Two From Four
Scottsville 10th February: The best bet for most in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday was HOME RULER in the girl’s maiden plate over 1200m, and she didn’t let down her supporters. Always deep in the red, Dennis Drier’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 200m and with the rest some seven lengths adrift, she beat the lightly raced MANTLE by a length and a half.
There were three races run over 1200m in total and in the fastest of these, a graduation plate, the 3yo Rock Of Gibraltar gelding SOLID GOLD gained his second victory from just four starts. Well supported on course to go off second favourite at 47/20, Michael Roberts’ charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He ran on strongly over the final 200m and with the rest left trailing in their wake, he only got the better of the 17/10 favourite EXCLUSIVE QUANTITY (raced at the back of the six) by the narrowest of margins
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1600m where the faster of the two maiden events was the boy’s affair in which KING’S COVE opened his account. He got away well when the gates opened and nicely positioned in fifth was always poised to strike. He did so as they approached the 200m marker and won going away by three.
Titbits
Improving JACK OF HEARTS won the maiden plate over 1950m going away by a length and a quarter.
Silently progressing
Greyville 13th February: Three of the eight races on Wednesday afternoon were staged over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these, a MR76 Handicap, was EUPHORIC. Freely available at 12/1 on the off, Dennis Drier’s charge was always handy. He quickened well at the top of the short home straight and got the verdict by a half over the more fancied COLLABRO (came from the rear).
A MR60 Handicap over 1000m had opened up proceedings and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the 4yoYAAS. A winner over the course and distance last time out, the daughter of Main Aim also raced close to the speed. She put her head in front going through the 300m and in a race where only a quarter of a length separated the first four home, she got the verdict on the nod.
A MR80 Handicap over 1900m topped the bill and here victory went to the progressive 3yo LAST OF THE LEGEND. A fluent winner of his only previous racecourse appearance, the son of Horse Chestnut was soon prominent. He took up the running 300m out and kept on strongly late to beat the well-supported favourite HIGH GREEN by a half.
Titbits
The 3yo FORTHELASTIME ran on well from midfield when comfortably accounting for his eleven rivals in the MR66 affair over 1600m.
Easier Pickings
Fairview 15th February: A MR98 Handicap topped the bill on Friday’s poly track card and in what on my clock proved to be the faster of the two 1200m events, the grey FLIGHT CAPTAIN registered his seventh career victory. Taken straight to the front by Lyle Hewitson, the Captain Al gelding led throughout. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and held on by a quarter from the faster finishing BORDER CONTROL.
The Western Cape raider CELESTIAL PRINCE was the best bet on the card for most and in the end he did the business quite easily. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, Candice Bass-Robinson’s charge raced second last early on. Cleverly ridden by Bernard Fayd’Herbe though, the son of Duke Of Marmalade circled runners rounding the home turn and was then nicely positioned in fifth at the top of the straight. He struck the front 150m out and went on to score going away by three.
There were a number of easy victories on the afternoon, but none more so than that of the former Cape Town campaigner ETERNAL NIGHT. Sent off second in the betting market at 10/3, the Black Minnaloushe mare was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead approaching the 200m pole and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by six and a quarter.
Titbits
Having her first outing since relocating from the Western Cape, ALPHABET STREET came from second last when running on stoutly to fill second position in the opening maiden plate over 1000m.
Dream Start
Kenilworth 16th February: A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m got proceedings underway in Cape Town on Saturday and here we saw a smart performance from the newcomer MINNESOTA DREAM. Slowest into stride, the son of Visionaire raced a number of lengths off the pace at the back very early on. Patiently ridden by the experienced S’manga Khumalo though, Joey Ramsden’s charge steadily worked his way into contention. He struck the front 250m out and with some in hand won very cosily by three quarters.
A MR72 Handicap was the only other race to be run over 1000m and in a time 1,46 seconds faster than that of Minnesota Dream, APOLLO ACE registered his second career victory. Sent off second in the betting market at 6/1, the 3yo son of What A Winter was soon positioned close to the speed. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and got up late to deny the front running outsider SINGFONICO.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was WAITING FOR RAIN in the MR79 Handicap. Allowed to ease right out to 13/1 at the track, the 7yo, as per usual, came from off the pace. He ran on strongly in the closing stages of the race and got the verdict by a half over the favourite GREEN ARCHER (came from the rear).
Titbits
The 3yo FAYE didn’t find the clearest of passages when running on from the backend of midfield to finish runner up in the MR72 Handicap over 1400m.
