Not So Lucky Last
Vaal 14th December: There were eleven races on the inside track on Tuesday, four of which were run over 1200m. The only race amongst these not contested by maidens (a MR68 Handicap) was the fastest of these and here victory went to the well exposed BURUNDI BUSH. Easy to back at 11/1 on the off St John Gray’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She ran on best of all from halfway and won going away after striking the front 150m from home.
A MR88 Handicap topped the bill and in what proved to be by far the faster of the two races over 1400m the Jay Peg filly EMILY JAY registered her third career victory. She got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m marker and kept on strongly in the latter stages of the race to beat the always handy DOWN TO ZERO by a length and a half.
The faster of the two 1000m handicaps on the card was the MR72 affair in which LE TIGRE narrowly landed the spoils. Up with the pace throughout, Leon Erasmus’ charge commenced battle with the much more fancied BRIGTNUMBERTEN 250m out, and with the rest left trailing in their wake, he only got the better of a thrilling tussle by the narrowest of margins.
Titbits
Racing off a mark some 20 points below that of his earlier best, the 4yo SIDE SHOW (9/1) only had to be pushed out when winning the not so lucky last, a MR67 Handicap.
Cutting It Fine
Fairview 15th December: Friday’s action took place on the turf where the fastest of the three 1200m races was the MR84 Handicap won by the Western Cape raider TWINKLE TOES. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 2/1, Justin Snaith’s charge was always handy. She ran on strongly over the final 400m and got up in the very last stride to deny the front running second favourite BOXLEY.
The listed Memorial Mile over 1600m topped the bill and here favourite backers were again on the mark when STORMY ECLIPSE did the business. Confidently ridden by regular pilot Charles Ndlovu, the Dynasty gelding guarded the rear for most of the journey. He fairly flew when the race developed into a sprint and got up in the dying strides.
The faster of the two 1400m races on the card was the MR66 Handicap in which the 5yo DIVAR registered his third career victory. In touch throughout, Divar put his head in front 150m out and won with a ton in hand by a length and a half.
Titbits
Making his first appearance in the Eastern Cape, OVERDOSE won the maiden plate over 2400m going away by four and three quarters.
Overdose’s stable companion SIR CLIFF also won very easily on his first appearance in the Eastern Cape when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1600m.
Awesome Displays
Greyville 15th December: As per usual on a Friday night it was the poly track that saw the action. Five went to post for the opening barrier trail and as expected it was a walk in the park for the talented RED CHESNUT ROAD. Taken straight to the front by replacement jockey Anthony Delpech, the son of Pathfork was always clear. He was never really asked to race and finished seven lengths ahead of the second horse past the post. Four of the evening’s races were staged over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was THE BAYOU in the boy’s maiden event. The best bet on the card for many, Paul Lafferty’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He put his head in front as they approached the 200m marker and won going away by two and a quarter.
The non-black type River Indigo Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and in a time 15/100th of a second slower than that of The Bayou, AWESOMENESS registered her second career victory. Sent off third in the betting market at 5/1, Candice Bass-Robinson’s charge was always handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and comfortably accounted for the four-timer seeking ACCIDENTAL TOURIST by a length and a half.
Titbits
LADY ELLIODOR and PALACE MYSTERY both ran on well from off the pace when 1st & 2nd respectively in the girl’s division of the maiden plate over 1800m.
King For A Day
Turffontein 16th December: A pinnacle stakes topped the bill on the old stand side track on Saturday and although it was the quickest of the three 1600m events on the card, it wasn’t a fast run race. The recent recruit from overseas HAT PUNTANO was sent off favourite, but it was the easy to back ROMANY PRINCE who landed the spoils. In a race that developed into more of a 500m sprint, Ormond Ferraris’ charge ran on stoutly at the business end of the race and got up late to deny UNAGI (raced handy – led 500m).
Marginally the faster of the two 1160m races on the card was the MR76 Handicap won by DISTANT CALL. Up with the speed throughout, the daughter of Var ran on strongly over the final 400m and got the verdict by three quarters over the slightly more fancied TWELVE OAKS.
The MR93 Handicap was the faster of the two 1800m races and here we saw a smart performance from the progressive WILD HORIZON. Now a winner of 6 of his 21 starts to date, the son of Fort Wood was always handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m pole and comfortably accounted for the running on SAMURAI BLADE by two and a quarter.
