Pleasure To Own
Fairview 27th March: They raced on the poly track on Friday where victory in the opening maiden plate over 1300m went to one of the 7/2 joint favourites ARABIAN APPROVAL. Fairly drawn in gate 6, Grant Paddock’s charge was always handy. He ran on stoutly in the short home straight and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up late to deny the friendless SUN NEVER SETS.
Four of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1600m and fastest against the clock amongst these was the pleasure to own DANCINGINTHEDESERT in the MR62 Handicap. Now a winner of six races (and placed in 32) this 7yo as per usual, came from off the pace. He quickened well at the top of the straight and got the verdict by a neck.
The faster of the two 1200m races on the card was the MR72 Handicap won by O JALLAD. Sent off second in the betting market at 9/2, Yvette Bremner’s charge raced third for most of the journey. He struck the front shortly after passing the 200m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the always handy LAND OF MEADOWS by a half.
The biggest winning margin on the card was the three lengths recorded by PARADE COUNCIL when opening his account in the maiden 1600m. Taken straight to the front by J P Van Der Merwe, the 3yo son of Kildonan was always clear. He kept on strongly in the straight and won with plenty in hand.
Titbits
The 12/10 favourite IDEAL BLOOM won the girl’s division of the maiden 1600m very comfortably by a length and a half.
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Returning In Style
Greyville 27th March: Trainer Dean Kannemeyer often announces his arrival in Natal with a winner and so it was this season when SHAP SHAP landed the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1000m. Always deep in the red to win his first start on a poly track, the son of Noordhoek Flyer raced second of the five for most of the trip. He put his head in front going through the 200m and kept on strongly late to beat the friendless BIKINI BILLY by a half.
Dean was also on the mark with his only other runner at the meeting, MASTER JAMES in the MR80 Handicap over 1600m. Taken straight to the front by Anthony Delpech, the Jet Master colt led throughout. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for SILVER SPRING by a length and a quarter.
There were four races run over 1600m in total and the fastest of these was the MR71 Handicap won by EUTHALIA. Sent off a warm favourite at 22/10, the top weight was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker, and had enough in hand to beat the faster finishing MISS STINGRAY by a half.
Titbits
KATIE OF CAMBRIDGE ran on well from the backend of midfield when winning the maiden plate over 1200m.
WORSHIP DANCER came from the back when opening his account in the maiden plate over 1600m.
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Answering Every Call
Turffontein 28th March: The first of the three Gr1 events to be run on the old stand side track on Saturday was the Horse Chestnut Stakes and here we saw a smart performance from the Cape Town raider CAPTAIN AMERICA. Always available at around 13/2, Brett Crawford’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He took up the running shortly after passing the 300m marker and clearly enjoying the very soft underfoot conditions (officially Good, then changed to, Good to Soft! After the first race), he drew clear in good style in the latter stages of the race to score by four and a quarter.
The SA fillies Classic was marginally the faster of the two Gr1 events over 1800m and here we saw another very gutsy performance from the daughter of Elusive Fort SIREN’S CALL. Now a winner of five from seven, Sean Tarry’s charge raced in midfield, and was still three lengths adrift of SAME JURISDICTION when that one put her head in front 280m or so from home. Quickening with all of her usual zest in the latter stages though, Siren’s Call steadily edged closer and got up in the dying strides. Siren’s Call has now won the first two legs of the Triple Tiara and will collect a R1M bonus if winning the SA Oaks next month.
The stable of Sean Tarry were also on the mark in the Gr1 SA Classic when the Guineas runner up FRENCH NAVY landed the spoils. On leaving the stalls it was the 11/10 favourite ERTIJAAL who elected to make the running whilst the Count Dubois gelding raced in midfield. The dual guineas winner HARRY’S SON was the first to make a move and on striking the front 500m out one might have expected him to go on to score. He found no extra when challenged by all of French Navy, AMSTERDAM and DEPUTY JUDD though, and in another tight finish French Navy finished best of the trio to score by three quarters.
Three of the afternoon’s eleven races were run over 1400m and fastest against the clock here was CUMBERLAND in the not so lucky last, a MR80 Handicap. Freely available at 20/1 on the off, the unfancied son of Casey Tibbs was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 500m and drew clear easily from there onwards to score by five.
