Bulleting Home
Turffontein 5th June: They raced on the inner track on Sunday where three of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1600m. Quickest on the clock amongst these was the aptly named BULLETING HOME winner of the MR90 Handicap. Soon positioned close to the speed, the 16/10 favourite was always poised to strike. He did so going through the 400m and cruised in by three and a quarter, despite being eased down late.
They also ran three races over 1450m and stopping the clock in the fastest time here was DALLEY when getting off the mark in the girls’ maiden plate. Confidently ridden by Gunter Wrogemann the odds on shot sat eighth of the ten for most of the journey. She ran on strongly in the short home straight and comfortably accounted for A WOMAN’S WILL by two and a half.
The faster of the two maiden juvenile plates over 1450m was the boy’s affair won by the well-drawn OLD OAK TREE. Freely available at 12/1 on the off, Joey Soma’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and kept on strongly at the business end of the race to beat the running on favourite SHORTSTOP by three quarters.
Titbits
Well supported LUCA DELAGO won the MR69 Handicap over 1600m going away.
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Three Steps To Profit
Fairview 6th June: Seeing the action in Port Elizabeth on Monday was the poly track where quickest home in the opening two maiden juvenile plates over 1200m were the boys headed by SOVIET COSMONAUT. Sent off third in the betting market at 7/2, the most experienced runner in the field made all. He was always in command and won without any anxious moments by two.
There were six races run over 1200m in total and fastest of all was the 3yo JUAN TWO THREE when registering his fifth career victory from just eleven starts in the MR91 Handicap. The best bet on the card for many, the 12/10 favourite also led throughout. He enjoyed a two and a quarter lengths advantage for most of the journey, and although that was whittled right down to just a neck, he did have the runner up HAPPY LION held at the wire.
The three remaining races all took place over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest time here was RAZED IN BLACK. Freely available at 13/2 on the off, the Kahal gelding was content to sit in midfield during the early part of the race. Once in the short home straight though he quickened well, and with the rest comfortably beaten he got the better of GRAPE VINE by a half.
Titbits
SEATTLE BURNING won the girl’s division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m going away by five and a quarter.
FLAMING ACE and NEPTUNE’S GIRL both ran on well from the rear when 1st & 2nd respectively in the MR73 Handicap over 1600m.
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Costly To Follow
Vaal 7th June: Three of the nine races at the Vaal’s new classic track on Tuesday were staged over 1450m and fastest against the clock in these was PAY AS YOU GO in the second division of the MR68 Handicap. Nicely drawn in barrier four the son of Fort Wood was taken straight to the front by apprentice Mjoka and led throughout. He was four lengths clear going through the 400m and that proved to be just enough to beat the heavily supported favourite CAPTAIN CHIPS (10/1 into 28/10) by a neck.
The faster of the two 1000m races was the MR80 Handicap won by the 3yo RONNIE ROCKET. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m marker and comfortably accounted for the running on RAFA by a length and a quarter.
The not so lucky last was a MR68 Handicap and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1600m events, ALLEGORICAL landed the spoils. Freely available at 12/1 on the off, the Oracy filly raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She ran on stoutly down the long home straight and won going away by two and a half after striking the front 150m from home.
Titbits
Lightly raced THE SHREDDER never engaged the upper gears when easily accounting for his ten rivals in the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m.
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Back On Track
Scottsville 8th June: Two maiden juvenile plates over 1000m got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday and the faster of these was the boy’s division won by the newcomer YANKEEDOODLEDANDY. Sent off a joint second favourite at 4/1, the son of Brave Tin Soldier raced close up in fourth. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and with the rest comfortably beaten he got up late to deny his fellow joint second favourite BARON BELLET.
The faster of the two 1200m races, a maiden juvenile plate, was also won by a newcomer in HACK GREEN. Allowed to drift right out to 16/1 from 7’s during the morning, Dennis Drier’s charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well when given rein 400m out and after striking the front 300m later, he went on to score with authority by a length and a half.
An allowance plate over 1400m topped the bill and here it was nice to see the best weighted runner in the field HEARTLAND show his well-being. On leaving the stalls it was BUDAPEST who somewhat predictably made the running, whilst Justin Snaith’s charge was always poised to strike in third. He did so shortly after passing the 300m pole and won well by two and a half from the running on BEAT THE RETREAT.
Titbits
Sent off a strong even money favourite, the newcomer WARM NIGHT ALICE only really got going late when running on strongly to fill second position in the maiden plate over 1200m.