Titbits
Poorly drawn INSIGNIS ran on well from midfield when winning the girl’s division of the maiden 1600m going away.
Lightly raced SIMPLY ROYAL made up many lengths in the straight before getting the better of her stable companion by a length and a quarter in the MR91 Handicap over 1400m
Ticking Over Nicely
Scottsville 17th December: Favourite backers got off to a nice start in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday when GOOD BUDDY did the business in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 800m. Soon up handy, the son of Elusive Fort put his head in front at the halfway mark and won going away by a length and a half.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1200m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was SHWANKY in the MR76 Handicap. Another to race handy and take up the running at the 400m marker, Louis Goosen’s charge kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the running on ROYAL AGREE by three quarters.
A MR86 Handicap over 1750m topped the bill and in what comparatively proved to be the fastest of the three races around the turn, GINGERBREAD MAN registered his fifth career victory. Always handy in a race devoid of pace early on, the son of Querari took up the running 200m out and won well from the always handy WARFARER.
Titbits
Always handy, the 18/10 favourite SHADOW CATCHER won the maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1200m going away by nine and a half.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (4) Stola 6
Race 2: (2) Don’t Let Me Down 16
Race 3: (6) Straw Rum 12
Race 4: (11) Die Kat 45
Race 5: (6) More Than That 53
Race 6: (7) Kimberley Star 60
Race 7: (4) Candy Crush 41
Race 8: (3) Laters Baby 34
Race 9: (10) Seattle Spell 40
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Dr Henry 8
Race 2: (2) Neala 70
Race 3: (4) Stunning Seed 12 (EW)
Race 4: (7) Fire Song 6
Race 5: (1) Fonteyn 14
Race 6: (6) Marriot 38
Race 7: (1) Rainbowinthesky 48
Race 8: (10) Inyati 48
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (3) Over Easy 24
Race 2: (1) Schippers 40
Race 3: (3) Square The Circle 35
Race 4: (14) Redberry Wood 9
Race 5: (10) Front Rank 74
Race 6: (8) Alileo 66
Race 7: (3) Rivarine 85
Race 8: (9) Hatfield Square 51
Race 9: (7) Witchcraft 84
Race 10: (10) Tapenzee 38
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (8) Special Force 5
Race 2: (8) Top Classman 49
Race 3: (9) Kinsky’s Crusade 9
Race 4: (2) Rosie Bubbles 18
Race 5: (1) Prince Of Promise 4
Race 6: (3) City Of Stars 7
Race 7: (9) Hashtagyolo64
Race 8: (13) Magesh’s Jet 49
Top rated winners last week included
Unbelievable Chad won 28/1
Divar won 13/1
Bollemakiesie won 4/1
Toltec won 33/10
The Bayou won 1/1
Shadow Catcher won 18/10
Overdose won 6/10
Love Theme won 4/10
Notebook:-
Simply Royal (S Tarry, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher: BT = Barrier Trial
Vaal (inside) 14th December
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,83s fast
1000m (2) Le Tigre 56,40
1200m (4) Burundi Bush 68,99
1400m (2) Emily Jay 80,41
1700m (2) Side Show 103,46
2400m (1) Subtle Force 150,29
Fairview (turf) 15th December
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,13s fast
800m (1) Born A Bully 44,96
1200m (3) Twinkle Toes 67,27
1400m (2) Divar 84,57
1600m (2) Stormy Eclipse 97,48
2400m (1) Overdose 153,26
Greyville (poly) 15th December
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,38s slow
1000m (1) Red Chesnut Road 60,64BT
1400m (4) The Bayou 84,23
1600m (2) Iron Wolf 96,56
1800m (2) Lady Elliodor 111,52
Turffontein (old) 16th December
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,37s slow
1160m (2) Distant Call 68,18
1400m (2) Simply Royal 84,95
1600m (3) Romany Prince 99,05
1800m (2) Wild Horizon 111,81
2400m (1) Rite Of Spring 159,45
Scottsville (inside) 17th December
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 0,37s fast
800m (1) Good Buddy 45,84
1200m (4) Shwanky 68,54
1750m (1) Gingerbread Man 105,19
1950m (1) The Money Man 119,53
2400m (1) Ballymaine 152,00
