Our new weekly column ‘Time Is Money’ is now well into stride and the benefits of using sectional timing data is unquestioned.
Today we look at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday and the KZN Capital City meeting on Sunday, and find some interesting horses to follow.
Garth Puller leads African Skyline (Serino Moodley) in after winning the Fever Tree Stakes on Sunday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Hollywoodbets Kenilworth 15 February
- Track Condition: Good to Soft
- Penetrometer: 25
- Rain: Previous seven days – Nil
- Irrigation: Previous seven days 65mm
False Rail: was out 2m from 1700m with a 4m spur at the 600m mark. The outside rail was moved inwards 4m from the 600m mark. - Wind: Moderate to strong south easterly headwind of 25-36km/h.
- Course Variant: 0,47s fast (straight) – 0,31s slow (bend)
HWB Kenilworth Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate 1000m
A Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m got proceedings underway on Saturday and in a fast run race, in which eight of the nine runners were newcomers, we saw a smart performance from the Declarationofpeace colt SPACEBOUND.
Backed into favouritism at the track, Peter Muscutt’s charge pinged the gates and was soon three quarters of a length clear. He kept up a healthy gallop throughout and with the sectionals clearly showing that he speeded up between the 400m-200m markers, he went on to score very easily by four. Clearly impressed, Fourie quipped that the horse could have been named Rocket Ship because of his speed.
Spacebound recorded a 400-finish time of 23,01 seconds which proved to be the fastest of the afternoon. Although making no impression on the winner in the closing stages of the race, the runner up Follow Your Heart ran on well from off the pace and looks sure to improve plenty, especially if put over further, next time.
Paarl Diamant A Stakes 2000m
Run over the Met course and distance the Paarl Diamant A Stakes topped the bill and in what proved to be a very false paced affair the uneasy favourite HOLDING THUMBS did the business.
The pace was slow on leaving the stalls and drawn in pole position Glen Kotzen’s charge very quickly found himself at the front. He set just a steady pace around the turn which proved to be 1,8 seconds slower than the 1400m maiden plate. Holding Thumbs kept on determinedly when the race developed into a sprint 500m out and went on to score comfortably by a length and three quarters.
The time of this race was originally given as 120,05 which would have been a new course record by over 2 seconds. This was then changed to 125,76 seconds which is correct.
Interbet Class 4 1200m
Four of the afternoon’s ten races were staged over 1200m and in the fastest of these, The Interbet Class 4, the What A Winter filly BACK AT THE GEORGE registered her second career victory. Song Of Myself and Kamakazi set a good pace before fading quickly late on, whilst Dean Kannemeyer’s charge was always travelling nicely some 4,5 lengths off them in seventh.
She quickened well over the final 400m and under a well-judged ride from Craig Zackey, she struck the front 150m out and won well by a length. The official time of this race was also initially posted wrongly as 76,4. This was then changed to 72,40 which again was correct on my clock.
Hopes And Dreams Stud Maiden Plate 1400m
Just a tenth of a second separated the winners of the two 1400m races on the card, a Maiden Plate and a C Stakes, with the former, won by BEL CANTO DREAM being the faster. Friendless in the betting market (25/2 out to 16/1), the son of Oratorio raced third off a strong pace early on. He put his head in front going through the 500m and although the heavily supported favourite Konnichiwa chased hard in the latter stages, he did have that one held by two and a quarter at the wire.
Quickies
Both trainer and jockey spoke very highly of newcomer DREAMWORLD after winning the Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m.
Deep in the red, EMPIRE STATE recorded the third fastest 400-finish time of the afternoon when winning the closing Hollywoodbets Bright Future Class 4.
Interestingly though, the runner up AFRICAN PRINCE, coming from off the pace, was marginally quicker over the final 400m.
Fastest Times:
1200m (4) Back At The George 72,40
1400m (2) Bel Canto Dream 88,71
400-finish Spacebound 23,01
Notebook:
Spacebound (P Muscutt)
Follow Your Heart (C Bass-Robinson)
Hollywoodbets Scottsville 16 February
- Track Condition: Soft
- Penetrometer: Stand side track 28 – Inside track 28
- Rain: Previous seven days 17mm – Previous 24 hours 8mm
- Irrigation: Previous seven days Nil – Previous 24 hours Nil
- False Rail: 5m
- Wind: 10-15km/h North Easterly cross wind
- Course Variant: 0,44s slow (stand side) – 0,58s fast (Inside)
Fever Tree Stakes (NBT) 1500m
The easy to back Field Marshal (9/2 out to 17/2) made the running in the afternoon’s feature event and after setting a fair pace he ran on strongly in the straight. Meanwhile the eventual winner AFRICAN SKYLINE (reported as making an abnormal respiratory noise) raced three lengths away in fifth and was always travelling well.
He quickened nicely early in the straight and although Field Marshal did rally gamely when headed 150m out, he got the verdict by a neck. The 400m-finish time of the winner proved to be the fastest of the afternoon.
Gallop TV Youtube Channel Middle Stakes 1200m
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1200m and in comfortably the fastest of these LICENCE TO THRILL registered his second career victory. Although the pace was a good one the field was always quite tightly grouped.
Indeed, Mike Miller’s charge sat eighth and was only 2,5 lengths off them. He stayed on best when the early effort began to take its toll on the leaders and under a well-judged ride from Tristan Godden, he got up 50m from home.
Follow In The Box Seat Podcast Class 4 1750m
The two 1750m races were both Class 4 events and in different ways were falsely run. The Follow In The Box Seat Podcast was the faster of these. EL REY VIENE made the running and after taking it steady early on, the 5yo quickened and strung them out around the turn.
He ran on strongly early in the straight, but did then not surprisingly tire quickly over the final 300m. Much more restrained early on, the 3yo JP’S PALACE had been nicely placed in fifth and was only three lengths off the pace turning for home. He ran on well over the final 500m and with the benefit of first run he got the verdict over another 3yo in View Of The World.
Two and a half lengths behind the winner when the race began in earnest, the runner up finished well and was only beaten 0,6 of a length. View Of The World had been slow into stride here after being squeezed at the start. He also lost a length last time out where disadvantaged by a slipped saddle he was only beaten by a head. Sure to improve.
Fastest Times:
1200m (3) Licence To Thrill 69,73
1750m (2) Jp’s Palace 106,45
400-finish African Skyline 23,47
Notebook:
View Of The World (P Lafferty)
