Let It Rain
Greyville 10th March: Three 1000m events got proceedings underway on Sunday afternoon’s poly track card. By just two one hundredth’s of a second the MR73 Handicap was the fastest of these and here the 4yo BRAVO ZULU very narrowly recorded his fourth career victory. Positioned sixth of the eight when the race developed into a 400m sprint coming off the bend, Louis Goosen’s charge finished best of all, and in a race where only a quarter of a length covered the first four home, he got the verdict on the nod.
They also ran three races over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was COLLABRO in the MR81 Handicap. Allowed to drift out to 5/1 from 3’s at the track, the 5yo Var gelding was soon up handy. He put his head in front 400m out, and with the rest well beaten he kept on strongly late to beat the running on HIGH GREEN by a half.
A MR87 Handicap over 1000m topped the bill and in a race in which rain fell heavily throughout, the well-bred MISS FRANKEL gained her second win from just five starts. Another to race close to the speed, Dennis Drier’s charge ran on strongly in the short home straight and got the verdict by a half over the always handy QUEEN OF ALAMO.
Titbits
The limited maiden ELUSIVE DIVA got off the mark at the fifteenth attempt when making all to win over 1200m.
Couple To Follow
Turffontein 12th March: This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place at the Vaal. The first two events on the inside track were maiden plates over 1200m and in the quicker of these we saw a smart performance from the Sean Tarry trained newcomer CULTURE TRIP. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, the 3yo son of Pomodoro raced at the back early on. He ran on best of all in the short home straight and won going away after striking the front 150m from home.
Another Sean Tarry trained 3yo to win well in the maiden ranks on this card was PALACE GREEN in the boy’s division over 1700m. He too was a little slow into stride and came from well off them. He quickened well at the top of the short home straight and after hitting the front 150m out, he won cosily by just over a length.
There were three races staged over 1700m in total and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was D’ARRIVEE in the bill topping MR83 Handicap. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 11/4, Candice Dawson’s charge raced sixth for most of the journey. He was ridden to lead going through the 200m and won well by two and a quarter from the fancied RUSSIAN BEAT.
Titbits
Aptly named GONE WITH THE WIND comfortably accounted for his twelve rivals when registering his second career victory in the MR74 Handicap over 1800m.
The Wind Factor
Greyville 13th March: Racing returned to the poly track on Wednesday afternoon and whereas there had been a tail wind on Sunday, there was a head wind here. This of course (as can be seen by the course variants) made an enormous difference to the times.
A MR80 Handicap topped the bill and in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the two 1200m events, the 7yo SEA URCHIN extended his winning sequence to four. Soon up handy in what was always a very tightly bunched field, the son of Fort Beluga was always poised to strike. He did so as they approached the 200m marker and won well again by two.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1600m where quickest home was PHILOS in the not so lucky last, a MR66 Handicap. Soon positioned close to the speed, Sean Tarry’s charge took up the running coming off the bend. He was all out over the final 200m and somehow held on from a wall of horses by the narrowest of margins.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by DUKE’S DOZEN when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1900m. Always handy in what was a very tightly bunched field, Louis Goosen’s charge only had to be pushed out to take up the running 200m out and won going away by three and three quarters.
Titbits
The newcomer ISIKHWAMI SAMI ran on well from the back when a 2,5 length runner up in the opening maiden plate for the girls over 1600m.
Fly Away Peter, Fly….
Vaal 14th March: Four of the nine races at the Vaal on Thursday took place over 1000m. The MR80 Handicap was the fastest of these and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the improving 3yo WINTER STORM. Completing a double here, Paul Peter’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 400m and easing down at the finish won cosily by two.
The stable of Paul Peter were also on the mark in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m when the heavily supported newcomer FLY AWAY did the business. Eventually sent off in the red, the daughter of What A Winter was soon positioned close to the speed. She took up the running 400m out and also a winner easing down, she cruised in by four and three quarters.
The three 1400m races were all handicaps and somewhat surprisingly the MR66 affair won by PRIVATE RULER was the quickest. Freely available at 28/1 at the off Paul Matchett’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He quickened well over the final 400m and with the rest some four lengths adrift, he got the better of SUPA MUFTI by three quarters.
Titbits
Now unbeaten in two starts, MR WHATSON quickened very nicely late when beating a useful looking field over 1000m in an assessment plate.
