Smart Juveniles
Fairview 15th March: The best bet on the card for most in Port Elizabeth on Friday was the Alan Greeff trained NAVISTAR in the opening juvenile plate over 1200m. Third in the prestigious Summer Juvenile Stakes at Kenilworth on Met Day last time out, the son of Sail From Seattle was not surprisingly backed into the red. He was always handy and in a time that proved to be the fastest of the four 1200m events on the day, he drew clear easily from the 300m marker to score by three and a half.
Trainer Alan Greeff was also on the mark in the non-black type East Cape Fillies Nursery when WINTER FANTASY landed the spoils. Another to find good support at the track (2/1 into 14/10), the daughter of Western Winter was soon at the head of affairs. Stable companion FREE FLIGHT briefly put her head in front going through the 600m, but once given rein the favourite quickly regained command. She ran on stoutly over the final 400m and ran out a very easy winner by four.
The non-black type Breeders Guineas over 1600m shared top billing and coming out tops here was the Ashaawes filly SCENTED ASH. Freely available at 20/1 on the off, Yvette Bremner’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. The favourite COUNT TO TEN was the first to make a move and on striking the front 300m from home she looked to have done everything right. With the rest left trailing in their wake at that point though, Scented Ash also quickened well and after she in turn struck the front 150m later she went on to score by three quarters.
The lucky last was a MR74 Handicap over 1200m and here the locals were sent home happy when the market leader WINTER HEART did the business. Allowed to ease a little in the betting market as quite a number of the Eastern Cape favourites do, Winter Heart was always handy. She ran on strongly over the final 300m and in a thrilling three way finish she only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins over the well supported outsider PARTY ROCKER.
Titbits
ROSES IN SPRING ran on well from the back end of midfield when runner up in the maiden 1000m.
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General In Command
Turffontein 16th March: They raced on the inner track on Saturday where the easiest victory in terms of distance was recorded by EMPIRE OF THE MOON in the opening workrider’s maiden event over 1600m. On leaving the stalls it was the friendless SUPERAVER (lame off fore) who elected to make the running whilst Sean Tarry’s charge raced in midfield. She began to take closer order as they entered the strip and won well by three and a quarter after taking up the running 400m out.
Another to win well in the maiden ranks was TIGER DEE in the 1000m event. Pitched in against what has to be said was a rather moderate bunch, Tiger Dee also ran on strongly from off the pace and with the rest well beaten he easily got the better of the perennial maiden MAGIC OF ROME (having his 40th start) close home.
Topping the bill was the listed Drum Star Handicap over 1800m and here we saw a smart performance from the 4yo son of Strike Smartly GENERAL SHERMAN. Sent off joint second favourite at 9/2, Sean Tarry’s charge raced seventh of the eleven for most of the journey. He quickened well coming off the strip and quickly went a couple of lengths clear after hitting the front 200m from home.
Also worthy of note on this card was the performance of BALSE in winning the MR84 Handicap over 2600m. Allowed to ease a little at the track, although still retaining his position at the top of the boards, the 3yo was soon up handy. The pacemaker WINTER DESIRE kept on strongly in the short home straight and did have the rest comfortably beaten. Balse steadily wore him down at the business end of the race though and won comfortably by a length after taking it up passing the 100m pole.
Titbits
One of three winners on the card for trainer Sean Tarry, REIGN VICTORIOUS ran on well from midfield when winning the MR72 Handicap over 1450m going away.
SILENT ANGEL came from the rear when only beaten a length and a quarter in the MR80 Handicap over 1600m.
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King’s Hat-trick
Clairwood 17th March: The smartest performance in the maiden ranks at the garden course on Sunday was undoubtedly that of the newcomer CAITLIN in the girl’s 1450m event. Drawn wide and slow into stride to boot, Caitlin very quickly found herself positioned in the rear. Once in the long home straight though she quickened well and soon began to make headway. She struck the front as they approached the 100m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three.
