: (1) Colorado Rose 11
Race 4: (4) All Mine 51
Race 5: (1) Ovar 53 (EW)
Race 6: (7) Kasimir 42
Race 7: (5) Regal Ruby 20
Race 8: (15) Elusive Stars 38
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (9) So Vain 8
Race 2: (2) Bobby’s Express 11
Race 3: (9) Pina Colada 22
Race 4: (5) The Lion Guard 31
Race 5: (10) Tin Soldier 57
Race 6: (1) Ektifaa 64
Race 7: (1) Janoobi 68
Race 8: (6) Sail South 101
Race 9: (3) Luckdragon 1
Top rated winners last week included
Stratocruiser won 17/2
Embrasiatic won 7/1
Lawdy Miss Clawdy won 7/1
Sun At Midnight won 9/2
Noodle won 7/2
Zoaves won 26/10
Supreme Orator won 29/20
Oh Susanna won 8/10
Notebook:-
Oh Susanna (J Snaith, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Kenilworth (new) 26th April
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,13s slow
1200m (5) Sun At Midnight 72,06
1400m (1) Hanabi 88,39
1600m (1) Second Nature 102,97
2500m (1) Northern Ballet 161,59
Turffontein (inner) 27th April
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,10s fast
1000m (1) Prince Of Kahal 57,85
1200m (4) Romi’s Boy 70,48
1450m (2) Lebanese Tractor 88,10
1600m (1) Guns And Roses 99,43
Fairview (turf) 28th April
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (1) Pinnacle Peak 57,66
1200m (2) Reef Of Fortune 69,01
1400m (2) Strawberry Lips 83,21
1600m (2) Grape Vine 96,46
2400m (2) Alghadeer 152,04
Greyville (poly) 28th April
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,82s slow
1000m (3) Zarnitsa 58,50
1200m (2) Respect At Bay 70,56
1600m (3) Just Cruised In 95,95*
