Powerful Treble
Durbanville 9th October: The distance of 1400m took the lion’s share of the races at the country course on Wednesday and in what proved to be the fastest of the three we saw a smart performance from the full brother to Bold Respect SUPER SILVANO. Now a winner of two from seven, Brett Crawford’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well at the top of the straight and under a well-judged ride from Pierre Orffer he won going away by three quarters.
The stable of Brett Crawford (3 winners on the day) were again on the mark in the faster of the two 2000m races when KHOPESH ran out a very easy winner. Always handy, the Jackson gelding took up the running 300m out and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by seven and a quarter.
Another to win with authority on this card was the highly regarded RIO QUERARI when landing the MR81 Handicap over 1250m. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 17/10, Justin Snaith’s 3yo raced fifth coming off the bend. He put his head in front shortly after passing the 300m marker and drew clear easily below the distance to score by three and a quarter.
Titbits
Now a winner of two from four, LARENTINA showed a very nice turn of foot in the latter stages when getting up late to win the smarter than average MR78 Handicap over 1400m.
Allyouneedisspeed
Vaal 10th October: The girl’s division was the faster of the two 1000m events that got proceedings underway on Thursday and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the deposed favourite ALLYOUNEEDISLOVE. Allowed to ease right out to 9/2 from 3/1 as solid support came for the Sean Tarry trained newcomer LEADING FAST (6/1 into 26/10 – never a threat), the daughter of Captain Of All led throughout. She was always clear and won without any anxious moments by two and a half.
Money also came in buckets for the Sean Tarry trained IN THE DANCE in the progress plate over 1200m and this time the stable were on the mark. Absolutely thrown in at the weights, the Gimmethegreenlight filly was soon positioned close to the speed. She got the better of the front running SEEMYVISION 150m out and with the rest well beaten she won going away by three quarters.
A pinnacle stakes over 2400m topped the bill and in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the races over the distance, the ultra-consistent DAWN ASSAULT took his tally of wins into double figures. Sent off third in the betting market at 4/1, St John Gray’s charge was always handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and again comfortably accounted for the horse he beat last time out, DROMEDARIS.
Titbits
The 33/1 shot TOUGH CHOICE had the rest four lengths adrift when running on from the rear to finish second in the MR76 Handicap over 2400m.
Backed into second favourite, the Lucky Houdalakis trained newcomer MARYGOLD only had to be ridden with hands and heels when beating her twelve rivals in the maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1450m going away.
Promising Start
Fairview 11th October: They raced on the poly track on Friday where the faster of the two 1200m events was the MR84 Handicap won by the former Gauteng campaigner ALPINE GLACIER. Having his first start here since relocating to the province Alan Greeff’s charge raced fourth of the six early on. He quickened well in the short home straight and won nicely by a half from the fancied DI ME.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1300m where the faster of the two was the MR78 Handicap won by OPEN FIRE. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, the 5/1 shot was positioned towards the rear during the early part of the race. He made his move rounding the turn and was already at the front going through the 400m. He kept on strongly from there onwards and got the verdict by a half over the always handy KINGSMAN.
The Bold Silvano filly WIND FINDER was the best bet on the card for most and she didn’t let down her supporters. Narrowly beaten by a fair local sort in BERNARDO in her only previous racecourse appearance, the 12/10 favourite was soon at the head of affairs. She was always a couple clear and with some in hand won very cosily by two and a half.
Titbits
Having his first outing since relocating to the Eastern Cape, the heavily supported Toreador gelding ARABIAN SNIPER was racing over a trip probably too short in the opening maiden plate over 1000m. He had many lengths to find coming off the bend and finishing best of all he did very well indeed to get within 2,75 lengths of the winner.
Soqrat Ready For Battle
Turffontein 12th October: A pinnacle stakes over 1600m topped the bill on the inner track on Saturday and in what proved to be the fastest of the four races over the distance the best weighted runner in the field SOQRAT did the business. Making his seasonal debut here, MIKE De Kock’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He only had to be pushed out after taking up the running 200m from home and won well by a length from his running on stable companion LIKE A PANTHER. The runner up was having his first outing since December ’18 and finished very well.
Three of the nine races were run over 1200m and in the quickest of these, a progress plate, we saw a gutsy performance from the lightly raced DONDERWEER. Now a winner of two from three, Paul Matchett’s charge was soon two lengths clear. Last season’s Gr2 Golden Slipper winner COCKNEY PRIDE challenged strongly 200m out and may even have led briefly. The Soft Falling Rain gelding found extra below the distance though and went on to win well by three quarters. One to look out for next time from this race is DUBLIN QUAYS. In the rear coming off the strip, Mike De Kock’s charge was finishing best of all and did well to get within a length and a quarter of Donderweer.
