Early Advantage
Kenilworth 21st April: The going was good on the new course on Saturday where three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1000m. The fastest of these was the MR84 Handicap won by AL WAHED. Freely available at 8/1 on the off, the son of Elusive Fort was taken straight to the front by 4kg claimer Louis Burke and led throughout. He kept on determinedly over the final 400m and just had enough in hand to hold off the gaining VIRTUE (came from the back) by a neck.
Surprisingly the faster of the two 1200m events was the opening maiden juvenile plate in which the favourite SANTA CLARA did the business. Soon up handy, Candice Bass-Robinson’s charge struck the front 350m out and kept on strongly late to beat the running on MIXED SIGNALS by three quarters.
The only other distance to stage more than one race on this card was 1600m where by far the faster of the two was the closing MR76 affair in which PIRACY registered his third career victory. Usually one to run on stoutly from off the pace, the Oracy gelding adopted a change of tactics here and raced up handy. He put his head in front going through the 400m and comfortably accounted for the running on GIMME A COHIBA (came from the rear) by two.
Titbits:
Content to race 5th of the six for most of the journey, EAST LYNNE won the maiden plate over 1600m with authority going away.
Gutsy Front Runners
Greyville 22nd April: This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place at Scottsville. The first of the three races on turf to be run was the non-black type Highland Night Cup over 2400m and here we saw a gutsy performance from the confirmed front runner HERO QUEST. Allowed to dictate throughout, the Ideal World gelding kept on strongly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the 6yo HYAKU by two and three quarters.
The afternoon’s two feature events were also run on turf and in the faster of these, the 1800m listed Scarlet Lady, PARABOLA gained her fourth career success. Nibbled at on course into 71/10 from 9/1, Brett Crawford’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. She was ridden to lead 160m out and kept on strongly late to beat the similarly fancied PREMIER DANCE by a half. Running on best of all in this race was LEAVES OF GRASS. Candice Bass-Robinson’s charge was at the back 300m out and did well to get as close as she did.
Run in a time exactly one second slower than that of the Scarlet Lady was the listed Sledgehammer in which HEAD HONCHO caused an upset. Freely available at 22/1 on the off, the hat-trick seeking son of Querari made virtually all. He kept on determinedly over the final 400m and just held on from the always handy PACK LEADER by the narrowest of margins.
Titbits
At the back turning for home, SUMMER SKY was finishing best of all when only beaten a short head in the MR96 Handicap over 1400m.
Family Affair
Vaal 24th April: They raced on the inside track on Tuesday where four of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1200m. The MR76 Handicap for the girls was the fastest of these and here we saw a comfortable victory for the lightly raced 3yo PRETTY PENNY. Now a winner of two from three, Alec Laird’s charge led throughout. She was always in command and although the pack headed by GENEROUS NOTION chased hard over the final 400m, she won without any anxious moments by a length and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1700m where the fastest of the three was the MR62 Handicap in which the well-supported MIGHTY AND MAGIC did the business. Eventually sent off favourite after opening up in double figures, Sean Tarry’s charge raced in midfield early on. He quickened well below the distance won quite a bit more easily than the official winning margin of a length and a quarter would suggest.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by SNORTING BULL in the maiden plate over 2400m. In the red at 3/4 on the off, Scot Kenny’s charge was visibly cruising going the 400m and went on to win with a ton in hand by just over three.
Titbits
Apprentice Luke Ferraris gained the first successes of his career when riding two winners for his grandfather Ormond Ferraris at this meeting.
An Air Of Excitement
Kenilworth 25th April: A pinnacle stakes over 1200m topped the bill in Cape Town on Wednesday and here victory went to the well-weighted 7yo SILICONE VALLEY. Generously priced at 57/20 on the off, Glen Puller’s charge raced with the pack during the early part of the race. He quickened well going through the 400m and after taking up the running 200m out, he kept on strongly late to fend off the running on DUTCH PHILIP.
Run in a time just 22/100th of a second slower than that of the pinnacle stakes was the maiden plate won by the newcomer ARABIAN AIR. Racing in open company Joey Ramsden’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front going through the 200m and went on to score with some in hand by two and three quarters.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1400m and quickest home amongst these was the improving 3yo ORAKAL in the MR92 Handicap. On leaving the stalls it was COMMANDER BOND who surprisingly elected to set the pace and a brisk one it was too. That early effort took its toll early in the straight though and that one faded to finish a tailed off last. Orakal meanwhile ran on stoutly from the rear, and under a well-judged ride from Sihle Cele he got up late to score by a half..
