Well Marked
Turffontein 26th October: They raced on the inner track on Saturday where four of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1450m. The fastest of these was the MR95 Handicap won by STAVINSKY. Always one to finish strongly from off the pace, Leon Erasmus’ charge quickened well over the final 400m and under a well judged ride from Sherman Brown he got up late to score by a length and a quarter.
The easiest victory on the card was undoubtedly that of PEGGED FOR GLORY (8/1 into 7/2) in the faster of the two maiden events over 1200m. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m pole and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by six and a half. Pegged For Glory’s stable companion GULLWING (sent off second favourite at 22/10) stayed on well to take fourth after racing detached at the rear.
Another to win with authority was ARKANSAS in the maiden 1450m. Nibbled at on course into 5/1 from 7’s, the lightly raced son of Antonius Pius was always in touch with the leaders, He was asked to take up the running shortly after passing the 400m marker and easily accounted for the odds on favourite YELLOW WOOD TREE by three and a half.
Race eight on the card was a MR81 Handicap over 1450m and here we saw a nice performance from the 6yo REIGN VICTORIOUS. Confidently ridden by Raymond Danielson, the son of King Of Kings sat in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well coming off the strip and easily accounted for the 3yo THE SAINT after striking the front 150m from home.
Titbits
TURNSTONE ran on well from the rear when third to Stavinsky in the MR95 Handicap over 1450m.
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Four From Five
Kenilworth 26th October: The Gr3 Cape Classic topped the bill in Cape Town on Saturday and in what proved to be the fastest of the four 1400m races we saw a smart performance from the highly regarded RED RAY. Making his seasonal debut here, last season’s Somerset 1200 winner was taken straight to the front by Anton Marcus and led throughout. He was always in command and won comfortably by two. Red Ray has now won four of his five career outings. LEGISLATE (2nd) and DE KOCK (3rd) both ran on very well from the rear in this race.
Another to win well in the hands of Anton Marcus on this card was CAPTAINOFMYSOUL in the progress plate over 1400m. Soon positioned close to the speed, Justin Snaith’s charge took up the running early in the straight and went on to score without any anxious moments by two and a half.
The lucky last was a pinnacle stakes over 1400m and here all eyes were on last season’s Gr1 Paddock Stakes winner BEACH BEAUTY. Clearly best in at the weights, the Dynasty mare was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 400m and with some in hand she comfortably accounted for LAKE ARTHUR by a length and a half.
Titbits
HOT TICKET and CIGAR BOY (beaten a neck) both ran on well from midfield and had the rest well beaten when 1st & 2nd respectively in the listed Woolavington Handicap over 2400m.
NONKI POO looked to have a little in hand when getting up late to win the MR88 Handicap over 1800m.
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Happy Returns
Clairwood 27th October: With the ground deteriorating throughout the afternoon the fastest of the four 1200m events proved to be the maiden event won by the newcomer DARKNESS. Well supported to go off second favourite at 3/1 (op 6’s), Dennis Drier’s charge raced in midfield early on. The field was always tightly bunched though and once given rein he was soon in contention. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest well beaten he comfortably accounted for the pacemaker MASTER ARCHER by three quarters.
The easiest victory on the ten race program was that of GOGETTHESHERIFF in the maiden 1600m. The easy to back RUN SOFTLY made the running and turning for home he was at least four lengths clear. Once in the long straight though Mike De Kock’s charge quickened by far the best and won going away by seven after striking the front 150m from home.
A pinnacle stakes over 1200m topped the bill and in a time some 1,38 seconds slower than that of the maiden Darkness it was nice to see the very lightly raced 5yo HAPPY FOREVER back in the winner’s enclosure after a lengthy break. In a race where three lengths covered virtually all approaching halfway Joey Ramsden’s charge finished best of all and got up late to beat the veteran KINGS GOLD by a neck. Happy Forever has now won four of his six career outings.
A MR78 Handicap over 1200m brought proceedings to a close and here we saw a smart performance from the Paul Lafferty trained GOLDIE COAST. Another winner for the national jockey’s log leader S’manga Khumalo, Goldie Coast raced in midfield for most of the journey. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and with the rest well beaten she comfortably accounted for the running on MALKIA by two and a half.
Titbits
ROYAL MAC won the maiden event over 2500m going away.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (5) Beach Bar 12 Race 2: No Qualifiers Race 3: (5) Lady Cozzene 47 (nb) Race 4: (1) All The Ones 5 Race 5: (1) Eye Of The World 57 (NAP*) Race 6: (10) Night Landing 47 Race 7: (3) Wind At Your Back 33 Race 8: (3) Theory 24 Race 9: (14) Billy’s Legacy 30 Vaal (tues) Race 1: (6) Lightning Eye 17 Race 2: (1) Apple Tart 10 Race 3: (3) Shephards Warning 10 Race 4: (5) Wensleydale 23 Race 5: (15) Viva La Vie 45 Race 6: (9) Bamako 79 Race 7: (16) Bah 52 Race 8: (1) Sugar And Shake 55 Race 9: (7) Rebel Flame 17 Race 10: (2) Matchless Flag 16 Greyville Race 1: (1) Translator 16 Race 2: (9) Maluti 74 Race 3: (6) Egregious 16 Race 4: (6) Falconers Knot 50 Race 5: (3) Big Bird 44 Race 6: (11) Lady Chestnut 48 Race 7: (11) With Her Approval 51 Race 8: (1) Lady Jade 26 Kenilworth Race 1: (4) Abyssinia 19 Race 2: (3) Forest Indigo 66 Race 3: (12) Harlem Nocturne 29 (NAP*) Race 4: (5) Gifford 20 Race 5: (12) Rushintothewind 74 Race 6: (3) Abbey Creek 39 Race 7: (12) Titus 57 Race 8: (4) Captain On The Run 60 (nb) Race 9: (1) Diplomatic 31 Vaal (thur) Race 1: (3) Fort Dixy 10 Race 2: (13) Quilicious 5 Race 3: (1) Global Talk 17 Race 4: (6) Glitz And Glamour 6 Race 5: (6) Wishful Heart 46 Race 6: (6) Tippuana Jet 68 (NAP*) Race 7: (2) Maji Moto 47 Race 8: (13) Colca Canyon 33 Race 9: (13) Sugar Ray 35 .
Top rated winners last week included
Dancing Arrow won 20/1 King Neptune won 8/1 Arkansas won 5/1 Professor X won 5/1 Kingston Boy won 4/1 Legend Dancer won 7/2 Happy Forever won 28/10 Dolomiti won 18/10 .
Notebook:-
Happy Forever (J Ramsden, KZN) Red Ray (J Ramsden, W-Cape) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherTurffontein (inner) 26th October Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft 1000m (1) Tuesdays Child 59,24 1200m (2) Pegged For Glory 75,05 1450m (4) Stavinsky 88,49 1600m (1) Ikimasu 101,02 2600m (1) Golden Ring 169,82 .
Kenilworth 26th October Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1000m (1) Maties Wildekat 61,36 1100m (1) Casual Var 65,01 1200m (1) Spanish Tiger 74,42 1400m (4) Red Ray 85,08 1800m (1) Nonki Poo 110,42 2400m (1) Hot Ticket 148,15 .
Clairwood 27th October Penetrometer 22 – Going Soft 1000m (2) Red Label 58,38 1200m (4) Darkness 70,53 1450m (1) Emperor Niarchos 89,09 1600m (1) Gogetthesheriff 98,95 2500m (2) Professor X 161,37
