Sizzling Already
Kenilworth 2nd December: Cape Town staged its first juvenile race of the season on Sunday and here we saw a smart performance from the heavily supported PLATINUM RULER. Backed throughout the day into 15/20 from 2/1, Dennis Drier’s charge made all. She kept up a healthy gallop throughout and only having to be pushed out with hands and heels over the final 300m she went on to score comfortably by two and a half.
The fastest of the two 1200m races on the card was the girl’s novice event in which the best weighted runner in the field CAPTAIN’S LULLABY landed the spoils. Allowed to ease right out to 28/10 from 18/10 favourite on course as money in the main came for the previously unbeaten MONTE CARLO GIRL (5/2 into 12/10), Captain’s Lullaby also led throughout. As they approached the 400m marker the race looked wide open as just three and a half lengths covered all. Vaughan Marshall’s charge quickened well at the business end of the race though and just as her rating had suggested she won comfortably by a length and a quarter.
The Gr2 Selangor Cup over 1600m topped the bill and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the Langemann winner KING OF PAIN. Initially priced up as favourite (14/10 out to 16/10), the son of Greys Inn was always handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and with the rest comfortably beaten he just held on from the faster finishing money horse CAPETOWN NOIR (2/1 into 14/10) by the narrowest of margins. Positioned in the rear turning for home, fourth placed PATERFAMILIAS ran on well over the final 400m and was only beaten by a length and three quarters.
Also worthy of note on this card was the performance of TRUE MASTER in winning the MR77 Handicap over 1800m. Freely available at 13/1 on the off, Justin Snaith’s charge sat in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened nicely at the top of the straight and won well after striking the front close home.
Titbits
Recent maiden winner STARLIGHT BEAUTY was hampered 150m from home when running on strongly to take fifth position in the MR78 Handicap over 2000m.
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Pillar To Post
Clairwood 4th December: A maiden juvenile plate for the girls over 800m got proceedings underway at the garden course on Tuesday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the easy to back DIVINE WILL. Allowed to ease right out to 10/1 from 5’s at the track, the daughter of Mullins Bay led throughout. She was always in command and although ANGIE tried her best to make a race of it, she won comfortably by a length and three quarters.
Another to win well from the front on this card was UMBRELLA THORN in the MR93 Handicap over 1700m. Sent off a strong favourite at 9/10, the 3yo son of Jet Master held just a slender advantage for most of the journey. He kicked on strongly at the top of the long home straight and won well by a length and a quarter from the running on KOMATIPOORT. Third placed A KING IS BORN ran on strongly from the rear in this race and was only beaten by two and a quarter.
A Pinnacle event over 2500m topped the bill and once again it was the pacemaker who landed the spoils. Backed into second favourite at the track (7/2 into 3/1), Corinne Bestel’s charge raced a length and a half clear throughout. He kept on determinedly over the final 600m and although the improving LOOK AFTER ME tried his best to make a race of it, he extended his advantage to two on the run to the line.
Titbits
LATIN MAGIC was five lengths behind the 1700m MR75 Handicap winner GREAT DETAIL when that one struck the front 450m out and finishing best of all he only failed to get up by a short head.
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By Design
Turffontein 4th December: Racing on Tuesday evening took place on the old stand side track where we saw a very smart performance in the opening maiden event for the girls over 1160m from the Mike De Kock trained ESPUMANTI. Behind at weight for age, the daughter of Dansili was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m pole and although EMERALD CROWN never gave up the fight, and did have the remainder a minimum of five lengths adrift, she went on to score very cosily by three and a quarter.
Another to win well in the maiden ranks on this card was LADY MORGANA in the 2yo event over 1000m. Heavily supported into 33/10 second favourite from 7/1, Saeed Mohideen’s charge led throughout. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and only having to be pushed out with hands and heels she comfortably accounted for the favourite MISS SEATTLE by three.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by Sporting Post’s top bet SHARP DESIGN in the bill topping MR92 Handicap over 1000m. With the official handicappers having been strangled by their own rules, Ormond Ferraris’ charge was clearly very well weighted in this her handicap debut. She made all and although both RODEO DANDY and DENNIS THE MENACE ran on strongly from midfield, she won without any anxious moments by three and three quarters.
The lucky last was a MR75 Handicap over 1000m and here the locals were sent home happy when the heavily supported favourite ZUCCARELLI did the business. Backed throughout the evening into 18/10 from 6/1, the improving son of Modern Day was soon positioned close to the speed. He was asked to take up the running passing halfway and with the rest well beaten he kept on strongly late to beat the running on CROWN GOLD by a half.
Titbits
CASEY’S CAUSE ran on from midfield when winning the MR76 Handicap over 1600m going away with plenty in hand.
