Better Watch This One
Hollywoodbets Greyville 19th January: This meeting was originally scheduled to take place at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. The first division was the quicker of the two 1400m maiden plates for the girls that got proceedings underway and here victory went to the well-exposed MISS CHARLOTTE. Sent off second in the betting market at 15/4, Garth Puller’s charge led throughout. She was two lengths clear coming off the bend and in what proved to be a real thriller, she only held on by the narrowest of margins from the 7/10 favourite LADY OF LUTETIA.
The MR92 Handicap was by far the faster of the two 1200m events on the card and here the stable of Garth Puller were again on the mark when the front running GEORGINA ROSE landed the spoils. A length and a quarter clear for most of the journey, the daughter of Just As Well kept on strongly over the final 400m and with the rest some three and a half lengths adrift, she beat the always handy PETRA by three quarters.
The two 1600m races were both handicaps and in the faster of these, the MR79 affair, the lightly raced 3yo SKOLLIE gained his second win from just three outings. In the rear turning for home, Gareth Van Zyl’s charge ran on best of all and in another classic finish he did well to collar the odds on favourite BABY SHOOZ in the very last stride.
Titbits
Both running on from the rear, BLUSH OF DAWN and EXPLOSIVE BEAUTY had the rest four and three quarter lengths adrift when dead-heating in the second division of the maiden plate for the girls over 1400m.
Classic Finishes
Vaal 21st January: Five of the nine races at the Vaal on Tuesday were staged over 1400m and in the fastest of these, a MR92 Handicap, the Seventh Rock mare ROCKIN RUSSIAN registered her third career victory. Always handy, Sean Tarry’s charge fought out a thrilling finish with both RIO’S WINTER and TOO PHAT TO FLY below the distance and got the verdict by a neck.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1800m where marginally the faster of the two was the pinnacle stakes won by FLICHITY BY FARR. Backed into second favourite during the afternoon, David Nieuwenhuizen’s charge raced in the rear for most of the trip. Just seven had gone to post though and other than the 3 lengths advantage held by the front running SEVILLE ORANGE, the rest were quite tightly bunched. She ran on strongly over the final 400m and in another three way finish she got up late.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was that of EPIC DREAM when winning the MR88 Handicap over 1100m. Positioned in the backend of midfield during the early part of the race, Candice Dawson’s charge quickened nicely at the business end of the race and won going away by two and a half after striking the front 100m from home.
Titbits
Running on from the rear after being a little slow into stride, lightly raced FRANKLIN won the maiden plate over 1400m going away.
Nice And Easy Does It
Fairview 22nd January: There were a number of very easy victories on Wednesday’s poly track card and none more so than that of SCOLDING in the maiden plate over 1000m. Soon positioned close to the speed, the daughter of Oratorio took up the running 200m out and despite being eased down late, she cruised in by six.
Another to win with authority was CALANDRA in the MR64 Handicap over 1400m. A facile winner in the maiden ranks last time out, Alan Greeff’s charge adopted a change of tactics here and raced handy. She put her head in front going through the 200m and won going away from the always handy MICROBE by two and a quarter.
The MR68 Handicap was the faster of the two 1000m events on the card and here the stable of Alan Greeff were again on the mark when SEATTLE MERMAID completed a smart hat-trick. Positioned in the backend of midfield at the top of the short home straight, the daughter of Sail From Seattle ran on strongly over the final 400m and just got the better of the heavily supported ULTRA BOOST by a quarter.
Titbits
KINDRED COUNTESS was always clear when winning the opening maiden plate over 1600m for the girls very easily by four and three quarters.
6 Favourites
Vaal 23rd January: All of the races on Thursday were for work riders and amazingly six of the races were won by the favourite. Two 1000m maiden plates got the meeting underway and in the faster of these, the first division, TOWARDS THE SUN opened her account, Soon up handy, the daughter of Trippi was ridden to lead approaching the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by two and a quarter.
Two maiden plates over 1200m followed and in the quicker of these the easy to back LATEST CRAZE got off the mark. Positioned in midfield during the early part of the race, Stephen Lerena’s charge ran on best of all and won going away by a length and a half after striking the front 120m or so from home.
In what proved to be by far the faster of the two maiden events over 2400m the even money favourite NIMITZ recorded the biggest winning margin on the card. Running on from midfield, Mike De Kock’s charge had the remainder some fourteen lengths adrift when getting the better of the well-exposed MAROON BELLS by three and three quarters.
Titbits
The best bet on the card for many, THE JOCELYN TREE ran out a very easy winner of the maiden plate for the girls over 2400m.
