Star Performance
Hollywoodbets Greyville 1st September: They raced on the poly track on Sunday where victory in the fastest of the three 1600m races that got proceedings underway, went to the easy to back PLYMOUTH ROCK. Freely available at 14/1 to win the MR78 Handicap, Doug Campbell’s charge raced in the rear during the early part of the race. He ran on strongly when the race developed into a sprint in the short home straight and after striking the front 100m from home he just held on by the narrowest of margins from the 9yo NICKLAUS. Beaten just over a length into third, the hat-trick seeking WHAT A BLAST was positioned at the back turning for home and was baulked twice in the straight.
Race six on the card was a MR82 Handicap over 1400m and in a time no faster than that of the maiden plate over the distance we saw an impressive performance from STAR VEGA. At the back of the eleven coming off the bend, the lightly raced daughter of Oratorio cut through the field like a knife in the straight and won going away by a length and a quarter, after striking the front 50m from home.
Another to win well on this card was ANCIENT SPIRIT in the faster of the two 1200m events, a MR92 Handicap. Backed into favouritism at the track, this fastnet Rock mare was visibly cruising throughout. She took up the running shortly after passing the 400m marker and won going away by three and a half.
Titbits
Lightly raced ARRABIATA ran on well from the backend of midfield when a 1,1 length runner up in the maiden plate for the girls over 1600m.
Queen For The Day
Fairview 2nd September: Monday’s action took place on the poly track where five of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1600m. The MR66 Handicap for the girls was the fastest of these and here the well-supported outsider OASIS QUEEN (12/1 into 13/2) registered her sixth career victory. Running on stoutly from off the pace, the column’s top rated selection struck the front 150m out and won going away by three.
Another to win very easily on this card was ONTENDERHOOKS in the graduation plate over 1800m. Always handy in a race where there was no pace at all early on, the former Cape Town campaigner cruised clear in the short home straight and came home lonely by five.
A MR82 Handicap over 1600m topped the bill and in a time over half a second slower than that of Oasis Queen, the 7yo SAO PAULO took her tally of wins to five. In the rear along with the runner up DOUBLE BLACK turning for home, the Trippi mare finished the strongest late and got up in the very last stride.
Titbits
At the back turning for home, VICTORY MARCH ran on best of all when comfortably accounting for his ten rivals in the MR68 Handicap over 1600m.
Easy For Succession
Turffontein 3rd September: Four of the eight races on the old stand side track on Tuesday afternoon took place over 1600m and in the fastest of these, a MR84 Handicap, we saw a smart front running performance from the 4yo daughter of Philanthropist VIRGINIA. A length clear for most of the journey, Alec Laird’s charge asserted her authority over the final 400m and ran out a comfortable winner by two and three quarters.
Two maiden plates for 3yo’s opened up proceedings and in the faster of these, the boy’s affair, we saw an eye catching performance from the lightly raced SUCCESSION. Returning from a four months break here, the son of Captain Al led throughout. He had only to be pushed out over the final 400m and won with plenty in hand by three and three quarters.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1000m where the faster of the two handicaps was the MR84 affair won by the easy to back NICKY NOO. Freely available at 36/1 in a seven runner field at the off, the Horse Chestnut mare was soon positioned close to the speed. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and went on to score with authority by three and a half from the rank outsider of the party MERCER GIRL (44/1).
Titbits
Beaten five lengths into fourth, lightly raced MARMARA SEA caught the eye running on nicely at the finish of the maiden 1600m.
Couple To Follow
Kenilworth 4th September: We saw some smart performances in Cape Town on Wednesday and none more so than that of SACHDEV in the fastest of the four 1200m events, a MR82 Handicap. Confidently ridden by Richard Fourie, the Silvano gelding raced in the backend of midfield early on. He produced a nice turn of foot below the distance and won going away by two after striking the front just 60m or so from home.
Race four on the card was a maiden plate over 1800m and here we saw an impressive performance from the 3yo Dynasty colt BLACK KNAP. Having only his second career outing here, Vaughan Marshall’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by nine and a quarter.
The MR80 Handicap over 1600m was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1600m races on the card and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the consistent son of Jay Peg JAY ROCK. Nicely positioned in second when the race began in earnest, Glen Puller’s charge put his head in front early in the short old course home straight and won well by a length and a quarter from the well-supported odds on favourite CANE LIME ‘N SODA.