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Ready For Battle
Kenilworth 5th December: A maiden plate over 1000m was first up in Cape Town on Wednesday and here it was nice to see HOTTOJETTO fulfil some of the promise he showed on debut. Having only his second outing since returning from a five month layoff here, Eric Sands’ charge raced in the rear for most of the journey. Once given rein though he quickened well and under a well judged ride from Karl Neisius he got up late to beat the easy to back BAY MARINER by a length.
The fastest of the three 1000m races on the card was the MR76 Handicap in which the 6yo AMERICAN FANTASY registered his fourth career victory. Freely available at 11/1 on the off (op 7’s), Stan Elley’s charge as per usual raced towards the rear early on. She ran on best of all from halfway and won going away by a length after striking the front close home.
A MR94 Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and here we saw a smart performance from last season’s Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner BLACK TOGA. He got away well when the gates opened and soon in his favourite position at the head of affairs, he duly made all. He ran on strongly down the short old course straight and comfortably accounted for the all out PRESIDENT OF POP by a length.
Titbits
Although never near enough to mount any kind of a challenge, the Fort Wood filly MARI (having just her second start) caught the eye running on from the rear in the maiden event over 1200m.
Second placed TOLD YOU SO ran on well late when beaten less than half a length by Elusive Love in the maiden 1400m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview Race 1: (6) Double Nelson 19 Race 2: (4) Kindred Spirit 16 Race 3: (6) Party Rocker 12 Race 4: (7) Vestal Virgin 76 Race 5: (17) Afloat 43 Race 6: (1) Copper Parade 81 (EW) Race 7: (15) Secret Quest 53 Race 8: (1) Magnum Power 52 (NAP*) Kenilworth Race 1: (6) Polly Porch 17 Race 2: (5) Dizzy Feet 17 Race 3: (4) Duke Of Destiny 35 Race 4: (5) Street Runner 71 Race 5: (7) Bronco Buster 76 Race 6: (11) Esoteric 47 Race 7: (5) Frequent Flyer 82 (nb) Race 8: (14) Beach Beauty 102 (EW) Race 9: (3) Baba Ganouche (NAP*) Clairwood Race 1: (2) Cheshire Cat 22 Race 2: (1) Tetelestai 86 Race 3: (1) Mainmast 22 (nb) Race 4: (1) Blonde Princess 19 Race 5: (2) Kapiti Coast 14 Race 6: (1) Viva Maria 66 (NAP*) Race 7: (4) General Sherman 86 Race 8: (11) Sweet Oliver 62 Race 9: (3) Father Ted 15 Race 10: (1) Cadillac Palace 31 Turffontein Race 1: (2) Hurricane Velvet 14 Race 2: (15) No Prisoners 33 Race 3: (7) Giro Jet 20 (NAP*) Race 4: (6) Spectroscopic 26 Race 5: (10) Dreamy Times 72 Race 6: (13) True Imperium 45 Race 7: (13) Burma 58 Race 8: (9) Variety 71 Race 9: (7) Stunning Jet 40 Race 10: (10) Heads Up 42 .
Top rated winners last week included
Captain’s Lullaby won 28/10 Celebration won 28/10 Prayer Of Praise won 28/10 French Filly won 22/10 Mozart Memorial won 17/10 General Sherman won 13/20 Big City Angel won 7/10 Irrebuttable won 7/20 .
Notebook:-
Capetown Noir (D Kannemeyer, W-Cape) Espumanti (M De Kock, Gauteng) Paterfamilias (M Bass, W-Cape) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher Course Variants are for races up to 1200mKenilworth (old) 2nd December Penetrometer 20 Going Good 800m (1) Platinum Ruler 46,90 1000m (1) Pounce 57,59 1200m (2) Captain’s Lullaby 69,54 1600m (2) King Of Pain 97,21 1800m (2) True Master 111,54 2000m (1) Strawberry Line 126,41 .
Clairwood 4th December Penetrometer 27 Going Soft 800m (1) Divine Will 47,47 1000m (1) Kingston Boy 58,72 1200m (1) Sounds Positive 71,43 1450m (1) Wooden Gold 87,58 1600m (1) Global Vigil 97,92 1700m (2) Umbrella Thorn 102,51 2500m (1) Posh Boy 159,51 .
Turffontein (old) 4th December Pen 24 – Going G/Soft – Var 0,52secs fast 1000m (3) Sharp Design 56,94 1160m (1) Espumanti 68,41 1400m (3) Troubled Waters 86,26 1600m (1) Caseys Cause 99,17 2000m (1) Magic Parcel 127,01 .
Kenilworth (old) 5th December Penetrometer 20 Going – Good 1000m (3) American Fantasy 58,67* 1200m (1) Gouldikova 74,77 1400m (4) Black Toga 85,62
