Hello Mary Lou
Greyville 9th September: The faster of the two 1600m events that opened up proceedings on the poly track on Sunday was the novice plate won in good style by the Await The Dawn filly SWEET MARY LOU. Sent off third in the betting market, Sean Tarry’s charge was always handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three and three quarters.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was SEA URCHIN in the pinnacle stakes. Another to race handy, Garth Puller’s 7yo ran on stoutly at the business end of the race, and with the rest well beaten he got the better of ROYAL ARMOUR by a neck.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by STAR IN THE SKY when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1900m. Soon up handy despite being a little slow into stride, Dennis Drier’s charge raced third for most of the journey. She put her head in front shortly after passing halfway and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by six.
Titbits
HOLY LAND won the opening maiden plate for 3yo’s going away by four.
Country Toast
Durbanville 11th September: The girls were the quicker in the two 1250m maiden plates for 3yo’s that opened up the meeting and here the well-supported CELESTIAL STORM opened her account. Backed into 6/1 from 15’s, the daughter of What A Winter led throughout. She found extra when challenged by CANTATA 300m out and with the rest well beaten, she won comfortably by two. The MR78 Handicap was the faster of the two 1000m races that followed and here we saw a comfortable victory for the nibbled at JOHNNY BLACK. On leaving the stalls it was PRINCE ALFRED who elected to make the running and he very quickly went four lengths clear. Johnny Black meanwhile raced handy in fourth. Prince Alfred kept on strongly in the straight and did have the rest held. Johnny Black quickened nicely over the final 300m though and went on to score going away by a length and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1800m. Neither were particularly fast run, but the quicker of the two was the MR82 Handicap won by the favourite TALITHA BOREALIS. Soon positioned close to the speed, the Ideal World filly was always poised to strike. She did so going through the 300m and won with authority from the running on ANGEL OF ATHENS.
Titbits
Positioned in midfield after setting off from a wide draw, the newcomer DHARMA was flying late when only beaten a neck in the boy’s division of the maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1250m.
Super Strong
Greyville 12th September: Racing returned to the poly track on Wednesday afternoon where the faster of the two 1000m events was the MR64 Handicap won by LONDON KNIGHT. Taken straight to the front by apprentice SAKAYI, the 6yo son of Great Britain led throughout. He was always in command and despite the efforts of the always handy ROSE HILL, he won without any anxious moments by a length and three quarters.
The maiden plate for 3yo’s was the faster of the two 1200m races and here we saw a very easy victory for the Dennis Drier trained BLACKBURN ROC. Backed into joint favouritism at the track, Blackburn Roc also led throughout. He began to assert his authority going through the 300m and won going away by four.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1400m where the faster of the two maiden plates was the boy’s affair in which FARLAND got off the mark. Soon up handy despite being a little slow into stride, and clipping heels at the 1200m, the son of Querari was always poised to strike. He did so as they approached the 300m marker and kept on strongly below the distance to fend off a determined challenge from the much more fancied WALTER THE PENNILESS by a neck.
Titbits
The 6yo WINTER’S COMING was finishing best of all when only beaten a short head in the MR80 Handicap over 1600m.
Consistency Reward
Vaal 13th September: They raced on the classic track on Thursday where three of the afternoon’s eight races took place over 1200m. The MR66 Handicap was the fastest of these and here the 6yo QUATTRO registered his fifth career victory. Easy to back on course, Grant Maroun’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front as they approached the 200m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the running on CAMEL WALK by two.
The opening work rider’s maiden event was surprisingly the faster of the two 1600m races on the card and here the second favourite ROCKSTAR CHILD got off the mark. Always in touch with the leaders in what quickly became a strung out field, the son of Mambo In Seattle put his head in front 450m out and did have the running on favourite MAJOR RETURN held at the wire.
They also ran two races over 1000m and quickest home in these was ROMAN EVENING in the MR74 Handicap. Positioned in midfield early on, the well exposed son of Imperial Stride struck the front shortly after passing the 400m marker and won well by two from the running on MOSHAV.
Titbits
Deep in the red at the off, VIRGINIA opened her account in the maiden plate over 1600m easing down by four and a half.