Titbits
Ridden to lead 400m out, KELPIE only had to be pushed out when winning the maiden plate for the girls over 1600m with authority by three and a quarter.
Unbeaten In Two
Turffontein 5th September: They raced on the inner track on Thursday where once again the course at Turffontein was running a little fast. Four of the eight races were staged over 1450m and in the fastest of these, a MR76 Handicap, MELCHIZEDEK registered a second victory. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, Paul Peter’s charge raced in the rear early on. He quickened well coming off the strip and under a well-judged ride from Mathew Thackeray he got up late to deny the nibbled at outsider ROYAL CITY.
2600m was the only other distance to stage more than one race and in the faster of the two handicaps, the MR70 affair, the veteran CRANBERRY CRUSH took her tally of wins to five. Soon at the head of affairs, the Kahal mare kept on doggedly at the business end of the race and got the verdict by a half over the determined GLAMOROUS SCANDAL. Finishing best of all, third placed MERENGUE didn’t find the clearest of passages in the closing stages of this race.
TALLINN in the MR76 Handicap over 1450m was the best bet on the card for most and the daughter of Vercingetorix didn’t let down her supporters. A fluent winner of her only previous racecourse appearance, Mike De Kock’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m pole and won with some in hand from the running on KAPAMA.
Titbits
Pitched in against a rather moderate bunch, top weighted SEGONTIUM won the maiden handicap over 1450m a little more easily than the official winning margin of a length and a quarter would suggest.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Gold Pact 15
Race 2: (1) Cape Ash 13
Race 3: (10) Wylie’s Flame 14
Race 4: (2) Redberry Wood 43
Race 5: (3) In A Perfect World 52
Race 6: (6) Brandina 44 (EW)
Race 7: (2) Dutch Philip 80
Race 8: (10) Founding Father 54
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (11) Razna 14
Race 2: (5) Doublethink 30 (EW)
Race 3: (1) Tuscan Light 27
Race 4: (2) Crown Guardian 66
Race 5: (6) Alex The Great 53
Race 6: (1) La Bella Mia 80
Race 7: (1) Infamous Fox 83
Race 8: (5) Artemisia 49
Race 9: (14) Nimitz 21 (NAP*)
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (1) Stormin Norman 1
Race 2: (1) Gold Medal 5
Race 3: (1) Over The Way 21
Race 4: (7) Forbach 22
Race 5: (11) Magic Mary 45
Race 6: (2) Catkin 75
Race 7: (4) Lesedi La Rona 67
Race 8: (7) Gimme Katrina 44
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (6) Brass Bell 17
Race 2: (1) Jayden’s Shreya 12
Race 3: (1) Waywood 54
Race 4: (6) Saipan 7
Race 5: (6) Admiral’s Guest 61
Race 6: (9) Isingamoya 84
Race 7: (14) Eccellerate 37
Race 8: (6) Centre Stage 14
Top rated winners last week included
Lady Secret won 11/1
Oasis Queen won 13/2
What A Lover won 4/1
Clock Stopper won 3/1
Viva Rio won 3/1
Floribunda won 5/2
Black Ferrari won 49/20
Ontenderhooks won 21/10
Notebook:-
Black Knap (V Marshall, W-Cape)
Sachdev (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Star Vega (A Rivalland, KZN)
Succession (S Tarry, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 1st September
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,39s slow
1200m (2) Leslies Pathtofame 70,76
1400m (2) Star Vega/Vartanium 83,57
1600m (3) Plymouth Rock 95,83
2000m (1) Elusive Quest 124,23
Fairview (poly) 2nd September
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,94s slow
1000m (1) Ambra 58,55
1200m (1) Seville 70,37
1600m (5) Oasis Queen 96,76
1800m (1) Ontenderhooks 113,45
Turffontein (stand side) 3rd September
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,02s fast
1000m (2) Nicky Noo 57,18
1160m (1) Succession 67,76
1600m (4) Virginia 99,09
1800m (1) Prince Of Promise 113,41*
Kenilworth (old) 4th September
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 5,66s slow
1200m (4) Sachdev 76,15
1400m (1) Veratrum 90,37
1600m (2) Jay Rock 101,39
1800m (1) Black Knap 114,43
Turffontein (inner) 5th September
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,12s fast
1000m (1) Pearl Of Siberia 57,60
1450m (4) Melchizedek 88,00
1600m (1) Plum Field 101,48
2600m (2) Cranberry Crush 169,09
