Slow Motion Battle
Keniworth 3rd May: The Gr3 Winter Guineas topped the bill in Cape Town on Sunday and not surprisingly victory here went to the 1/4 favourite ACT OF WAR. Taken straight to the front in a race that was run in a time almost two seconds slower than the only other 1600m race on the card, a MR72 Handicap, the son of Dynasty led throughout. He was always in command and won comfortably by a length and a quarter.
The supporting act was the listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes and in what did prove to be the faster of the two 1400m events victory here went to the Justin Snaith trained SUNSET TRIPP. Easy to back at 7/1 on the off, the daughter of Trippi was soon positioned close to the speed. She ran on stoutly at the business end of the race and in a real thriller she got up in the dying strides to deny SEVEN GRAND (led 170m). MOONSONG MAGIC and CAT AND THE MOON both ran on strongly from off the pace in this race.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1000m and fastest against the clock amongst these was REBEL’S IDOL when opening her account in the maiden juvenile event for the girls. Jumping out as if possessed when the gates opened, the daughter of Rebel King was extremely quickly four lengths clear. The early effort did begin to take its toll late on, but even so she still had four lengths to spare at the wire.
The boys division of the maiden juvenile 1000m was won by BLACK TRACTOR and a very easy victory it was too. Soon up handy, the 6/10 favourite took up the running 250m out and with some in hand won very comfortably by a length and a half.
Titbits
The uneasy favourite BRUTAL FORCE won the pinnacle stakes over 1000m with some in hand. The runner up CASTLETHORPE ran on very well from the rear in this race.
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Graduating With Honour
Vaal 5th May: four of the eight races on the outside track on Tuesday were run over 1200m and the fastest of these was the MR78 Handicap won by GRADUATION DAY. Taken straight to the front by Anton Marcus the 1/3 favourite led throughout. He quickly went around 5 lengths clear when asked for his effort 400m out, but then eased right down late on, the winning margin was reduced to three and a quarter.
The fastest of the three 1000m races was the MR76 Handicap in which we saw a smart performance from the well supported MISS DECEMBER. Sent off a joint second favourite at 5/1, the 3yo daughter of Var was a little slow into stride, but despite that she was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to beat the running on ALCANINA by four.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was undoubtedly that of PROSPECT STRIKE when opening his account in the boy’s division of the maiden juvenile 1200m. Backed into favouritism at the track (7/2 into 22/10), Dominic Zaki’s newcomer led throughout. She led by three and a half for most of the journey and cruised clear over the final 400m to score by twelve.
Another to win well from the front albeit by a much lesser margin was MORPHEUS in the afternoon’s feature event,a MR92 Handicap over 1200m. The 13/10 favourite DOING IT FOR DAN challenged strongly over the final 400m and although he was eased late to be beaten a length and a quarter, the winner did have him held.
Titbits
ALDIARA ran on well from the backend of midfield when winning the girl’s division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m. The runner up SHARP PRINCESS (a newcomer) might well have held on to score though had she not have ducked severely 150m or so from home.
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Flying Start
Scottsville 6th May: A juvenile plate for the girls over 1000m got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzbury on Wednesday and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the Michael Roberts trained CLASS ACT. Soon at the head of affairs despite being a little slow into stride, the daughter of Lion Tamer made virtually all. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and won with authority by five and a half.
It was a similar story in the boy’s division where the Roberts trained NATAL got off the mark at the first time of asking. Priced up as the rank outsider of the five horse party at 15/1, the son of Argonaut also attempted to make all. He found another gear when very briefly headed by SON OF SILVER 180m out and cruised clear below the distance to score with plenty in hand by three and a quarter.
There were three races run over 1000m in total and by far the fastest of these was the MR91 Handicap won by the progressive CUVEE BRUT. Sent off a strong favourite at 18/10, Brett Crawford’s charge lost two lengths at the start and as a result he spent the majority of the race in midfield. The easy to back WAR PATH went with him as he struck the front 250m out and with the rest well beaten he threw down a determined challenge all the way to the wire. Cuvee Brut found extra when it mattered though and looked to win a little more easily than the official winning margin of three quarters of a length would suggest.
Four of the afternoon’s ten races were run over 1600m and fastest against the clock amongst these was WAY OF LIGHT in the MR80 Handicap. Nicely positioned in sixth in what very quickly became a strung out field, the son of Mogok was always well positioned to strike. He made his move early in the straight and won well by a length and a quarter after hitting the front 150m from home.
