Saftote introduced a new bet this week. It is called the Pick-A –Place and it is a difficult one to win as punters are required to work out where the next day’s racemeeting will be held. Form shows it could literally be anywhere and Friday’s launch was a carryover.
Seriously, the chaos with unnecessary jockey changes and withdrawals, the National Horseracing Authority erring with the wrong scratched horse and first-timers filling the first three positions in the first leg of the Western Cape PA, made for a forgettable afternoon. The horrifying sight of the outline of what appeared to be a deceased horse lying at the start of the Arlington third race, was the cherry on top.
The racing gods were sure as hell punishing somebody today.
You are fully entitled to be confused. We raced at Arlington and Kenilworth on Saturday 11 June.
Administratively it was a comedy of errors to begin with as Eskom deserted Arlington, the NHRA fouled up and the dividends just dragged their heels. Then a long-debated aspect of the exotics regarding first- timers would have been fuelled by a bomb of a result that saw 590 000 combinations in the bin after the first leg of the Cape PA. Thereafter a horse collapsed and apparently died at the start of the Arlington PA first leg. The field jumped with the horse just lying there – a practical solution probably, but a little mercenary one feels with kids and maybe one or two horse-lovers watching.
Then Arlington commentator Bumpie Schoeman and Tellytrack viewers had to contend with technical hitches the whole afternoon that included action replays of the finishes that switched centres, while choking and jerking. And to add to the questionable spirit of ubuntu that apparently led to the merry reshuffle on Friday, Phumelela showed Gold Circle punters a sweet toffee after Entrador had delayed the start of the Cape’s fifth race by not even granting punters a two minute grace to punt on their sixth event. Makes one wonder.
Ramsden picked up a treble at Kenilworth
In spite of the uncertainty, trainers Joey Ramsden and Riaan Van Reenen, who train from opposite ends of the Cape Peninsula, would have been celebrating after a rewarding day at the office. Ramsden picked up a treble while the Phillipi man completed a double, including the handsome Var gelding Effective Power in the MR78 Handicap over 1200m. Van Reenen followed up with a one-two finish for soldier Keith Steinberg in the Pinnacle Stakes over 2400m. He has shown a deft touch training stayers and he had the winner Posh Boy and the year older Sun City fighting fit in a race that lost a lot of lustre with the withdrawal of the Kannemeyer-trained Blake. They fought out the exciting finish and both can be followed in the Winter months. As for Grafton Street, Hospitality and Noblewood, it may just be time for a happy hacking career.
The Western Cape PA shock had Joey Ramsden releasing racing’s equivalent of the atom bomb on Kenilworth as hapless punters watched the Dynasty first timer Red Banner come away to win the PA first leg at any price for Joey’s mum, Linda. Out of a Saumarez mare, this one should be looking for 2400m and was followed home by two equally long priced first-timers.
The Pick Six opening blow followed in the very next race when it was Ramsden again. He owned and trained the exacta in the Maiden Plate for fillies over 2000m with the 18-1 Lady Special staying on to hold off Florentina. Careless punters who took the odds-on of the tiny Lady Dappleloo got their just desserts with the grey daughter of Medaaly staying on for a poor third. She is very mediocre and this was a shockingly moderate field.
Joey Ramsden made it a treble on the day when the super-consistent Lammerskraal filly Maxixe powered home down the rail under a motivated Glen Hatt to pip Light The Moon in the first leg of the jackpot. This was her fourth win from ten starts and the daughter of Western Winter looks way above average.
Arlington opened the day’s Cape double bill with WPOTA Chairman Rodney Dunn’s Roxhill, the horse that was or wasn’t scratched, rearing and losing many lengths as the gates opened of the first race. The passionate Mr Dunn and punters must have been grimacing in agony as the horse reared as the gates opened and all involved had done their money in cold blood before the field had gone a metre. The race was won by Fred Crabbia’s Hobbit’s Monkey at 12-1 who stayed on well to beat Julia’s Pride. The winner’s stablemate and race-favourite Gold Panner ran a weak fourth. The feature event of the day, the R120 000 Listed Milkwood Stakes run over 1000m was a celebration of note for the Yvette Bremner yard who grabbed the quartet with her four runners. It paid a massive R18000 odd. The well-performed Perestroika ran on strongly to hold the improved Chekeche who was having her first run out of Gauteng and for who it seemed too short. Shahrezade ran third with the ex Mike De Kock-trained Kwacha in fourth.
So we got through Souper Saturday – but we really need to start sorting out the blunders and technical problems.
