Rocking The Clock
Turffontein 2nd June: Sunday’s action took place on the inner track where the quickest of the three 1000m events was the maiden plate won by the newcomer URBAN ROCK. Well-supported on course to go off favourite, Sean Tarry’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He ran on strongly over the final 400m, and in what proved to be a real thriller, he got up in the very last stride to deny the form horse ORCHID STREET.
They also ran three races over 1600m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was PERFECT STORM in the girls’ division of the maiden plate. Another to run on stoutly from midfield, the daughter of Sail From Seattle struck the front 300m out. She drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race and went on
to score by four and a half.
Completing a hat-trick in the MR86 Handicap over 1800m was the 3yo SEATTLE FORCE. Taken straight to the front by Diego De Gouveia, the Mambo In Seattle colt soon had the field strung out. He cleverly extended his three lengths advantage to seven on the strip and although the pack headed by DEFY GRAVITY were closing quickly at the finish, he still had almost a length to spare at the wire.
Titbits
Not the quickest into stride, lightly raced THERAVADA ran on well from midfield when winning the maiden plate over 1600m going away.
Heavyweight Party
Vaal 4th June: Three 1000m races got proceedings underway on the classic track on Tuesday and in the fastest of these, a maiden plate, we saw a smart performance from LAND OF THE BRAVE. Easy to back at 8/1 on the off, Clinton Binda’s charge was stubborn loading, but despite that was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 300m and won well by two from the running on PIDGEON ROCK. Notably, the third horse TIME IS GOLD came from the rear and was finishing best of all.
The two 1200m races were both handicaps and in the faster of these, the MR86 affair, the rejuvenated POOL PARTY registered her seventh career victory. Shouldering the super heavyweight burden of 62kg, Roy Magner’s charge was always handy. She put her head in front 110m out and kept on strongly late to beat the luckless BOSS BABE by a length and three quarters. Flying late, the runner up was hampered 130m from home.
The MR64 affair was the quicker of the two low grade handicaps over 1500m that brought the day’s fare to a close and here victory went to the 3yo Just As Well gelding PERFACT. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He ran on strongly at the business end of the race and comfortably accounted for the running on EUROSTORM by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
Both FACT (midfield – baulked 300m) and MUTRIB (rear) ran on well from off the pace when 2nd & 3rd respectively in the MR74 Handicap over 2000m.
Speedy Youngsters
Scottsville 5th June: A work rider’s conditional novice plate was first up in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1000m races on the card, the Gauteng raider WHAT A CAPTAIN did the business. The best bet on the card for many, Mike De Kock’s charge was soon positioned up with the speed. He began to assert his authority going through the 200m and won well by a length and a quarter.
Run 0,33 seconds faster than the MR80 Handicap, the maiden plate won by the 2yo POINCIANA was surprisingly the faster of the two 1200m events. Backed into favouritism at the track, Glen Kotzen’s charge was soon at the head of affairs. He kept up a healthy gallop throughout and won without any anxious moments from the running on newcomer BABY SHOOZ by two and three quarters. One to look out for next time, the runner up was squeezed at the start and raced detached at the rear.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1400m where once again the maiden plate was run quicker than a fair grade (MR86) handicap. The race was priced up as a boat race between SILVA’S FLING and KNIGHT WARRIOR, and so it proved to be. Knight Warrior was the first to make a move and struck the front 400m out. With the rest well beaten though, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge quickened well at the business end of the race and won going away by a length and three quarters after striking the front 200m from home.
Titbits
ANCIENT SPIRIT and AFRICAN ANGEL both ran on well from the rear when 2nd & 4th respectively in the MR80 Handicap over 1200m.
Aye Aye Captain
Vaal 6th June: The newcomer CAPTAIN’S REWARD was all the rage to win what proved to be the faster of the two maiden plates over 1200m on Thursday and she didn’t let down her supporters. A full sister to Captain’s Causeway, the R2,6M purchase was soon up handy. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest well beaten she comfortably accounted for the form horse PRINCESS PENELOPE by two and a quarter.
The bill topping MR93 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1600m events on the card and here the Paul Peter trained VISTULA did the business. The best bet on the card for many, Vistula raced fifth for most of the journey. She made up the ground quickly when given rein and after striking the front 300m from home, won going away by two and a quarter.
They also ran two races over 1400m and in marginally the quicker of these SEATTLE TANGO registered her second career victory. Taken straight to the front by Gavin Lerena, the Sail From Seattle mare led throughout. She kept on strongly over the final 400m and although SAMMI MOOSA threw down a determined challenge below the distance, she did have that one well held by a half at the wire.