Titbits
Lightly raced SABAHA impressed when running on stoutly from the backend of midfield to win the MR74 Handicap over 1400m going away by four with some in hand.
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Very Easy By Ten
Vaal 7th May: Thursday’s action took place on the sand where the fastest of the three 1000m events was not surprisingly the bill topping MR96 Handicap won by VELVET VERONA. One of three runners in the nine horse party trained by Corne Spies, the 10/1 shot raced at the head of affairs throughout. The always handy favourite SALUTE THE SUN challenged strongly over the final 200m, but try as he might he couldn’t get closer than a neck at the wire.
The faster of the two 1200m races was the maiden plate won by another easy to back runner in ROMAN CARNIVAL. Nibbled at into 12/1 from 16’s at the track, the lightly raced son of Windrush made all. He led by just two for most of the journey before cruising clear over the final 400m to score by ten.
Another to win by a steeplechase margin on this card was FABERGE STYLE in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m. Taken straight to the front by champion jockey S’manga Khumalo, the daughter of St Petersburg won in very similar fashion to that of Roman Carnival. She too bolted clear from the 400m marker, and with a ton in hand won by ten and a quarter.
Titbits
The well exposed DANIELLE ran on well from midfield when registering her sixth career victory in the MR64 Handicap over 1200m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Coxswain 6
Race 2: (8) King’s Blog 12
Race 3: (2) Calico 5
Race 4: (2) Sail Intotheclouds 9
Race 5: (11) Kumiko 70 (NAP*)
Race 6: (16) Bryonybrightwater 38
Race 7: (2) Mercurial Brave 68
Race 8: (7) Chill Factor 56
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (5) Durban Blues 11 (NAP*)
Race 2: (1) Wild Namaqua 21
Race 3: (6) Entrée 51
Race 4: (4) Always Al 68
Race 5: (11) Brooks-Club 95
Race 6: (12) Pula 42
Race 7: (11) Zap The Stars 44 (EW)
Race 8: (9) In Other Words 30 (nb)
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (2) the Midnight Train 15
Race 2: (1) Frikkie 16
Race 3: (1) Odd Rob 22
Race 4: (4) Chalcedony 5
Race 5: (14) Anger 50
Race 6: (1) Fire Wheel 41 (NAP*)
Race 7: (10) Seattle Fairy (EW)
Race 8: (9) Eau De Creole 41
Race 9: (15) Tullynally 36
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (6) Eighth Wonder 9
Race 2: (16) Victoria Lavelle 12
Race 3: (3) Seventh Feather 15
Race 4: (2) Eternal Love 17
Race 5: (1) Eastern Front 42
Race 6: (4) Money Surger 47
Race 7: (1) Castlethorpe 80 (EW)
Race 8: (3) Gift Of Rain 10
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Bikini Billy 1
Race 2: (3) Musuchelalomissus 11
Race 3: (10) Pilgovan Star 51
Race 4: (6) Dirty Champagne 39 (EW)
Race 5: (12) Gathering Fame 71
Race 6: (1) Futura 94 (NAP**)
Race 7: (4) Dagger Fall 16
Race 8: (1) Roy’s Guardian 16
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Top rated winners last week included
Silver State won 11/2
That Cowboy Kid won 9/2
Rebel’s Idol won 7/2
Charles My Boy won 33/10
Class Act won 28/10
Cuvee Brut won 18/10
In Full Regalia won 15/10
Black Tractor won 6/10
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Notebook:-
Act Of War (J Ramsden, W-Cape)
Graduation Day (J Soma, Gauteng)
Prospect Strike (D Zaki, Gauteng)
Sabaha (D Howells, KZN)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Kenilworth (new) 3rd May
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (3) Rebel’s Idol 58,48
1200m (1) In Full Regalia 72,67
1400m (2) Sunset Tripp 87,62
1600m (2) That Cowboy Kid 99,29
2500m (1) Revved Up 159,17
Vaal (outside) 5th May
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
1000m (3) Miss December 57,19
1200m (4) Graduation Day 69,40
1600m (1) Eau De Creole 98,07
Scottsville (inside) 6th May
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (3) Cuvee Brut 56,81
1200m (2) Azincourt 68,86
1400m (1) Sabaha 83,06
1600m (4) Way Of Light 95,58
Vaal (sand) 7th May
Going Standard
1000m (3) Velvet Verona 59,88
1200m (2) Roman Carnival 74,50
1450m (1) Sussudio 92,49
1600m (1) Spellbound 103,32
1800m (1) Sundari 116,25
