Be With The Boys
Scottsville 11th February: The going was once again posted as good to soft in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday. 1600m took the lion’s share of the eight races, and the fastest of these three maiden plates was the only division for the boys won by the well exposed SPICE ROADS. Drawn wide and slow into stride to boot, Wendy Whitehead’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He ran on best of all in the home straight, and under a well-judged ride from Stuart Randolph, he got up late to deny the marginally more fancied TARANAKI.
The two 1000m races were also both maiden plates and in the faster of these (also the boy’s division) the Kildonan gelding VISION OF TRUST got off the mark. Sent off an uneasy second favourite Paul Gadsby’s charge made all. He was always in command and although the well-supported favourite GREAT DICTATOR chased hard, he won comfortably by a length.
Surprisingly the slower of the two 1400m events was the bill topping MR96 Handicap won by MONKS HOOD. Another to set off a little sluggish, this talented 3yo raced at the back of the seven early on. He quickened well at the top of the straight and went on to score with some in hand after striking the front 200m out.
Titbits
The Dennis Drier trained DAYDREAM BELIEVER came from the rear when getting off the mark in the girl’s division of the maiden plate over 1000m.
Eye On The Prize
Fairview 12th February: They raced on the poly track on Monday where victory in the fastest of the three 1900m races (a MR68 Handicap) went to MINDS EYE. Soon positioned close to the speed, Tara Laing’s charge took up the running 300m out and just held on by the narrowest of margins from the well handicapped SANCTUARY.
The bill topping MR97 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1200m races and here victory went to another Tara Laing inmate in MIRACLE BUREAU. In what was a small but very strung out field, the son of Trippi raced third for most of the journey. He ran on strongly in the short home straight and with the rest comfortably beaten he got the better of SPRING STEEL (led 150m) by a half.
They also ran two races over 1300m and by far the quicker of these was the MR62 Handicap won by ON THAT NOTE. Sent off as one of three co-favourites at 5/1, this Tiger Ridge filly was skilfully guided over from a poor draw by Teague Gould and raced handy. She quickened well early in the straight and with the benefit of first run she beat SPACE TATTOO by a half. The runner up was positioned at the back of the twelve going through the 400m and did well to get as close as she did.
Titbits
MORETHANTHAT and SO ENCHANTING both ran on very well from off the pace when 2nd & 3rd respectively in the MR68 Handicap over 1900m
Full Speed Ahead
Vaal 13th February: The inside track was running fast on Tuesday where the only race over a sprint distance was the opening maiden plate won by SIRTAIN. Sporting blinkers for the first time, Mike De Kock’s charge led throughout. He began to draw clear from the 300m marker and hard ridden won with authority by just over four.
The afternoon’s feature event was a MR 104 Handicap and in what proved to be by far the faster of the two 2000m events the lightly raced GLIDER PILOT registered his second career victory. Just five went to post and going through the 400m two lengths covered all. Tyrone Zackey’s charge quickened best of all from there onwards and with only two and a quarter lengths covering all at the wire, he won by a length and a quarter with some in hand.
The MR86 Handicap was the faster of the two 1400m events and here we saw a smart performance from the 3yo FULL MAST. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, the son of Go Deputy raced in the rear early on. Once given rein though he finished best of all, and got up late to beat DAN THE LAD (led 200m) by a length.
Titbits
SHENANIGANS didn’t find the clearest of passages when only beaten a short head in the MR82 Handicap over 2000m.
Valentine’s Sunset
Scottsville 14th February: Racing returned to Pietermaritzburg on Valentine’s Day where we saw a powerful front running performance from SUNSET EYES in the MR88 Handicap over 1200m. Just two lengths covered all going through halfway. Once given rein though Brett Crawford’s charge quickened well and with the rest some five lengths adrift, he beat the useful 3yo SNIPER SHOT by three quarters.
The two 1400m races were both maiden plates and in the faster of these (the girl’s division) the well-supported favourite BREAKING BARRIERS got off the mark. Always handy, Dennis Drier’s charge took up the running 120m out and won going away by a length and a half.
The MR82 affair was the faster of the two handicaps over 1600m and here the Silvano filly PARABOLA registered her third victory from just seven starts. Positioned second last as the nine runners turned for home, Brett Crawford’s charge ran on best of all over the final 600m and got up in the very last stride to deny the much more fancied SUPER SPARKLE (led 200m).
Titbits
CAPRIVI was baulked for a run 250m out before finishing strongly tofill second position in the MR62 Handicap over 1950m.