Gimme The Money
Fairview 15th March: The well-supported GIMME KATRINA was the column’s nap on Friday’s turf card and she did the business in the MR68 Handicap over 1000m in very good fashion. Backed into 18/10 from 3/1 at the track, Yvette Bremner’s charge raced in the backend of midfield during the early part of the race. She cut through the field with ease when given rein and won going away by a length and a quarter. This was by far the faster of the two events over the distance
Another Bremner inmate to win well on this card was MAVERICK GIRL in the fastest of the three 1400m events, a MR80 Handicap. Taken straight to the front by Lyle Hewitson, the gutsy Rebel King mare led throughout. She was five lengths clear entering the straight and although the hat-trick seeking odds on favourite DEILA’S DELIGHT did make good headway below the distance, she still had a length and a quarter to spare at the line.
The non-black type Lakeside Handicap over 2400m topped the bill and here we saw a comfortable victory for the Sharon Kotzen trained MULTI GOLD. Positioned in midfield early on, the Ideal World gelding ran on stoutly over the final 400m and won well by a length from the more fancied EVOLVER (raced in the rear – led 300m).
Titbits
The Gavin Smith trained newcomer GOLD DRAGON ran on well from midfield when getting up in the very last stride to win the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (2) Viking Moon 28 (NAP*)
Race 2: (2) Fashion Force 15
Race 3: (4) Tommy The Builder 15
Race 4: (9) Ruby Two Shoes 13
Race 5: (14) Abbeleigh 40
Race 6: (1) My Miracle 28 (nb)
Race 7: (1) Brandina 40
Race 8: (19) Oracle Kingdom 43
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (7) Ticktacktoe 7
Race 2: (5) Royal Honour 74
Race 3: (2) Sarah 18
Race 4: (1) Urban Oasis 25 (NAP*)
Race 5: (2) Western Oasis 3
Race 6: (2) Winter Watch 67
Race 7: (8) Whitehaven 57
Race 8: (5) Rockin Russian 56
Race 9: (1) Jungle Jane 12
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (2) In Full Power 8
Race 2: (1) Louisa May 26
Race 3: (6) Bold Assassin 54
Race 4: (3) Middle Wood 8
Race 5: (1) Je Ne Sais Quoi 22
Race 6: (5) Hemero 71 (NAP*)
Race 7: (8) Machiavelli 70 (EW)
Race 8: (9) Hammie’s Fan 32
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Bound By Duty 12
Race 2: (4) Spring Breeze 29
Race 3: (1) Fairbanks 15 (NAP*)
Race 4: (1) Whispering Hill 3
Race 5: (5) O’Keeffe 72
Race 6: (7) The Sultans Bazaar 59
Race 7: (6) Roy’s Riviera 90
Race 8: (8) Sea Sponge 39
Race 9: (11) Big Si 43
Top rated winners last week included
Multi Gold won 71/10
Collabro won 21/4
Sea Urchin won 4/1
Mokoko won 61/20
Rumbleinthejungle won 21/10
Gimme Katrina won 18/10
Duke’s Dozen won 1/1
Elusive Diva won 9/10
Notebook:-
Culture Trip (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Fly Away (P Peter, Gauteng)
Palace Green (S Tarry, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 10th March
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,84s fast
1000m (3) Bravo Zulu 56,74
1200m (1) Elusive Diva 71,26
1600m (3) Collabro 95,12
2000m (1) Jo Mambo 122,84
Turffontein (inside) 12th March
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,69s slow
1200m (2) Culture Trip 73,16
1450m (1) Tammany Hall 87,68
1700m (3) D’Arrivee 104,85
1800m (1) Gone With The Wind 111,09
2600m (1) Live In Love 169,57
Greyville (poly) 13th March
Going Standard
Course Variant: 2,21s slow
1200m (2) Sea Urchin 71,01
1400m (1) Mokoko 85,13
1600m (3) Philos 96.98
1900m (1) Duke’s Dozen 116,83
2000m (1) Zanzibarian 121,63
Vaal 14th March
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,06s slow
1000m (4) Winter Storm 56,58
1200m (1) Che Bella 69,74
1400m (3) Private Ruler 82,08
2400m (1) Lunico 151,31
Fairview (turf) 15th March
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
1000m (2) Gimme Katrina 55,90
1200m (1) Gold Dragon 69,52
1400m (3) Maverick Girl 82,96
1600m (1) Adalfieri 97,62
2000m (1) Angel Of Athens 123,64
2400m (1) Multi Gold 152,15
