Green For Go
Greyville 13th January: The graduation plate was the faster of the two 1600m races on the poly track on Sunday afternoon and here we saw a smart performance from the rapidly improving MR GREENLIGHT. Freely available at 11/2 on the off, the 3yo son of Gimmethegreenlight wasn’t the quickest into stride. He was soon up handy despite that though, and won going away by two and three quarters after striking the front 300m from home.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1200m and quickest home amongst these was IN FULL BLOOM in the MR62 Handicap. Allowed to drift right out to 9/1 at the track, Sean Tarry’s charge led throughout. She answered every call over the final 300m and won well by a length and a quarter from the more fancied MYELISHA.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1900m where by far the faster of the two was the MR72 Handicap won by DANCE OFF. Andre Nel’s charge was a little slow into stride when the gates opened and as a result he raced at the back. Once in the home straight though he quickened best of all, and with the rest well beaten he got the better of HIGH GREEN (raced 6th – led 150) close home.
Titbits
Content to race in midfield for most of the journey, lightly raced PAYBACKTHEMONEY ran on stoutly in the maiden plate over 1900m and cruised clear 230m out to score by four and a quarter.
100/1 Best Handicapped
Vaal 15th January: Both won in a time of 56,14 seconds, the assessment plate and the MR74 Handicap were jointly the fastest of the four 1000m races. However, the winner of the assessment plate STATE TROOPER carried 3,5kg more than the handicap winner SUGOI, and so got the higher rating. Content to idle along at the back of the five for most of the journey, State Trooper quickened best of all at the business end of the race and with the rest some three lengths adrift, he got the better of BASILIUS by a half.
There were ten races on the afternoon in total and five of these were run over 1400m. The MR74 Handicap over 1400m was the fastest of these and here the Sporting Post’s Best Handicapped runner in the field RAMBO caused a major upset. Freely available at 100/1 on the off the 10yo Victory Moon gelding raced closer to the pace than in recent starts. He quickened with all his old zest 400m out and after striking the front 250m later, he won well by a length and a half.
A maiden plate for the girls over 1200m made up the day’s fare and here another of Sporting Post’s best handicapped runners FLORIDA QUAYS landed the spoils. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 22/10, Stanley Ferreira’s charge made all. She was always in command and won comfortably by three quarters from the always handy IT TAKES TWO.
Titbits
Freely available at 31/4 on the off, Sporting Post’s best handicapped runner SEE YOU TYGER won the MR83 Handicap over 1000m with authority by two.
A Walk In The Park
Fairview 18th January: All eyes were on the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes winner NATIONAL PARK in the bill topping pinnacle stakes on Friday’s turf meeting. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 11/10 Yvette Bremner’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead 450m out and with the rest some five lengths adrift, he comfortably accounted for the chasing UNION JACK by a length and three quarters.
Another to win very comfortably on this card was National Park’s stable companion LAWS OF SUCCESSION in the faster of the two 2000m races, a MR92 Handicap. He too raced close to the speed and won with authority after striking the front 200m out.
The girl’s maiden plate was the faster of the two 1000m events on the card and here the ultra-consistent ZALIKA (also from the Yvette Bremner stable and ridden by Lyle Hewitson) got off the mark. Yet to finish out of the frame in ten starts now, the daughter of Bold Silvano raced in midfield for most of the journey. She quickened well from halfway and won going away from the second favourite SUN UP.
Titbits
Without a win in ten starts coming into the race, the Western Cape raider ROCHESTER won the maiden plate over 1600m going away by eight and three quarters.
In The Family
Turffontein 19th January: A MR92 Handicap over 2000m topped the bill on Saturday afternoon’s inner track card and here victory went to the top weight JET START. On leaving the stalls it was the rank outsider of the eight horse party TIRZAN who elected to make the running whilst Ormond Ferraris’ charge, after being a little slow into stride, was content to sit sixth. She quickened well at the top of the short home straight and under a well-judged ride from grandson Luke Ferraris, Jet Start got up late to deny the uneasy favourite THE DAZZLER.
Four of the afternoon’s ten races were staged over 1450m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was REGAL GRADUATION in the MR84 Handicap. Now a winner of 4 from 13, the daughter of Oratorio was a little slow into stride when the gates opened and raced seventh of the ten early on. She quickened well coming off the strip and after striking the front 150m from home, won going away.
The MR74 Handicap was the faster of the two 1800m races and here SEVENTH OF JUNE registered his fourth career victory. Easy to back at 30/1 at the off Paul Peter’s charge raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead approaching the 300m marker and in a thrilling three way finish he held on by less than a half from the running on duo of CORRIDO and MASTER MAGIC.