The stable of Paul Matchett were also on the mark in the faster of the two 1450m events, a MR72 apprentice handicap, when HERTOG registered his second career victory. Nibbled at on course into 9/1 from 14’s, the Duke Of Marmalade gelding broke well and raced fifth early on. He put his head in front shortly after passing the 200m marker and kept on strongly below the distance to beat the running on CATEGORY FOUR (came from the rear) by just under a half.
Titbits
Now a winner of three from four, the Mike De Kock trained QUEEN SUPREME won the MR100 Handicap with authority by two. She’s behind at weight for age and can still improve plenty.
Patience Rewarded
Durbanville 12th October: The bill topping pinnacle stakes was by far the fastest of the four 1250m events at the country course on Saturday and here we saw a smart performance from the lightly raced 4yo AGENT OF FORTUNE. The speedy BWANA made the running and coming off the bend he was easily four lengths clear. Nicely positioned in second though Vaughan Marshall’s charge quickened well at the business end of the race, and won going away by a length and a half after striking the front 100m from home.
Another to win very well on this card was KILINDINI in the faster of the two 1400m maiden events. In what was priced up as a boat race, his main rival PINKERTON got first run and struck the front 300m out. Kilindini tracked him throughout though, and with the remainder left trailing in their wake he went past Justin Snaith’s charge with authority 120m out to score going away by a length and three quarters.
The two remaining races were both MR78 Handicaps over 1800m and in the faster of these, the girls’ affair, DANCING SALLY recorded her third career victory. On leaving the stalls it was the supported LUNAR TUNES who elected to make the running and coming off the bend she was five lengths clear. The chasing pack steadily wore her down in the straight though, and under a well-judged ride from Richard Fourie the daughter of Twice Over got up close home.
Titbits
Now a winner of three from six, the progressive 3yo PRETTY YOUNG THING won the conditions plate over 1250m with authority by a length and three quarters.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (4) Lasata 22 (NAP**)
Race 2: (1) Meryl 66 (nb)
Race 3: (5) Calandra 16
Race 4: (11) Tarzan 38
Race 5: (10) Oasis Queen 38
Race 6: (6) Vivir 73
Race 7: (10) Fifth Of May 28
Race 8: (4) Alamito Bay 46
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (2) Blue Spark 25
Race 2: (1) Mawsool 41
Race 3: (5) Etched In Blue 36
Race 4: (1) Tombola 42
Race 5: (1) D’Arrivee 65
Race 6: (1) Attenborough 81
Race 7: (7) Image Award 61
Race 8: (6) Wings Of Honor 38
Race 9: (2) Pillaroftheearth 46
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (1) Aye Aye 16
Race 2: (5) Path Of Choice 26
Race 3: (2) How And Why 23 (NAP*)
Race 4: (3) Iron Henry 18
Race 5: (7) Snapscan 71
Race 6: (1) Twist Of Fate 88
Race 7: (3) Winter Is Over 19
Race 8: (5) Khopesh 51
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (3) Master Vision 16
Race 2: (4) Saipan 1
Race 3: (1) Indigo Tractor 20
Race 4: (8) Brighteyebushytail 53
Race 5: (2) Ruby Cove 20
Race 6: (5) Stelvio 54
Race 7: (7) White Lightning 80
Race 8: (5) Second To None 47
Race 9: (7) Tripple Explosion 35
Top rated winners last week included
Bouncing Tigger won 9/1
Master And Man won 6/1
Heart Stone won 71/20
Rebel Wilson won 3/1
Khopesh won 43/20
Soqrat won 16/10
Hildegarde won 14/10
Kilindini won 14/10
Notebook:-
Kilindini (B Crawford, W-Cape)
Larentina (A Sands, W-Cape)
Rio Querari (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Soqrat (M De Kock, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Durbanville 9th October
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,25s slow
1000m (1) Hildegarde 58,26
1250m (1) Rio Querari 73,86
1400m (3) Super Silvano 84,07
1600m (1) Anderson 98,30
2000m (2) Khopesh 119,91
Vaal (classic) 10th October
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,30s slow
1000m (2) Allyouneedislove 57,00
1200m (1) In The Dance 68,65
1450m (1) Marygold 88,23
2000m (2) Master Magic 122,93
2400m (2) Dawn Assault 149,35
Fairview (poly) 11th October
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,31s slow
1000m (1) Heart Stone 58,18
1200m (2) Alpine Glacier 69,44
1300m (2) Open Fire 75,60
1400m (1) Nevertheless 118,84
1600m (1) Home Ruler 97,75
1900m (1) Nevertheless 118,84
Turffontein (inner) 12th October
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,05s slow
1200m (3) Donderweer 71,30
1450m (2) Hertog 88,75
1600m (4) Soqrat 97,15
Durbanville 12th October
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,44s slow
1250m (4) Agent Of Fortune 73,58
1400m (2) Quickstep Lady 85,45
1800m (2) Dancing Sally 110,65
