Barahin Impresses
Turffontein 9th June: The Gr3 Jubilee Handicap topped the bill on the old stand side track on Sunday and here we saw a smart performance from the 3yo Gimmethegreenlight colt BARAHIN. Sent off a strong favourite at 17/10, Mike De Kock’s charge was drawn wide and raced second to last for most of the journey. He quickened well at the top of the long home straight and won going away after striking the front 100m from home.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1400m and in the fastest of these, a pinnacle stakes, the combination of Mike De Kock and Anton Marcus were again on the mark when ALYAASAAT registered his fourth career victory. Positioned in midfield during the early part of the race, the son of Dawn Approach was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m marker and won going away by two and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1600m where another De Kock inmate APACHE TOO was quickest home. Sent off favourite to win the MR86 Handicap, the lightly weighted 3yo raced handy throughout. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and in what proved to be a real thriller, he got up late to deny the hard knocking LAKE KINNERET.
Titbits
Three lengths behind the front running MAWSOOL going through the 400m, the promising VICTORIA PAIGE ran on strongly in the latter stages of the race when getting up in the very last stride to win the Juvenile Plate for the girls over 1400m.
The Mike De Kock trained newcomer QUEEN SUPREME came from the rear and was eased late when winning the maiden plate over 1400m going away by three and three quarters.
7 From 19
Flamingo Park 10th June: There were some very easy victories in the Northern Cape on Monday and none more so than that of MISTY LIGHT when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1400m. Backed into even money at the track, the Visionaire gelding led throughout. He was just two lengths clear for most of the journey before cruising clear in the straight to score by eight and a half.
A pinnacle stakes over the same distance topped the bill and in a time 2,35 seconds faster than that of Misty Light, the local favourite TIMKAT registered his seventh career victory. Soon up handy, Cliffie Miller’s charge was ridden to lead 400m out, and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by four. Timkat has gained his seven wins from just nineteen starts.
The lowly MR58 affair was surprisingly the faster of the two handicaps over 1600m and here the stable of Cliffie Miller were again on the mark when BE THE RIGHT ran out a comfortable winner. Nibbled at on course into 17/2 from 11’s, Be The Right also raced close to the speed. He put his head in front approaching the 400m pole and won well from the running on MANAFTERMIDNIGHT by two and a half.
Titbits
Having just his third outing in the province since relocating from the Eastern Cape, THE DONEGAL MAN won the opening maiden plate over 1200m going away by two.
Smart Double
Vaal 11th June: Four of the nine races at the Vaal on Tuesday were staged over 1200m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was VALBONNE when winning the afternoon’s feature event, a MR104 Handicap. Always handy, Roy Magner’s charge was ridden to lead 400m out and kept on strongly late to beat the 44/1 shot MOMBELA by a half.
1800m was the only other distance to stage more than one race and in marginally the quicker of these two maiden plates, the Geoff Woodruff trained MOROCCAN FLAME opened her account. Another to race handy, the lightly raced daughter of Ideal World took up the running 400m out. She was challenged strongly by WILD THOUGHTS 200m later, but then found another gear to win going away by two and three quarters.
Moroccan Flame’s stable mate LEMON DROP SHOT won the boy’s division of the maiden 1800m. Well thought of by connections, the Master Of My Fate gelding wasn’t the quickest into stride and raced sixth during the early part of the race. He quickened well when the race began in earnest though and despite being eased late, won going away by three and three quarters. Lemon Drop Shot’s stablemate BYRON BAY caught the eye running on well from the backend of midfield to finish third in this race.
Titbits
The 5yo SILVER MASTER came from the rear when making it two from three since relocating to the province when winning the MR74 apprentice handicap over 1200m.
Chilling Success
Scottsville 12th June: By far the fastest of the three 1600m events in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday was the first division of the MR64 Handicap for the girls and here the lightly raced SCARLET CHILL completed a quick double. Now a winner of two from five, Alyson Wright’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride when the gates opened and raced sixth. She ran on well in the home straight and got the verdict by the narrowest of margins from the faster finishing ARIZONA SUNSET.
The bill topping MR88 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1000m events and in a race where just a length and a quarter covered all eight runners at the wire, the easy to back KATEECADOR got the verdict. Freely available at 14/1 at the off, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge ran on best of all over the final 400m and got up in the very last stride to deny the 6yo ISCA
The MR64 Handicap was the faster of the two 1400m races and here we saw a smart performance from the 4yo Marchfield gelding MARCH PREVIEW. Not well drawn, Garth Puller’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well in the straight and won going away from the strongly fancied 2yo PADRE PIO.