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Improving Mombela
Vaal 9th June: Four of the eight races on the inside track on Thursday were staged over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest time here was the Sean Tarry trained MOMBELA. Not the quickest into stride, the lightly raced son of Trippi very quickly found himself positioned in the rear, and still looked to have more than enough to do going through the 400m. Once given the go ahead though, he quickened in good style and won going away by a length and a half after striking the front 150m from home.
Another to win well from off the pace on this card was the newcomer SHEBANG when causing a major upset in the maiden juvenile plate for the girls over 1200m. The lesser fancied of Michael Azzie’s two runners the daughter of Greys Inn was freely available at 40/1 on the off. From halfway she ran on strongly from her position in midfield, and comfortably accounted for her stable companion KNYSNA ROSE (also ran on well from midfield) by a length and a half.
The faster of the two 1700m races was the MR72 Handicap won by SILVER PEG. Always well positioned in what was a very tightly bunched field throughout, the son of Jay Peg quickened well when the race began in earnest and just got the better of the running on AMERICAN TIGER by a neck.
Titbits
The 3yo BLUE SAGE comfortably accounted for her ten rivals when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1700m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (10) Jaclyn Jetsetter 16
Race 2: (12) Nordic Wind 55 (EW)
Race 3: (13) Bird Of War 13
Race 4: (12) Silver Dream 43
Race 5: (10) Conquering Queen 51
Race 6: (10) Pataudi 64
Race 7: (2) Villa Del Largo 78 (nb)
Race 8: (7) Just Lucky 59 (NAP*)
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (2) Announcing Rain 28
Race 2: (3) Rivarine 48 (NAP**)
Race 3: (8) Roman Carnival 55
Race 4: (9) Gregorian Chant 20
Race 5: (6) Back In Town 14
Race 6: (1) Winter Darling 41
Race 7: (2) Captain Alfredo 103
Race 8: (15) Brave And Bold 51
Race 9: (1) Hejira 24
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (6) Vision Of Dahlia 23
Race 2: (2) Vargo 11
Race 3: (1) Star Trek 7
Race 4: (1) Winning Sister 11
Race 5: (7) Arkansas 52
Race 6: (9) Amazing Var 52
Race 7: (6) Rake’s Chestnut 81 (NAP*)
Race 8: (11) Tricia Dupont 52
Race 9: (9) San Salvador 43
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (9) Oceans Trip 18
Race 2: (9) Sign Your Name 15
Race 3: (3) Cream Soda Green7
Race 4: (1) Flying Monarch 19
Race 5: (1) Tropical Heat 9
Race 6: (12) Magical Bet 68
Race 7: (3) Line Break 86
Race 8: (13) Sheltered 58
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Baron Bellet 15
Race 2: (1) Black Hall Bar 1
Race 3: (4) Legend 8
Race 4: (3) Fromafar 59
Race 5: (3) Easy Game 76
Race 6: (9) Nightingale 95 (NAP**)
Race 7: (13) Cape Speed 85
Race 8: (1) Power Horse 12
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Top rated winners last week included
Luca Delago won 11/2
Le Tigre won 9/2
Soviet Cosmonaut won 7/2
O Tamara won 5/2
Relish won 5/2
Consonance won 2/1
Juan Two Three won 14/10
Vine Street Star won 11/20
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Notebook:-
Juan Two Three (A Greeff, E-Cape)
The Shredder (P Matchett, Gauteng)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (inner) 5th June
Penetrometer 22 – Good
1000m (1) Tapaway 58,10
1450m (3) Dalley 90,51
1600m (3) Bulleting Home 97,40
1800m (1) Enbharr 111,95
2200m (1) Cranberry Crush 143,94
Fairview (poly) 6th June
Going Standard
1200m (6) Juan Two Three 68,38
1600m (3) Razed In Black 94,59
Vaal (classic) 7th June
Penetrometer 20 – Good
1000m (2) Ronnie Rocket 56,62
1200m (2) Lakahal 70,48
1450m (3) Pay As You Go 86,86
1600m (2) Allegorical 96,41
Scottsville (inside) 8th June
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (2) Yankeedoodledandy 57,33
1200m (2) Hack Green 69,02
1400m (1) Heartland 84,26
1600m (1) The High Life 98,79
1750m (1) New Hampshire 106,70
2400m (1) Banner Hill 149,56
Vaal (inside) 9th June
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
1000m (1) Le Tigre 58,24
1200m (4) Mombela 69,39
1400m (1) Flowing Gown 82,70
1700m (2) Silver Peg 104,07