Titbits
Positioned 13th of the fourteen early on, the newcomer IRREVOCABLE DREAM ran on strongly in the closing stages of the opening maiden plate over 1200m and despite being hampered late, this runner up was beaten by just a half.
Let’s Dance
Fairview 7th June: They raced on the turf on Friday where the easiest victory on the card was recorded by ALWAYS DANCING in the maiden plate for the girls over 1100m. Sent off joint second in the betting market at 17/4 the former Cape Town campaigner raced 6th of the seven for most of the journey. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and bolted clear in the closing stages of the race to score by six and a quarter.
Four of the afternoon’s nine races were staged over 1200m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these, a MR68 Handicap, was the 3yo DANCING IN SEATTLE. Freely available at 17/2 on the off, Yvette Bremner’s charge raced in the rear during the early part of the race. Less than five lengths covered all passing the halfway mark though, and after cutting through the field like a knife from halfway, she drew clear easily to score in eye catching fashion by three and a half.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1400m where by far the faster of the two was the MR72 Handicap won by the incredibly well handicapped 3yo BORN A BULLY. Racing off a mark some 24 points lower than that of his earlier mark, the son of Eightfold Path was always handy. He struck the front going through the 400m and with the benefit of first run he comfortably accounted for the progressive VOICES OF LIGHT.
Titbits
Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, the aptly named daughter of Ideal World FLYING SQUADRON raced 13th of the fourteen early on. She ran on best of all down the long home straight and only failed to get to the winner of the MR68 Handicap over 2000m by the narrowest of margins.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (8) Reason To Sing 1
Race 2: (4) Foreign Source 27 (NAP**)
Race 3: (1) Silvery Heights 15
Race 4: (8) Paper Town 74
Race 5: (4) Klever Kathy 67
Race 6: (3) Captain Anne Bonny 42
Race 7: (4) Onesie 78
Race 8: (4) King Django 70
Race 9: (17) Torio Lake 42
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (3) Cersei 3
Race 2: (1) Miss Jagger 3
Race 3: (11) Thomas Shelby 25
Race 4: (7) Scrabble 71
Race 5: (2) Made In Hollywood 52
Race 6: (7) Stelvio 85
Race 7: (1) Kasimer 97
Race 8: (8) Heroic Deed 34
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (8) Steak And Ale 17
Race 2: (6) Escape To Victory 10
Race 3: (3) Arabian Air 64
Race 4: (1) Orchid Street 19
Race 5: (7) Candle Rock 12
Race 6: (12) Dhabyaan 58
Race 7: (9) Winter Crusade 51
Race 8: (8) Pale Lilac 63 (EW)
Race 9: (8) Piccadilly Square 37
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Another Secret 7
Race 2: (1) Leanna 11
Race 3: (4) Peter Piper 44
Race 4: (14) Mambo Lyric 40
Race 5: (12) Line Of Control 43
Race 6: (15) Laat Lammetjie 48
Race 7: (9) Sherman 47
Race 8: (5) Ontopoftheworld 31
Top rated winners last week included
More Than A Dime won 19/4
Alex The Great won 9/2
Johnny Hero won 9/2
Do It Again won 15/4
What You Are won 18/10
Vistula won 17/10
Silver Dazzle won 13/10
What A Captain won 12/10
Notebook:-
Captain’s Reward (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Time Is Gold (JAJ v Vuuren, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (inner) 2nd June
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,23s slow
1200m (3) Urban Rock 72,20
1600m (3) Perfect Storm 98,81
1800m (1) Seattle Force 109,90
2000m (1) Senor Lizard 126,09
Vaal (classic) 4th June
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,31s fast
1000m (3) Land Of The Brave 56,84
1200m (2) Pool Party 68,13
1500m (2) Perfact 88,89
2000m (1) Major Return 120,64
2400m (1) Bondiblu 147,80
Scottsville (old) 5th June
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant:
1000m (2) What A Captain 56,87
1200m (2) Poinciana 69,00
1400m (2) Silva’s Fling 85,08
1600m (1) Seattle Kid 98,22
2000m (1) Ella’s World 121,65
Vaal 6th June
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,24s fast
1000m (1) Alex The Great 56,81
1200m (2) Captain’s Reward 69,76
1400m (2) Seattle Tango 82,29
1600m (2) Vistula 94,22
1800m (1) Kurt’s Approval 108,60
2400m (1) Emily Hobhouse 149,98
Fairview (turf) 7th June
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,66s slow
1100m (1) Always Dancing 65,40
1200m (4) Dancing In Seattle 70,27
1400m (2) Born A Bully 84,31
1600m (1) Strong ‘n Brave 98,23
2000m (1) Fly Thought 123,55