Inspired Taste
Turffontein 17th February: This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place on Saturday 16th February. The daughter of Soft Falling Rain GIN FIZZ was backed into the red to make a winning debut in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m on Sunday and she went on to score accordingly. Taken straight to the front by Gavin Lerena, Mike De Kock’s charge was always travelling well. She only had to be pushed out over the final 400m and won going away by seven and a half.
The stable of Mike De Kock were also on the mark with a very easy winner in the second, an assessment plate, when GREENER PASTURES registered her second career victory, Surprisingly the quickest of the three 1600m events, given that just four went to post, the Gimmethegreenlight filly raced at the back for most of the journey. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 400m marker and after quickly going clear, she won easing down by six and a quarter.
Yet another to win very easily on this card was REGAL GRADUATION in the faster of the two 1400m events, a MR87 Handicap. Always handy, the daughter of Oratorio put her head in front as they approached the 200m pole and went on to score without any anxious moments from the running on PERFECT TIGRESS (lost 3 lengths and didn’t find a clear passage) by three and three quarters.
Titbits
The friendless newcomer LOUVAIN came from the backend of midfield when getting up late to win the maiden plate for the girls over 1160m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (4) Foreign Source 5
Race 2: (1) Brandina 40 (nb)
Race 3: (8) Malinga 68
Race 4: (2) Cradleofgratitude 17 (NAP*)
Race 5: (1) Epic Storm 15
Race 6: (9) Data Link 56
Race 7: (4) Go Direct 64 (EW)
Race 8: (1) Freedom Charter 69
Race 9: (17) Guilty Pleasure 37
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Alfonsa Spagoni 18
Race 2: (4) Elusive Diva 23
Race 3: (3) Di Mazzio 71 (NAP*)
Race 4: (5) Duke’s Dozen 10
Race 5: (6) Three Ships 7
Race 6: (10) Mark Tapley 39
Race 7: (8) Red Herring 51
Race 8: (6) Roy’s Physco 12
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Ufo 12
Race 2: (3) Liberado 15
Race 3: (8) Seeking Gold 57
Race 4: (5) Railtrip 46
Race 5: (1) Mighty Rock 11
Race 6: (8) Press My Button 52
Race 7: (1) Green Plains 82
Race 8: (3) Only To Win 49
Race 9: (6) Vi Va Pi Pa 36
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (2) River Rhone 7
Race 2: (1) Vandah’s Spirit 19
Race 3: (6) Midwinter 7
Race 4: (3) Hemero 65
Race 5: (5) Jailhouse Rock 70
Race 6: (10) Gyre 89
Race 7: (3) Rose In Bloom 82
Race 8: (1) Kasimir 101
Race 9: (16) Magic Mountain 20
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Genereight 10
Race 2: (2) Rumbleinthejungle 13
Race 3: (5) Sheik’s Storm 36
Race 4: (4) Ginger Biscuit 31
Race 5: (2) La Duchesse 6
Race 6: (10) Runaway Gal 63
Race 7: (11) Mythical Magic 39
Race 8: (13) Lunar Tide 39
Top rated winners last week included
Donnan won 12/1
King’s Cove won 9/2
Over Sharing won 4/1
Eternal Night won 10/3
Inertia won 32/10
Jack Of Hearts won 14/10
Protea Paradise won 19/20
Home Ruler won 4/11
Notebook:-
Gin Fizz (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Last Of The Legend (S Tarry, KZN)
Minnesota Dream (J Ramsden, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 10th February
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,44s slow
1000m (1) Hondo 57,91
1200m (3) Solid Gold 68,37
1500m (1) Mr Roy 88,00
1600m (2) King’s Cove 95,88
1950m (1) Jack Of Hearts 121,74
Greyville (poly) 13th February
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,41s slow
1000m (1) Yaas 58,29
1200m (1) Flexible Fugitive 70,91
1400m (3) Euphoric 82,79
1600m (1) Forthelastime 95,86
1900m (1) Last Of The Legend 116,48
2000m (1) Bold Beauty 124,39
Fairview (poly) 15th February
Going Standard
1000m (1) Press Release 59,33
1100m (1) Bargeme 65,32
1200m (2) Flight Captain 70,21*
1300m (2) Lets Play Ball 76,47
1600m (1) Raven Girl 97,09*
1900m (1) Celestial Prince 118,99*
Kenilworth (new) 16th February
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (2) Apollo Ace 58,74
1200m (1) Inertia 72,08
1400m (4) Waiting For Rain 86,10
1600m (1) Swift Surprise 99,17
Turffontein (old) 17th February
Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft
Penetrometer 1,01s slow
1000m (2) Down To Zero 57,51
1160m (2) Whorly Whorly 68,51
1400m (2) Regal Graduation 86,44
1600m (3) Greener Pastures 101,80
2000m (1) Protea Paradise 128,87