Smart Records
Turffontein 15th September: Five of the nine races on the inner track on Saturday were staged over 1450m and by far the fastest of these was the not so lucky last in which PIETRO MASCAGNI registered his third win from just six starts. Sent off at 71/10 to win this MR90 Handicap, Mike De Kock’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride and raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He quickened well going through the 400m and in what proved to be a real thriller, he got the better of the well-supported D’ARRIVEE (9/1 into 4/1) by a neck.
The only other distance to stage more than one event on this card was 2000m where the faster of the two was the MR87 Handicap in which COME THE DAY completed a smart hat-trick. Now a winner of four of his nine races to date, the bottom weight was content to sit seventh of the nine early on. He ran on stoutly at the business end of the race, and in an event where only a neck covered the first three home, he got up late.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by PENNY FROM HEAVEN in the MR72 Handicap for the girls over 1600m. Always handy, Mike De Kock’s charge put her head in front 350m out and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by four and three quarters.
Titbits
Nibbled at on course into 11/1 from 16’s MY DREAM CHASER quickened well late when comfortably accounting for her twelve rivals in the MR80 Handicap over 1450m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (9) Malinda 4
Race 2: (9) Keep It Green 32
Race 3: (9) Cape Leopard 23 (NAP**)
Race 4: (6) Chit Chat 65
Race 5: (9) Rocksette 65
Race 6: (7) Oklahoma Sky 45
Race 7: (4) Reine Tonnerre 59
Race 8: (5) Humble Addict 61
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (2) Seraphic 2
Race 2: (2) Combat Captain 14
Race 3: (6) Sail Into The Sun 6
Race 4: (3) Statute 61
Race 5: (9) Peter Piper 43
Race 6: (6) Pearl Glow 61
Race 7: (5) Zadora 40
Race 8: (3) Lotsa Silver 32
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Hartleyfour 1
Race 2: (9) Golden Spiral 3
Race 3: (2) Irish Wonder Girl 8
Race 4: (6) Indy Ice 7 (NAP*)
Race 5: (4) Gold Dawn 39 (EW)
Race 6: (11) Heart Of Africa 35
Race 7: (9) Varimax 38
Race 8: (1) Pool Party 54
Race 9: (3) Mademoiselle 26
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Innocently Naughty 8
Race 2: (5) La Duchesse 9
Race 3: (5) Arrow’s Mark 12
Race 4: (8) Bridal Veil 41
Race 5: (5) Tommy Grand 60
Race 6: (1) Anime 68
Race 7: (10) Got Your Back 38
Race 8: (14) Power Horse 25
Top rated winners last week included
Come The Day won 13/1
Iknow won 12/1
Farland won 10/1
Celestial Storm won 6/1
Be Yourself won 5/1
Royal Utopia won 9/2
Rockstar Child won 4/1
Rose In Bloom won 61/20
Notebook:-
Dharma (G Ennion, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 9th September
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,39s slow
1400m (4) Sea Urchin 81,58
1600m (2) Sweet Mary Lou 95,28
1900m (1) Star In The Sky 116,59
2000m (1) Stelvio 125,17
Durbanville 11th September
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,35s fast
1000m (2) Johnny Black 57,92
1250m (2) Celestial Storm 75,92
1400m (1) Angel’s Trumpet 84,85
1600m (1) Be Yourself 100,95
1800m (2) Talitha Borealis 113,15
Greyville (poly) 12th September
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,65s slow
1000m (2) London Knight 57,05
1200m (2) Gorgeous Guest 70,08
1400m (2) Farland 84,49
1600m (1) Q The Music 94,93
1900m (1) Samsonite 115,69
Vaal (classic) 13th September
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,59s slow
1000m (2) Roman Evening 56,96
1200m (3) Quattro 70,72
1450m (1) Strawberry Pavlova 89,20
1600m (2) Rockstar Child 99,56*
Turffontein (inside) 15th September
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,25s slow
1200m (1) Rock Pigeon 73,44
1450m (5) Pietro Mascagni 86,94
1600m (1) Penny From Heaven 97,76
2000m (2) Come The Day 124,19