Fairview Star
Fairview 24th January: The non-black type Fairview Merchants topped the bill on Friday’s turf card and in what proved to be the fastest of the afternoon’s four 1200m races, the easy to back KIMBERLEY STAR caused a bit of an upset. Freely available at 18/1 on the off, the lessor fancied of Alan Greeff’s three runners raced in midfield early on. He ran on best of all over the final 400m and won comfortably by a length and a quarter from the well supported favourite ELUSIVE HEART.
The opening work rider’s race was surprisingly the quicker of the two 1000m maiden events that opened up the meeting and here the former Cape Town campaigner NATURAL JADE got off the mark. Soon in command of a two lengths advantage, Juan Nel’s charge led throughout. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and ran out a very easy winner by five.
Just 1/100th of a second separated the times of the two 2000m race winners, the faster being the MR91 Handicap won by Palo Alto. Always handy in what wasn’t a fast run race, the 5yo son of Silvano got the verdict on the nod after a thrilling tussle with SEEKING WISDOM.
Titbits
Making her first appearance since relocating from Cape Town, DON’T BE BLUE won the maiden plate for the girls over 1200m with total authority by three and a quarter.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (10) Sloane 1
Race 2: (6) Glory Days 58
Race 3: (1) Little Drummer Boy 35
Race 4: (9) Born A Bully 56
Race 5: (4) Via Seattle 64
Race 6: (4) Onesie 65
Race 7: (1) Madame Speaker 67
Race 8: (2) Elusive Green 35
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (2) Hopskipandjump 15
Race 2: (6) Grey Linngari 22
Race 3: (11) Duchess Of Malfi 13 (nb)
Race 4: (4) War Office 30 (NAP*)
Race 5: (5) Gentleman’s Wager 66
Race 6: (9) Red Chesnut Road 71
Race 7: (8) Amber Furst 39
Race 8: (13) La Bastide 46
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Viper Jet 30 (nb)
Race 2: (12) Sultanah 23 (NAP*)
Race 3: (10) Turf Master 14
Race 4: (6) Duke Of Spin 78
Race 5: (6) Wild Thoughts 46
Race 6: (1) Winter Watch 53
Race 7: (5) Follow My Path 46
Race 8: (5) Written In Stone 53
Race 9: (1) Tombola 41
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (2) Bad Habit 24
Race 2: (5) Senor Don 21
Race 3: (5) Dad’s Catch 46
Race 4: (14) Sarah 68
Race 5: (4) Sachdev 66
Race 6: (7) It’s Complex 56
Race 7: (1) Kasimir 101
Race 8: (1) Celtic Sea 91
Race 9: (1) Do It Again 107
Race 10: (11) Snapscan 101
Race 11: (1) Silver Tiara 26
Race 12: (11) Black Belt 56
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (8) Jay Fizz 15
Race 2: (7) Alfonse Baby 21
Race 3: (1) Master Of Destiny 16
Race 4: (5) Born To Perform 70
Race 5: (3) Peter Piper 40
Race 6: (11) Royal Rustler 35
Race 7: (7) Sherman 39
Race 8: (5) All The Way Up 67
Race 9: (15) La Bastide 37
Top rated winners last week included
Rockin Russian won 30/1
Jay’s Hawk won 16/1
Master Newton won 9/1
Epic Dream won 8/1
Latest Craze won 13/2
Natural Jade won 5/1
Miss Charlotte won 77/20
Blush Of Dawn won 13/4
Notebook:-
Skollie (Gareth Van Zyl, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Hollywoodbets Greyville (poly) 19th January
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,55s fast
1000m (1) Di Mazzio 56,46
1200m (2) Georgina Rose 68,92
1400m (2) Miss Charlotte 82,42
1600m (2) Skollie 94,34
1800m (1) G G’s Dynasty 106,23
Vaal 21st January
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,43s fast
1100m (1) Epic Dream 62,11*
1400m (5) Rockin Russian 80.67
1600m (1) Dual At Dawn 94,48
1800m (2) Flichity By Farr 108,73
Fairview (poly) 22nd January
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,16s slow
1000m (2) Seattle Mermaid 57,83
1300m (1) Master Newton 76,62
1400m (2) Calandra 82,91
1600m (1) Kindred Countess 98,40
1900m (1) Wylie’s Flame 116,26
2000m (1) Fiery Fort 122,98
Vaal 23rd January
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,05s slow
1000m (2) Towards The Sun 57,26
1200m (2) Latest Craze 70,54
1800m (2) Nebraas 110,27
2400m (2) Nimitz 151,69
Fairview (turf) 24th January
Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft
1000m (2) Natural Jade 56,94
1200m (4) Kimberley Star 67,43
2000m (2) Palo Alto 125,35