Titbits
The well-supported favourite JAILHOUSE ROCK won the maiden plate over 1600m with authority by two and a quarter.
Smart 2yo’s
Vaal 26th April: Two 1500m races got proceedings underway on the classic track on Thursday and surprisingly the quicker of these was the opening work rider’s maiden plate won by the favourite SKY HIGH. Always handy, Sean Tarry’s charge ran on strongly over the final 200m and comfortably accounted for NORLAND by two.
Despite racing in open company, the best bet on the card for many was CHIMICHURI RUN in the maiden plate over 1000m. Always in the red, the stable companion to Sky High was soon positioned close to the speed. Racing Green, the son of Trippi quickened nicely when realising what was expected of him and won well by three and a quarter from the friendless PEARL OF SIBERIA.
The girls’ division of the maiden 1000m was next up and here we saw an impressive performance from the newcomer (another 2yo) MIGHTY HIGH. Positioned towards the rear early on, the daughter of Pathfork fairly flew over the final 300m and in impressive style won going away by two.
Titbits
The 8/11 favourite TIA ran on well from midfield when getting off the mark in the girls’ division of the maiden 1500m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (7) Seattle Mermaid 6 (NAP*)
Race 2: (3) Adalfieri 8
Race 3: (1) Perfect Peace 28
Race 4: (8) Tin Tan 15
Race 5: (10) Chisanyama 34
Race 6: (2) Road To Indy 63
Race 7: (6) Golden Shamrock 54
Race 8: (8) Ess El Kay 32 (EW)
Race 9: (4) Glennie 28
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Charge D’ Affaires 7
Race 2: (9) Provocateur 11
Race 3: (2) Prince Ardent
Race 4: (10) Tribal Fusion 76
Race 5: (1) Sail South 96
Race 6: (2) Lady In Black 72
Race 7: (10) Oh Susanna 83
Race 8: (10) O’reilly 51
Race 9: (2) Leslies Pathtofame 6
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (2) Return Flight 14
Race 2: (10) Senor Lizard 16
Race 3: (3) Celtic Sea 39
Race 4: (3) Bold Eagle 63
Race 5: (1) Green Pepper 80 (nb)
Race 6: (1) Takingthepeace 61
Race 7: (1) Surcharge 70
Race 8: (1) Sergeant Hardy 102
Race 9: (1) Legal Eagle 101 (NAP**)
Race 10: (3) Bi Pot 74
Race 11: (7) Just Cruised In 84
Race 12: (4) Zouaves 74
Kenilworth (sun)
Race 1: (1) Sark 9 (NAP*)
Race 2: (4) Friendly Tibbs 65
Race 3: (5) Photocopy 18
Race 4: (1) Favola 38
Race 5: (2) Nebula 77
Race 6: (1) Carioca 28
Race 7: (2) Arabian Air 37 (EW)
Race 8: (7) Waitingfortonight 38
Top rated winners last week included
Tokyo Drift won 9/1
Silicone Valley won 57/20
Jailhouse Rock won 14/10
Santa Clara won 14/10
Tarsus won 9/10
Mac ‘n Scar won 8/11
Tia won 8/11
Sky High won 3/4
Notebook:-
Arabian Air (J Ramsden, W-Cape)
Chimichuri Run (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Summer Sky (D Kannemeyer, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Kenilworth (new) 21st April
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,06s slow
1000m (3) Al Wahed 58,18
1200m (2) Santa Clara 71,82
1400m (1) Sequined 87,72
1600m (2) Piracy 99,81
Greyville (mixed) 22nd April
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Poly – Standard
Course Variant: 1,99s slow (turf) – 0,48s slow (poly)
1000m (4) Great Dictator 57,97P
1200m (1) Runaway Gal 71,76P
1400m (1) Lord Balmoral 82,48P
1800m (2) Parabola 110,60T
2000m (1) Passioneight 124,53P
2400m (1) Hero Quest 151,37T
Vaal (inside) 24th April
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,00s
1200m (4) Pretty Penny 69,38
1700m (3) Mighty And Magic 103,51
2000m (1) Tirzan 121,85
2400m (1) Snorting Bull 150,67
Kenilworth (new) 25th April
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,50s slow
1200m (2) Silicone Valley 70,96
1400m (3) Orakal 87,92
1600m (2) Jailhouse Rock 102,40
2500m (1) Gimme One Night 165,00
Vaal (classic) 26th April
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1000m (2) Chimichuri Run 56,81
1500m (4) Full Of Atitude 89,39
1800m (1) Viburnum 108,76
2000m (1) Animal Lover 123,00
