Like A Train
Turffontein 20th August: They raced on the old stand side track on Saturday where the easiest victory in the maiden ranks was recorded by NATIONAL TREATY (16) in the workrider’s 1400m. Backed throughout the morning into 19/10 from 7/2, Tony Nassif’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and although the improving SCIENTIST tried his best to make a race of it, he went on to score very comfortably by three.
Another to put plenty of daylight between herself and the second placed runner was the Ormond Ferraris trained CATECHUCHU (52) when winning the MR67 affair over 2000m. Well supported on course to go off a clear favourite at 3/1, Catechuchu raced towards the back end of midfield for most of the journey. Once in the long home straight though, she soon began to make headway, and after striking the front 300m from home, she easily drew clear.
A MR82 Handicap over the same distance was next up and in a time almost a second slower than that of Catechuchu, victory here went to AFRICAN ICON (53). The small field of six was closely bunched throughout and nicely positioned in third when the race began in earnest she was perfectly placed to strike. She hit the front shortly after passing the 400m marker and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to hold off a determined challenge from MICRO JET.
Topping the bill was a MR90 Handicap over 1160m and here victory went to the Leon Erasmus trained BENBOW (61). It was another small field (seven) that went to post and going through the 400m barely two lengths covered all. Benbow ran on best of all from there onwards and went on to score quite comfortably by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Second favourite ELODIE broke a blood vessel when third in the MR82 Handicap over 2000m and will now be suspended for three months.
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Reason To Believe
Scottsville 21st August: The easiest victory in Natal on Sunday was undoubtedly that of REASON TO BELIEVE (47) who came home smoking in the maiden event over 1200m. Backed into 6/10 from 16/10 at the track, Wendy Whitehead’s charge was taken straight to the front and led throughout. She was always doing it easily and without ever having to engage the upper gears, she came home lonely by six.
A maiden event over 1600m topped the bill and here we saw a smart performance from the deposed favourite ADOBE PINK (28). Allowed to ease out to 33/10 from 22/10 as money came for PISTOL DAWN (3/1 into 19/10), Adobe Pink was always in touch with the leaders. She quickened nicely in the short home straight and went on to score comfortably from MOET MAGIC. Keep an eye on the runner up Moet Magic. Sean Tarry’s charge caught the eye running on nicely late on.
A MR90 Handicap over 1000m topped the bill and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the second favourite SHARE THE SILVER (73). She got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. She ran on stoutly over the final 400m and in a race where less than a length covered the first five home, she only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins over FLOWERS OF SPRING.
Next up was a MR74 Handicap over 1950m and finding the winner’s enclosure here was the 13/2 shot KEEP ON DREAMING (47). On leaving the stalls it was the easy to back CONDOLEEZZA who elected to set the pace whilst Kom Naidoo’s charge was content to sit in the rear. Once in the straight though, the 4yo Surging River filly quickly made her way through the field and although PHI kept on strongly after taking up the running 200m out, she got up close home.
Titbits
Easily eight lengths off the pace at the half way mark of the maiden 1200m, newcomer POMODORO ran on nicely at the business end of the race and without being given a punishing ride got to within three lengths of the winner.
66/1 shot TAKUDSWA ran on strongly from the rear when winning the MR70 Handicap over 1600m.
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Flying Up Late
Fairview 22nd August: A maiden event over 1200m was first up in Port Elizabeth on Monday and here victory went to the Classic Flag colt KING OF FLAGS (20). Freely available at 11/2 on the off, Mitch Wiese’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He quickened well going through halfway and under a well judged ride from replacement jockey Wayne Agrella, he got up late to beat the friendless ALAMO BAY (12/1 out to 25/1) by a length and a half.
Another to win very comfortably in the maiden ranks here was the deposed favourite ARMATRADING (21). Allowed to ease out to 7/2 from 28/10 at the track as money in the main came for the newcomer DIAMOND EMBLEM 5/1 into 22/10), Gavin Smith’s charge was always in touch with the leaders. She was asked to take up the running shortly after passing the 300m marker and drew clear easily from there onwards to beat the easy to back ASIATIC MOON by two and a half.