The first of the two non-black type juvenile features to be run was the Sentinel Stakes over 1000m and here the Doug Campbell trained KING’S BAY completed a smart hat-trick. Just seven went to post and going through halfway most were still in contention. King’s Bay gave his all after hitting the front 200m out and only got the verdict by a neck over the newcomer ACAPULCO.
The girls contested the non-black type King’s Pact Stakes over the same distance and in what proved to be a very controversial race victory here went to the newcomer WAR PATH. The stall gate of the odds on favourite MY SANCTUARY very clearly opened after that of the others and during the early stages of the race a number of the jockeys were looking around because of the possibility of a false start. However, no signal was given and with the field very quickly becoming strung out the race went ahead. As a result War Path and the 18/1 shot CARIBBEAN BAY soon held a very useful advantage. War Path kept on strongly after Caribbean Bay began to fade 300m out and won comfortably by a length and a quarter from My Sanctuary’s unfancied stable companion ALONG CAME POLLY (a newcomer).
Clearly very unhappy with decisions made concerning the King’s Pact Stakes a crowd assembled outside the weighing room and as a result the remainder of the meeting had to be abandoned.
Titbits
STORM DANCER ran on strongly from off the pace when getting up late to win the MR72 Handicap over 2500m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (2) Lex Non Scripta 5 Race 2: (6 The Great Caruso 11 Race 3: (3) Sakkie Sakkie 14 (NAP*) Race 4: (10) Dash’s Inn 36 Race 5: (14) Eden Rose 49 (EW) Race 6: (4) Comedy Caravan 48 Race 7: (7) Oh So Var 41 Race 8: (10) Weather Report 30 Race 9: (1) Regal Man 48 Vaal (tues) Race 1: (1) The Sanquharian 26 (NAP*) Race 2: (6) Slippery Slope 21 Race 3: (6) Tizasmartdollar 12 Race 4: (9) La Volta 75 Race 5: (10) Fanzene 55 Race 6: (6) Polar Moon 84 Race 7: (7) Rebel Queen 85 Race 8: (6) Mcallistor 39 Kenilworth Race 1: (15) Tour De Var 24 Race 2: (2) Letas Bonnet 32 Race 3: (5) Theatre Royal 6 Race 4: (1) Rememberin Essence 22 (NAP*) Race 5: (12) The Real Nick 56 Race 6: (7) Exploration 84 Race 7: (1) Money Surger 63 Race 8: (9) London Theatre 19 Vaal (thur) Race 1: (3) Kings Rose 12 Race 2: (7) Manzai 16 Race 3: (1) Orlando Magic 8 Race 4: (7) Chapel Of Love 24 Race 5: (6) Come With Me 70 Race 6: (12) Vivid 50 Race 7: (7) Conne Mara Black 41 Race 8: (6) Sing The Blues 48 Race 9: (6) Ohiki Bay 47 Race 10: (10) Jumbo 53 .
Top rated winners last week included
Grammatica won 22/1 Adella won 7/1 Dark Journey won 6/1 General Sherman won 9/2 King’s Bay won 4/1 Balse won 7/2 Winter Heart won 3/1 Navistar won 9/10 .
Notebook:-
Caitlin (C Eudy, KZN) Navistar (A Greeff, E-Cape) Winter Fantasy (A Greeff, E-Cape) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherFairview 15th March Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (1) Hail The Wind 58,88 1200m (4) Navistar 70,65 1400m (2) Grammatica 85,62 1600m (2) Scented Ash 98,50 .
Turffontein (inner) 16th March Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (1) Tiger Dee 58,07 1200m (1) Pearl Bay 75,07 1450m (2) Reign Victorious 88,72 1600m (2) Flight Zone 98,23 1800m (2) General Sherman 109,56 2600m (1) Balse 166,75 .
Clairwood 17th March Penetrometer 20 – Going Good 1000m (2) King’s Bay 59,18 1200m (1) It’s My Brother 72,60 1450m (1) Caitlin 88,20 2500m (2) Sparkling Wood 158,80
