Four From Four
Scottsville 21st July: A maiden juvenile plate got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1000m races on the card victory went to the 8/10 favourite ROCKET LADY. Soon up handy, the Tiger Hunt filly raced prominent throughout. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 400m marker and kept on strongly in the latter stages of the race to beat the easy to back CARIBBEAN BAY by three quarters.
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by the newcomer WHISTLE STOP in the maiden juvenile event over 1400m. Heavily supported throughout the day into 11/20 from 22/10, Mike De Kock’s charge sat sixth during the early part of the race. He quickened nicely at the top of the straight and won going away by three and a quarter after striking the front 250m out.
The stable of Mike De Kock were also on the mark in the listed Off To Stud Handicap when HALFWAY TO HEAVEN registered her seventh career victory from just seventeen starts. Always handy in what proved to be the slowest of the three 1800m events on the card, the Jet Master mare made her move 300m from home. She ran on strongly from there onwards and with the rest well beaten she got the better of her stable companion CHECCETTI by a half.
Titbits
Trainer Mike De Kock contested four races on this card and won them all. Amongst them was the newcomer CAPRICORN RIDGE who after losing a length at the start won the maiden 1200m very comfortably by two and a quarter.
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Pinnacle Win For Sandy
Arlington 22nd July: The easiest victory in Port Elizabeth on Monday was undoubtedly that of FAVOUR THE BOLD who came home smoking in the maiden 1800m. Freely available at 22/1 on the off, the son of Stage Call sat in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well at the top of the short home straight and cruised clear to score by four and a quarter after striking the front 220m or so from home. RED RESERVE (fourth) ran on well from the rear in this race.
Another to win well in the maiden ranks on this card was LUCKY LEAR when opening her account in the 1600m event. Positioned in midfield turning for home, Lucky Lear ran on stoutly in the straight and comfortably accounted for the regular place getter DARESAY by a length and three quarters. Fifth placed SOUND SURROUND (beaten 2,15 lengths) ran on strongly from the rear in this race.
A pinnacle stakes over 1000m topped the bill and here we saw a smart performance from the Mitch Wiese trained SANDY CELEBRE. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He took up the running at the 200m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the staying on pacemaker JELLA LOOCHEE by a half.
Titbits
Well exposed DANCINGINTHEDESERT ran on well from the rear when only failing to get up by the narrowest of margins in the MR69 Handicap over 1400m.
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Five From Seven
Vaal 23rd July: They raced on the sand on Tuesday where we saw a very smart performance in the MR88 Handicap over 1200m from the top weight YUKON GOLD. Allowed to drift right out to 8/1 from 9/2 at the track, the Winter Romance gelding broke well and was soon at the head of affairs. He was always in command and when given rein 400m out he extended his two and a half lengths advantage to nine and a quarter in good style.
Another to win as he liked on this card was the Michael Azzie trained PANJO when successful in the MR79 Handicap over 1450m. Unlike his most recent outings where he finished very well from off the pace, Panjo adopted a change of tactics here and made the running. He led with authority from pillar to post and without ever really being asked to race, he easily accounted for his stable companion DECAMERON with a ton in hand.
A MR103 Handicap topped the bill and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1450m events on the card STORM SURF registered his fifth win on the surface from just seven starts. On leaving the stalls it was the well supported EUGENES who elected to make the running and the son of Fort Wood soon had the field well strung out. Storm Surf had tracked him in second throughout though, and with the rest well beaten he went on to win comfortably by a length and three quarters after getting the better of that one 150m from home.
Titbits
Lightly raced MIGHTY MO ran on well from the rear when third in the maiden 1000m.
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A Lamp Unto His Self
Clairwood 24th July: Four of the nine races at the garden course on Wednesday were run over 1450m and marginally the fastest of these was the maiden event won by POWER KING. Allowed to drift right out to 10/1 from 5’s on this his first racecourse appearance, the 2yo (sweating) was a little slow into stride and as a result sat in midfield early on. Once given rein though he quickened well and despite racing green he got up late to beat the more fancied 3yo HIGH ARROW by a length and a quarter.
A MR99 Handicap over the same distance topped the bill and here it was nice to see HAMMIE’S DYNASTY find his form. Sent off a well supported joint second favourite at 7/2, Mike Bass’ charge was always handy. He took up the running going through the 300m and comfortably accounted for PREMIUM WOOD by two.
A MR81 handicap over 1450m was next up and here we saw another smart performance from the highly regarded MASTER OF MY FATE. Allowed to flirt with 18/10 for a short while (op 19/20, sent off 11/10), Dennis Drier’s charge raced close up in fourth for most of the journey. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m pole and only having to be pushed out on the run to the line he went on to win in good style by three and three quarters.
Titbits
Poorly drawn CHASE THE CHERRY ran on well from the backend of midfield when a length and a quarter fourth in the maiden 1600m.
Beaten into fourth, the 11/20 favourite STAR POINT didn’t find the clearest of passages when looking to start his run in the maiden 1450m won by Power King.
