The Right Road
Fairview 9th December
They raced on the turf on Friday where victory in the faster of the two 1200m races, a graduation plate, went to IN FULL REGALIA. Easy to back at 7/1 on the off, Alan Greeff’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well from halfway and in what proved to be a real thriller he only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins from the visiting favourite MOUNT KEITH.
Quickest home in the two MR70 Handicaps for the girls was SOUTH SIDE when winning the second division. The third of three winners on the card for visiting trainer Glen Kotzen, the daughter of Pathfork was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead approaching the 400m marker and went on to score with authority by three.
A MR86 Handicap topped the bill and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1800m races on the card we saw another smart performance from ROAD TO INDY. Now a winner of all four starts since relocating to the Eastern Cape, Tara Laing’s charge also raced close to the speed. He put his head in front going through the 400m and although the progressive SCENT (a winner of 4 of his last seven starts) chased hard, he won well by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Positioned third last as the very strung out field turned for home, GOLDEN TONGUE ran on best of all when a one length runner up in the maiden plate over 1600m.
Seeing Red
Greyville 9th December
As has become the norm, they raced on the poly track on Friday night. Three of the nine races were run over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was HEPTAGON when winning the MR64 Handicap. Nibbled at on course into 4/1 from 6’s, the 5yo Seventh Rock gelding was always handy. He put his head in front as they approached the 200m pole and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the staying on pacemaker GLOBAL FLYER by a length and a quarter.
The faster of the two maiden plates over 1200m that opened up proceedings was the boy’s affair in which all of the runners were ridden by apprentices. On leaving the stalls it was the second favourite SIR EDMUND who elected to make the running whilst the well supported 9/10 favourite CABINDA raced close up in second. Sir Edmund was two lengths clear at the top of the straight and although the market leader did considerably reduce that deficit over the final 400m, he still had half a length to spare at the wire.
A MR80 Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and quickest home here was the Charles Laird trained DANCE ON AIR. Nicely positioned in fifth as the twelve runners swung for home, the son of Kahal ran on stoutly in the straight and in a race where less than a length separated the first five home, he got the verdict by the narrowest of margins from the nibbled at outsider PUTCHINI (28/1 into 16/1).
Titbits
Highly regarded at home, the 3yo VIKING RED (10/1 into 6/1) showed considerable improvement when winning the boy’s division of the maiden plate over 1600m.
Running on stoutly from the rear, ICY SPIRIT was baulked for a run 300m from home, and then had to switch out for a run at the 200m marker, when runner up in the MR68 Handicap over 1400m.
Her Name Is Bond
Kenilworth 10th December
The Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes was the highlight of Saturday’s Cape Town meeting and in what not surprisingly proved to be the fastest of the three 1000m races, the lessor fancied of Justin Snaith’s two runners JO’S BOND caused a major upset. Freely available at 22/1 on the off, the daughter of Captain Al led a tightly bunched field throughout. She kept on determinedly over the final 300m and did have the favourite CARRY ON ALICE held by a half at the wire.
Two maiden juvenile plates over 800m had gotten proceedings underway and in the quickest of these (the boy’s affair) BARRACK STREET put up a smart performance. Soon up handy, Sean Tarry’s charge put his head in front shortly after passing the 200m marker and won well by a length and a quarter from the always handy BOLD RESPECT.
Surprisingly the faster of the two 1400m events was the maiden plate (the other was a MR76 Handicap) won by RED GRANITE. Confidently ridden by Donovan Dillon, the improving daughter of Seventh Rock raced in midfield early on. She quickened well at the top of the longer new course straight and comfortably accounted for the well supported POSSIBLY ME by a length.
Titbits
The 3yo PARTY CRASHER ran on very well from midfield when getting up in the dying strides to win the slowly run MR76 Handicap over 1400m.
Taking Advantage
Vaal 10th December
Ten races were scheduled for the inside track on Saturday, but due to an electrical storm the final race was abandoned. Four of the nine that did race were run over 1200m and stopping the clock in the fastest time here was JOAN RANGER in the progress plate. Always in the red, the well weighted daughter of Horse Chestnut made all. She ran on strongly when the race began in earnest and won going away by two and three quarters.