Titbits
Racing off a mark some 16 points below that of his earlier best, poorly drawn PROFIT RATIO ran on strongly over the final 450m when a half-length runner up in the MR65 Handicap over 1450m.
Seeking Easier Pickings
Scottsville 20th January: In terms of distance the easiest victory in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday was registered by GIGLIO when opening her account in the maiden plate over 1600m. Always top of the boards, the Oratorio filly was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead early in the straight and after quickly going clear she won well by four and a quarter from the running on THRU’ THE TREES.
Four of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1200m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was MARDI GRAS in the MR88 Handicap. A stable companion to Giglio, Johan Janse Van Vuuren’s charge raced fifth of the nine for most of the journey. He put his head in front 120m out and kept on strongly late to beat the running on ISHNANA by 0,3 lengths.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1000m where the faster of the two was the MR70 Handicap won by DAYDREAM BELIEVER. Easy to back at 50/1 on the off, Dennis Drier’s charge was always handy. She ran on stoutly over the final 300m and in what proved to be a real thriller she got up in the very last stride to deny SATARA (raced handy-led 300m).
Titbits
The Dennis Drier trained newcomer SACRED JOURNEY came from the back when getting up late to win the maiden plate over 1200m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (2) Andrea 5
Race 2: (6) Captain Marooned 56
Race 3: (1) Eternal Night 2
Race 4: (7) Dettie 16
Race 5: (7) Star Evolution 30
Race 6: (6) Fire Horse 54
Race 7: (5) Starflash 74
Race 8: (1) Sassy Lady 60
Race 9: (5) River Delta 38
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (6) Combat Captain 13
Race 2: (10) Magical Java 51
Race 3: (9) Supreme Orator 59
Race 4: (6) Mythical Magic 27
Race 5: (5) Miss Twist 28
Race 6: (2) Calvary 65
Race 7: (2) Rani 37 (EW)
Race 8: (12) Honest Prince 36
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (1) Silva’s Fling 24
Race 2: (2) Silver Master 44
Race 3: (2) Emerald Band 40
Race 4: (1) Cirillo 64
Race 5: (3) Twist Of Fate 71
Race 6: (8) Speedpoint 94
Race 7: (1) Thanksgiving 55
Race 8: (12) Front And Centre 85
Race 9: (7) Do It Again 100 (NAP*)
Race 10: (1) Elusive Silva 77
Race 11: (4) Cat Daddy 27
Race 12: (2) What A Winner 59
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (2) Now You See Me 10
Race 2: (4) Tidal Tussle 11
Race 3: (9) Sea Air 22
Race 4: (1) I Like It 52 (NAP**)
Race 5: (2) Pilgrim’s Progress 55
Race 6: (8) Big Bang Theory 68
Race 7: (9) Varimax 59
Race 8: (1) Kick Butt 31
Race 9: (7) Do It Again 100
Race 10: (2) Generous Notion 47
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (4) Hey Delilah 6
Race 2: (4) Stunning Seed 11
Race 3: (3) Clouds Of Witness 25 (NAP*)
Race 4: (4) Cat’s Legacy 47
Race 5: (11) Elegant Royal 64
Race 6: (4) Captain’s Girl 87
Race 7: (9) Rich Harvest 48
Race 8: (5) Victorious Man 16
Top rated winners last week included
Shwanky won 11/1
See You Tyger won 31/4
Roy’s Magic won 5/1
State Trooper won 10/3
Special Force won 71/20
Florida Quays won 22/10
Marzipan Path won 11/10
Basadi Faith won 11/14
Notebook:-
Mr Greenlight (D Howells, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 13th January
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,54s slow
1000m (1) Marzipan Path 58,67
1200m (3) Mr Greenlight 94,75
1600m (2) In Full Bloom 69,79
1900m (2) Dance Off 114,95
Vaal 15th January
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (4) State Trooper 56,14
1200m (1) Florida Quays 70,00
1400m (5) Rambo 81,19
Fairview (turf) 18th January
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (2) Zalika 58,95
1200m (1) Voices Of Light 70,80
1400m (3) National Park 85,90
1600m (1) Rochester 99,99
2000m (2) Laws Of Succession 125,80
Turffontein (inner) 19th January
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
1450m (4) Regal Graduation 89,13
1600m (1) Arlingtons Revenge 100,43
1800m (2) Seventh Of June 113,71
2000m (1) Jet Start 126,86
2600m (2) Hands Of Man 169,11
Scottsville (inside) 20th January
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (2) Daydream Believer 56,30
1200m (4) Mardi Gras 67,46
1400m (1) Play The Night 82,47
1600m (1) Giglio 96,27
1750m (1) Wealthy 103,49