Titbits
In the rear four lengths off the pace early on, the newcomer POINT OF SALE ran on strongly in the closing stages when only beaten a neck in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m.
Progressive Hat-Trick
Vaal 13th June: Thursday’s action took place on the classic track where the only two sprint races took place over 1000m. The MR90 Handicap was the fastest of these and here the progressive 3yo DALAI’S PROMISE completed a smart hat-trick. Up with the speed throughout, Ashley Fortune’s charge only had to be pushed out to keep the runner up ULLA at bay and won much more easily than the official winning margin of half a length would suggest.
The not so lucky last, a MR64 Handicap was by far the faster of the two 1450m events on the card and here victory went to the 4yo SWEET TRIAL. Always handy, Roy Magner’s charge had the rest well beaten when getting the better of the front running RIBBOUX EN VAR close home.
They also ran two races over 2000m and quickest home in these was the 3yo TEHUANO when winning the MR81 Handicap. Always handy in what soon became a very strung out field, the lightly weighted Dynasty filly was always poised to strike. She did so going through the 300m and just held on by a neck from the running on PRETTY BORDER.
Titbits
Despite having risen 19 points in the handicap in the process of completing a hat-trick, HORACE extended his winning sequence to four in the MR86 Handicap over 2400m with a comfortable win over AMERICAN INDIAN.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (2) Big Bay 15
Race 2: (1) Calandra 5
Race 3: (8) Rubix 2
Race 4: (11) Andrea 11
Race 5: (2) Sir Frenchie 78
Race 6: (7) Alamito Bay 55
Race 7: (12) Apoc 44
Race 8: (9) Margot Fonteyn 45
Race 9: (11) Fools Garden 56
Scottsville (sat)
Race 1: (8) Winter Tour 31
Race 2: (5) Arizona Silk 47
Race 3: (3) She’s A Crusade 17
Race 4: (4) Urban Oasis 30
Race 5: (3) Alwahsh 62
Race 6: (3) Roy’s Riviera 83
Race 7: (2) Roy Had Enough 85
Race 8: (8) Hidden Influence 51
Race 9: (4) Love Theme 31
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (5) Scottish Ally 4
Race 2: (4) Hubble 2
Race 3: (5) Midwinter 11
Race 4: (1) Round The Horn 21 (NAP*)
Race 5: (1) Winter Shadow 18
Race 6: (6) Cyber Law 62
Race 7: (4) Hurricane Silva 48
Race 8: (16) Power Girl 40
Turffontein (sun)
Race 1: (7) Before The Dawn 20
Race 2: (6) Al Borak 26
Race 3: (2) Vijeta 16
Race 4: (2) Oh So Cold 15
Race 5: (2) Warrior’s Rest 67
Race 6: (6) The Sash 52
Race 7: (11) Promise 50
Race 8: (4) Isphan 69
Race 9: (15) Waqaas 43
Top rated winners last week included
Flaming Desire won 22/1
Copenhagen won 20/1
Tehuano won 15/2
Kick Butt won 25/4
Rainbow Unicorn won 33/10
Onesie won 57/20
Gimme A Wave won 7/4
Heart Stwings won 13/10
Notebook:-
Barahin (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Queen Supreme (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Victoria Paige (S Tarry, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (nner) 9th June
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,09s fast
1000m (1) Ottawa 57,17
1400m (4) Alyaasaat 84,36
1600m (2) Apache Too 98,98
1800m (1) Barahin 109,77
Flamingo Park 10th June
Going Standard
1000m (1) Our Moon Shadow 57,45
1200m (1) The Donegal Man 72,74
1300m (1) Lady Lucinda 79,11
1400m (2) Timkat 84,05
1600m (2) Be The Right 99,22
1800m (2) Vintage Tune 113,76
Vaal 11th June
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,61s fast
1000m (1) Gimme A Wave 56,83
1200m (4) Valbonne 67,92
1400m (1) Afrostar 81,84
1500m (1) Copenhagen 88,25
1800m (2) Moroccan Flame 109,54
Scottsville (stand side) 12th June
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,75s slow
1000m (2) Kateecador 56,80
1200m (1) Bedazzled Joker 68,99
1400m (2) March Preview 84,27
1600m (3) Scarlet Chill 97,10
Vaal (classic) 13th June
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,21s fast
1000m (2) Dalai’s Promise 56,01*
1450m (2) Sweet Trial 86,81*
1600m (1) Heart Stwings 97,35*
2000m (2) Tehuano 122,99
2400m (1) Horace 150,27