The faster of the two 1800m events was also a plate race and here we saw a very easy victory for the useful SAMURAI BLADE. He got away well when the gates opened and taken straight to the front by Piere Strydom led throughout. He was always in command and although the easy to back TOP SHOT tried hard to make a race of it, he went on to score with authority by two and three quarters.
In terms of distance, the easiest victory on the card was recorded by RAIN SHADOW in the MR68 Handicap over 1800m. Nicely positioned in third for the vast majority of the trip, St John Gray’s charge took up the running at the 300m marker and despite being eased late on, won going away by three and three quarters.
Titbits
Positioned in the backend of midfield early on, the friendless newcomer HIGH SEAS BEAUTY (5/1 out to 13/1) fairly flew after having to switch out for a run 300m from home and in eye catching style she got up in the very last stride when winning the maiden plate for the girls over 1200m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (mon)
Race 1: (6) Run For Your Life 2
Race 2: (4) Oklahoma Sky 58
Race 3: (1) Lady Away 16
Race 4: (4) Main Exchange 8
Race 5: (7) Blizzard King 41
Race 6: (8) Lady Marshall 59
Race 7: (8) Evening Storm 35
Race 8: (14) Diamond Dynasty 51
Kenilworth (tues)
Race 1: (4) Mini Loushe 17
Race 2: (4) Tahini 76
Race 3: (4) Hernando’s Promise 21
Race 4: (1) Quippi 12
Race 5: (1) Come Fly With Me 75 (NAP*)
Race 6: (1) Reine Tonnerre 39 (EW)
Race 7: (7) Mountain Boy 56
Race 8: (4) Loadshedder 6
Scottsville (wed)
Race 1: (3) The Grey Crusader 8
Race 2: (17) Chicago Beat 21
Race 3: (1) Hot Mambo 18
Race 4: (13) Academy Princess 38
Race 5: (8) Fire The Rocket 75
Race 6: (15) Son Of Orimandes 55
Race 7: (15) Serval 43
Race 8: (5) Almost Human 15 (NAP*)
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (14) Western Warrior 20
Race 2: (5) Cheat The Cheaters 12 (NAP*)
Race 3: (16) Double Attractive 11
Race 4: (3) End Game 16
Race 5: (4) Tern Unstoned 24
Race 6: (11) Ilitshe 61
Race 7: (8) Parisienne Chic 49
Race 8: (12) Star Of Caesour 32
Race 9: (13) Like A Master 47
Top rated winners last week included
Comtessa Antonia won 9/1
Respect At Bay won 7/2
Party Crasher won 33/10
King Of Cant won 18/10
La Favourari won 18/10
Racethegreenlight won 1/1
Joan Ranger won 7/10
Furiosa won 4/10
Notebook:-
High Seas Beauty (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Viking Red (F Robinson, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (turf) 9th December
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,23s fast
1000m (2) South Side 56,07
1200m (2) In Full Regalia 69,70
1400m (1) Oh Boy 83,98
1600m (1) Casino King 99,11
1800m (2) Road To Indy 109,00
2000m (1) Angel Of Athens 126,60
Greyville (poly) 9th December
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,26s slow
1200m (2) Sir Edmund 70,37
1400m (2) Dance On Air 82,51
1600m (3) Heptagon 95,89
2000m (2) Icy Avalanche 123,05
Kenilworth (new) 10th December
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,95s slow
800m (2) Barrack Street 48,46
1000m (3) Jo’s Bond 59,00
1200m (1) Anneline 73,43
1400m (2) Red Granite 87,38
1600m (2) Barak Lavan 100,75
Vaal (inside) 10th December
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,96s slow
1200m (4) Joan Ranger 70,15
1400m (1) Anna Pavlova 83,19
1800m (2) Samurai Blade 109,59
2000m (1) Oracle Of Delphi 125,35
2400m (1) B Twenty One 150,82