Always In Command
Vaal 15th February: With 24mm of rain falling in the 24 hours leading up to this meeting, the going was soft on the outside track on Thursday. Four of the afternoon’s ten races were staged over 1400m and marginally the fastest of these was the maiden plate won by SAVANNAH KING. Taken straight to the front by Pierre Strydom, this lightly raced son of Tiger Ridge led throughout. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and only having to be pushed out won going away by four and three quarters.
Another to win from the front with lengths to spare was SILVER SPINE in the faster of the two maiden events over 1200m. Soon two lengths clear the heavily supported Silvano gelding won with no anxious moments by three and a quarter.
Just 28/100th of a second separated the three 1000m races where quickest home was GREAT SHAKA in the MR66 Handicap. Always handy, this consistent son of Great Britain ran on strongly over the final 400m and got the better of the not so sound 6yo MANX PARK by a length.
Titbits
Racing in the rear after being a little slow into stride, the lightly raced 3yo SEVEN LIVES won the MR74 Handicap over 1000m going away with some in hand.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Carlita 23 (nb)
Race 2: (2) Afrikaburn 68
Race 3: (7) Strawberry Girl 16
Race 4: (1) Brutal Force 77 (NAP**)
Race 5: (1) True Master 71
Race 6: (3) Gitango Tonight 19
Race 7: (8) Hoist The Mast 78
Race 8: (11) Data Link 7
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (5) Mr Bombastic 7
Race 2: (2) Great Dictator 30
Race 3: (4) National Aim 13
Race 4: (The Gardner Girl 5
Race 5: (8) Tropical Wonder 38
Race 6: (9) Master Sam 48
Race 7: (5) Shwanky 65
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (3) Autumn Rain 11
Race 2: (1) Exquisite Touch 90
Race 3: (1) Flying Feather 12
Race 4: (3) Psychic 12
Race 5: (1) Let’s Twist 8
Race 6: (10) Rose Water 33
Race 7: (8) Secret Captain 85
Race 8: (9) Starcraft Prince 45
Race 9: (3) Great Shaka 38
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (5) Flower Of Carmel 25
Race 2: (1) Manetheren 6
Race 3: (3) Money Buys Love 12
Race 4: (4) The Silva Fox 4
Race 5: (5) Unicorn 4
Race 6: (5) Tsitsikamma Dance 57
Race 7: (10) Miss Katalin 76
Race 8: (8) Summer Sky 95
Race 9: (12) At Long Last 45
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Beaufort 25 (NAP*)
Race 2: (13) Roy’s Barbel 15
Race 3: (4) Ryker 57
Race 4: (14) Sweet Refrain 39
Race 5: (11) Skyfire 39
Race 6: (4) Stockade 28
Race 7: (7) Gadget Man 44
Race 8: (11) Live In Love 9
Top rated winners last week included
Elusive Wolf won 10/1
Sunset Eyes won 57,20
Destiny Duchess won 47/20
Red Revolution won 2/1
Breaking Barriers won 15/10
Sailor Girl won 5/4
Nicole won 19/20
Written won 3/8
Notebook:-
Glider Pilot (T Zackey, Gauteng)
Monks Hood (A Gordon, KZN)
Seven Lives (P Peter, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 11th February
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 0,30s Slow
1000m (2) Vision Of Trust 56,73
1200m (1) River Ayre 69,14
1400m (2) Everlasting Love 81,79
1600m (3) Spice Roads 95,25
Fairview (poly) 12th February
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,45s slow
1200m (2) Miracle Bureau 69,70
1300m (2) On That Note 75,65
1600m (1) Wish To Land 96,37
1900m (3) Minds Eye 116,56
Vaal (inside) 13th February
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,48s fast
1000m (1) Sirtain 56,73
1400m (2) Full Mast 81,91
1700m (2) Red Revolution 103,19
2000m (2) Glider Pilot 121,30
2400m (1) Antonello 150,76
Scottsville (inside) 14th February
Penetrometer 27 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 0,35s fast
800m (1) Mr Bombastic 47,24
1000m (1) Vision To Kill 56,52
1200m (1) Sunset Eyes 67,95
1400m (2) Breaking Barriers 83,88
1600m (2) Parabola 95,50
1950m (2) Verdier 119,67
Vaal (outside) 15th February
Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 0,46s slow
1000m (3) Great Shaka 57,52
1200m (2) Silver Spine 71,94
1400m (4) Savannah King 83,10
1600m (1) Gold Shades 97,39*