The afternoon’s feature event was a MR90 Handicap over 1600m and here a bit of an upset was to be had when the lesser fancied of Gavin Smith’s two runners CATVIEW (61) registered his third career victory. Positioned in the rear as the eleven runners turned for home, this son of Mogok ran on nicely in the straight and comfortably accounted for the running on EL RICHE by two.
Another upset was to be had in the MR81 affair over 1200m when the Toreador mare CHICA BONITA landed the spoils. Freely available at 25/1 on the off, Jacque Strydom’s charge raced at the back early on. She ran on best of all over the final 500m and under a well timed ride from Marco Van Rensburg, she got up nicely late to deny the favourite SHE WOLFF.
Titbits
Positioned in the rear of the maiden 1200m field going through halfway, lightly raced MY CHELSEA GIRL ran on strongly in the closing stages of the race and did well to get within three lengths of the winner.
The Justin Snaith trained COUNT MY LUCK has caught the running on stoutly late on a number of occasions in recent outings and he was again eating up the ground at the finish when third in the MR73 Handicap to GOTHAM PRINCE here.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park (Mon) Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (11) Fire Burning 10 Race 3: (1) Magic Mirror 18 (NAP*) Race 4: (9) Sleek Sheik 67 Race 5: (6) Sydney’s Gift 36 Race 6: (7) Stormy Sensation 59 Race 7: (1) Arabian Sands 40 Race 8: (7) High Repute 45 Race 9: (3) Bader 38 Race 10: (15) Madame Coquette 33 Clairwood Race 1: (1) Auto Pilot 25 (NAP*) Race 2: (8) Miesque’s Star 19 Race 3: (8) Destiny Bay 50 Race 4: (1) Jet Trail 73 Race 5: (3) Trevor 44 Race 6: (5) Magnanimous 67 (nb) Race 7: (2) Wicket Maiden 62 Race 8: (10) Hargraves Bell 21 Kenilworth Race 1: (1) Fancy Some French 25 Race 2: (1) Whale Cove 19 Race 3: (2) Tobe’s First 19 Race 4: (13) Lola Bud 46 Race 5: (7) Respectable Lady 55 Race 6: (15) Blanic 85 Race 7: (10) Crown Hill 50 Race 8: (10) Six Flags 51 Flamingo Park (Wed) Race 1: (1) Quickalookee 22 Race 2: (1) Historical Return 17 Race 3: (7) Bullion Fever 40 Race 4: (10) Single Minded 50 Race 5: (1) Sir Lowry 52 Race 6: (12) Emir 98 Race 7: (1) Arabian Sands 40 Race 8: (5) Shades Of Indigo 72 Race 9: (6) Cannonball 69 Race 10: (8) Derbaas 32 Vaal Race 1: (8) Rosehip 19 Race 2: (4) The White Horse 89 (NAP**) Race 3: (3) Keep Striding 11 Race 4: (2) Detectorist 18 Race 5: (1) Winter’s Song 48 Race 6: (1) African Love 48 Race 7: (10) Al Felon 46 Race 8: (6) Maggie Thatch 29 (EW).
Top rated winners last week included
Delta Alpha Delta won 33/1 Causeway won 7/1 Solar Voyager won 7/1 Woman Of The Year won 6/1 Share The Silver won 3/1 Sylvester won 28/10 Right And Ready 22/10 Rock The System won 1/1.
Notebook:-
Count My Luck (J Snaith, E-Cape) My Chelsea Girl (A Greeff, E-Cape) Pomodoro (S Tarry, Natal) Reason To Believe (W Whitehead, Natal).
FASTEST TIMES
(Shown in brackets is the number of races run in each category)Turffontein 20th August Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (3) Benbow Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (3) National Treaty Fastest Long 1900-3600 (3) Catechuchu
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Scottsville 21st August Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (4) All Summer Long Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (4) Arabian Empire Fastest Long 1900-3600 (1) Keep On Dreaming.
Fairview 22nd August Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (6) Chica Bonita Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (2) Catview Fastest Long 1900-3600 (1) Audit Report