Although never a threat, the poorly drawn SPANDAU BALLET ran on well from midfield when runner up to the highly regarded Master Of My Fate.
AGATHA PANTHER and GOLDEN DYNASTY both ran on well from the rear when 1st & 2nd respectively in the MR74 Handicap over 1200m.
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Not So Lucky
Vaal 25th July: There were a number of very easy victories on the Vaal’s inside track on Thursday, but none more so than that of FRANCOIS P when opening his account at just the second time of asking in the second division of the maiden juvenile 1200m. Always handy, the son of Captain Al quickened nicely at the 400m pole and cruised clear of the heavily supported 5/10 favourite LUCKY LUCIANO (lost a shoe and reported distressed) to score by seven and a quarter.
Another to win by a large margin was EVA TIBBS who finally rewarded her near bankrupt supporters in the maiden 2000m. Nicely positioned in fourth as they swung for home, Sean Tarry’s charge was ridden to lead going through the 400m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to win by six and three quarters.
A MR86 Handicap over 2000m topped the bill and here it was nice to see the top weight DANCE ALLEY find her form. There was no pace on in the early part of the race and nicely positioned in second she was always poised to strike. She did so as they approached the 500m pole and kept on strongly from there onwards to beat her running on stable companion TURKISH DELIGHT by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
The newcomer ASH CLOUD was not given a hard ride when coasting into third (came from the rear) in the first division of the maiden juvenile 1200m won by MILYNNE.
FAIRWAY WOOD ran on strongly from off the pace when third in the maiden 1700m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Arlington Race 1: (5) Layette 9 Race 2: (2) Mentalist 14 Race 3: (5) Barrel ‘n Butt 16 (EW) Race 4: (1) Come Home Smokin 53 Race 5: (3) I Got You Babe 59 Race 6: (9) Ozzie Dude 90 Race 7: (16) Peregrine Power 72 Race 8: (16) Manonthecatwalk 53 Clairwood Race 1: (3) Miesque’s Ballot 14 Race 2: (1) Golden Matador 28 Race 3: (3) West Virginia 32 Race 4: (13) Resolution 31 (EW) Race 5: (1) Grafton 10 Race 6: (7) Trendline 55 Race 7: (4) Indigo Child 47 Race 8: (3) Lizard’s Passion 59 (NAP*) Flamingo Park Race 1: (1) Tempered Steel 12 Race 2: (11) Nomenclature 17 Race 3: (16) And Counting 20 Race 4: (11) Sioux She 15 Race 5: (9) Trouble Again 70 Race 6: (9) Selborne Supremacy 87 Race 7: (4) Kinematic Countess 80 (EW) Race 8: (10) Sarawan 56 Race 9: (4) Eccentric Model 38 Turffontein Race 1: (1) Greystone 8 Race 2: No Qualifiers Race 3: (2) Stage Attraction 9 Race 4: (1) Diamond Lil 18 Race 5: (6) Spitfire Run 79 Race 6: (2) Money Doesnt count 54 Race 7: (1) Rodeo Dandy 69 (EW) Race 8: (4) Memeza 49 .
Top rated winners last week included
Eastern Cobbler won 11/1 Yukon Gold won 8/1 Pink Martini won 11/2 Dubois City won 9/2 Stormy Coast won 9/2 Kingston Boy won 22/10 Rocket Lady won 8/10 Duly Ordained won 7/10 .
Notebook:-
Ash Cloud (W Marwing, Gauteng) Master Of My Fate (D Drier, KZN) Spandau Ballet (A Laird, KZN) Storm Surf (K Naidoo, Gauteng) Whistle Stop (M De Kock, KZN) Yukon Gold (M Azzie, Gauteng) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherScottsville (old) 21st July Penetrometer 20 – Going Good 1000m (2) Rocket Lady 58,65 1200m (1) Capricorn Ridge 70,77 1400m (1) Whistle Stop 85,96 1600m (1) Jamal 98,75 1800m (3) Genuine Silver 110,58 2400m (1) Szechuan 156,89 .
Arlington 22nd July Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (2) Sandy Celebre 57,42 1300m (1) Silver Ace 80,46 1400m (1) Pure Honey 85,77 1600m (2) Marry Me Mullins 98,40 1800m (1) Favour The Bold 112,21 2000m (1) Vertical Drift 123,64 .
Vaal (sand) 23rd July Going Standard 1000m (3) Twilight Elva 59,42 1200m (1) Yukon Gold 72,40 1450m (3) Storm Surf 89,20 1600m (1) Elegant Bay 102,99 1800m (1) Mauri Blue 116,29 .
Clairwood 24th July Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1200m (2) Agatha Panther 72,34 1450m (4) Power King 88,52 1600m (2) Brave Leader 98,27 1900m (1) Duly Ordained 115,44 .
Vaal (inside) 25th July Penetrometer 19 – Going Good 1200m (3) Francois P 70,40 1700m (2) Lady Muffet 102,19 2000m (2) Eva Tibbs 123,30 2400m (1) Eastern Cobbler 146,94