Titbits
At the back of the field some six lengths off the eventual winner Carry On Alice at the 400m marker, DOING IT DAN ran on stoutly at the business end of the race and did very well indeed to get within a length and a quarter.
After running on from the backend of midfield the newcomer RABADA won the boy’s division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1400m impressively by four and three quarters.
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Smart Double For Corne
Scottsville 29th March: Six of the nine races in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday were run over 1000m and comfortably the fastest of these was the pinnacle stakes won by the 1/3 favourite CAPTAIN OF ALL. Prepping for the Gr1 Computaform Sprint, the son of Captain Al led throughout. He was just a length clear until reaching the 200m pole where then asked to quicken, he drew away in impressive fashion to score by seven and a half.
The faster of the two 1200m events was the MR80 Handicap won by THESEUS. Another to lead from pillar to post, Michael Roberts’ charge won going away by three and three quarters.
The listed Kwazulu-Natal Stakes over 1000m topped the bill and here victory went to the Gauteng raider SARVE. Freely available at 7/1 on the off, Corne Spies’ charge also attempted to make all. The similarly priced CLEAR SAILING did manage to put her head in front going through the 500m, but after regaining the lead 250m later, Sarve went on to win well by a length and a quarter from the running on CHOIR MAIDEN.
Titbits
The newcomer NINEFOLD won the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1200m with authority by a length and three quarters.
The 16/10 favourite MISS VARLICIOUS made the running before cruising clear in the latter stages to win the maiden plate over 1000m very easily by six.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (3) Magic Ameerah 8
Race 2: (11) Ultimate Sacrifice 20
Race 3: (4) Al-Amadi 15
Race 4: (1) Eros’s Girl 59 (NAP**)
Race 5: (2) Door Of Deception 64
Race 6: (2) Captain Swarovski 15
Race 7: (6) Covariance 62
Race 8: (2) Nile Symphony 48
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Class Act 5
Race 2: (2) Slewsgate 15 (NAP*)
Race 3: (6) Inventive Girl 46
Race 4: (5) Klondike River 48 (EW)
Race 5: (1) Liquorice Moon 6
Race 6: (9) Pimpernel 65
Race 7: (6) Cat In Command 70
Race 8: (13) Societi 61 (nb)
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Street Flyer 21
Race 2: (3) Ladies Club 13
Race 3: (12) Graduation Day 38 (NAP*)
Race 4: (11) Chili Chocolate 66
Race 5: (8) The Elmo Effect 60
Race 6: (5) Cagiva 92
Race 7: (5) One Man’s Dream 87
Race 8: (6) Winter Passion 76
Race 9: (8) Shayna 64
Race 10: (17) Wilhelmina 47
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (6) Hip Hop Dancer 8
Race 2: (5) Simla 3
Race 3: (1) William Of Wembley 21
Race 4: (2) London Call 63
Race 5: (1) Echuka 55
Race 6: (2) Barbosa 83
Race 7: (8) Silver Spring 73
Race 8: (2) Shezamatador 19
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Top rated winners last week included
Ballerini won 7/1
Romeo Bravo won 9/2
Moi Power won 28/10
Siren’s Call won 5/2
Carry On Alice won 17/10
Miss Varlicious won 16/10
Over Achiever won 1/1
Captain Of All won 1/3
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Notebook:-
Captain Of All (D Drier, KZN)
French Navy (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Miss Varlicious (P Gadsby, KZN)
Rabada (M Azzie, Gauteng)
Siren’s Call (S Tarry, Gauteng)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (poly) 27th March
Going Standard
1200m (2) O Jallad 70,05
1300m (1) Arabian Approval 77,40
1600m (4) Dancinginthedesert 96,56
1800m (1) Romeo Bravo 109,23
2000m (1) Lavender Queen 126,65
Greyville (poly) 27th November
Going Standard
1000m (1) Shap Shap 58,01
1200m (3) Salesman 70,02
1600m (4) Euthalia 95,40*
Turffontein (stand side) 28th March
Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft
1100m (3) Carry On Alice 63,70
1400m (3) Cumberland 86,26
1600m (1) Captain America 98,27
1800m (3) Siren’s Call 111,36
2850m (1) Kingston Mines 188,60
Scottsville (inside) 29th March
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
1000m (6) Captain Of All 55,96
1200m (2) Theseus 69,44
1400m (1) Power King 83,60
