Happy Hunting Ground
Greyville 7th April: The Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes for 3yo fillies jointly topped the bill on Sunday and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1400m events, we saw a smart performance from last season’s Gr3 Debutante winner TEMPLE GRAFIN. Easy to back at 7/1 on the off, the Duke Of Marmalade filly was drawn wide and raced in midfield early on. She ran on strongly in the short home straight and under a well-judged ride from Anton Marcus she got up late to beat the Western Cape raider SANTA CLARA going away.
Run 32/100th of a second slower than that of the Umzimkhulu Stakes was the Gr3 Byerley Turk for 3yo’s over 1400m and here the rapidly improving TRISTFUL gained his third career victory from just five starts. On leaving the stalls it was SOLID GOLD who elected to make the running, whilst the Trippi gelding sat sixth. Solid Gold kept on surprisingly strongly at the business end of the race and did have the rest well beaten. Tristful steadily wore him down over the final 300m though, and got up late to win going away.
The only other distance to stage more than one race on the card was 1000m where by far the faster of the two events was the MR74 Handicap won by FIVES WILD. In the rear early on, Kom Naidoo’s charge quickened nicely coming off the bend, and got the verdict by a half over the luckless favourite BUCKLEBERRY (also raced in the rear – baulked 400-300m.
Titbits
The 4yo ISHNANA showed considerable improvement when running on from the back to win the MR104 Handicap over 1100m going away.
Easy Victories
Fairview 12th April: There were a number of very easy victories on Friday’s poly track card and none more so than that of VALENTINIK in the faster of the two 1200m events, a MR77 Handicap. Soon positioned close to the speed, Yvette Bremner’s charge took up the running coming off the bend and cruised clear over the final 400m to score by four and a quarter.
It was a similar story in the fastest of the three 1300m events, a MR62 Handicap where CLIFTON BEACH registered her second career victory. Freely available at 18/1 on the off, the daughter of Sail From Seattle also took up the running at the top of the straight after racing handy, and won going away by three and three quarters.
Race three on the card was a MR72 Handicap over 1900m and here the former Gauteng campaigner ARANJUEZ completed a smart hat-trick. In the rear when the ten runners swung for home, Tara Laing’s charge finished best of all and won going away by a length and a half.
Titbits
SHEPARD’S DELIGHT and AFLEET FLYER both ran on well from the rear when 1st & 2nd respectively in the MR72 Handicap over 1000m.
Growing In Stature
Turffontein 13th April: They raced on the old stand side track on Saturday where a major upset was to be had in the Gr1 Empress Club Stakes over 1600m when one of the rank outsiders of the thirteen horse party CAMPHORATUS landed the spoils. Freely available at 66/1 on the off, the rapidly improving daughter of Byword raced ninth for most of the journey. RUNNING BRAVE was the first to make a move and looked to have the race won after taking up the running 420m out. Finishing best of all though, Camphoratus steadily wore her down below the distance and in what by far proved to be the quickest of the three 1600m events she got up in the dying strides.
They also staged three races over 1400m and in the quickest of these, a MR94 Handicap, the Stuart Pettigrew trained SOLDIER ON gained his fifth career victory from just 13 starts. More often than not one to run on stoutly from off the pace, the son of Brave Tin Soldier was always handy here. He put his head in front 300m out and won comfortably by a length from the always handy SHUKAMISA.
The only two sprinting events on the card both took place over 1160m. The Assessment Plate was marginally the quickest of these and here victory went to the ultra-consistent second favourite BASILIUS. Soon positioned close to the speed, Toby Spies’ charge took the helm 350m out and kept on strongly late to beat the running on NAAFER by two and a quarter.
Titbits
Racing in open company, the 2yo newcomer VICTORIA PAIGE couldn’t have been more impressive when making up around 12 lengths from the back to win the prestigious R250000 maiden plate for the girls.
Cautiously Optimistic
Durbanville 13th April: A Juvenile Plate over 1400m got proceedings underway at the country course on Saturday and here we saw another impressive performance from CAPTAIN OF STEALTH. A very easy five and a half-length winner of his only previous racecourse appearance, the son of Captain Al made all. He led by a length and a quarter for most of the journey, before quickening clear, and then being eased down, to score by six.
Another to win with authority on this card was JAILHOUSE ROCK in the MR80 Handicap over 1600m. The lessor fancied of Justin Snaith’s two runners, the 4yo son of Dynasty raced in the rear for most of the race. Once in the long home straight though he quickened best of all and comfortably accounted for the well-supported favourite NEXUS (his stable companion) after striking the front 250m from home.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races took place over 1250m and surprisingly the fastest of these was the maiden plate for the girls won by BELLA SUMMER. Originally priced up as a 2/1 joint favourite (sent off 23/10), the daughter of Trippi was always handy. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and with the rest a further three lengths adrift, she beat the always handy LIP SERVICE by three quarters.
Titbits
At the back of the five when the race began in earnest, NASTERGAL was hampered 100m out when running on strongly to fill the runner’s up berth in the MR80 Handicap over 1000m.
Somewhere Down The Road
Scottsville 14th April: As is often the case in Pietermaritzburg the 1200m distance took the lion’s share of the races. The fastest of the three was the MR82 Handicap won by CUMULUS. Soon at the head of affairs, the Toreador gelding kept up a healthy gallop throughout. The favourite TRIPPI’S EXPRESS threw down a determined challenge below the distance, but try as he might he couldn’t get closer than a quarter at the wire.
The MR80 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two 1200m events and here victory went to the lightly raced 3yo MR FITZ. Now a winner of two from three, Shane Humby’s charge wasn’t the quickest into stride and raced sixth of the ten. He commenced battle with the fancied DYNO MAN 200m out and finishing best of all he got the upper hand late.
A juvenile plate for the girls over 1200m had opened up the meeting and here we saw a smart performance from the Justin Snaith trained SOMEWHERE IN TIME. Always deep in the red, the Anton Marcus ridden daughter of Captain Al was soon positioned close to the speed. She moved up to tackle the front running WISHFUL GIRL LINN 300m out and with the rest some 6,70 lengths adrift, she went on to score comfortably by a length and a half.
Titbits
Backed into odds on at the track, FIORANO won the boy’s division of the 1200m maiden plate going away by five and a quarter.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: No Qualifiers
Race 2: (3) Day’s Of Thunder 10
Race 3: (4) Bold Viking 67
Race 4: (6) Making Miracles 73
Race 5: (2) Sir Frenchie 80
Race 6: (4) Evolver 55
Race 7: (2) Madonna 46
Race 8: (5) Country Rock 43
Race 9: (2) Make It Raine 61
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (9) Liquid Irish 16
Race 2: (5) Cassius Colt 14
Race 3: (8) Duc D’orange 58
Race 4: (4) Red Shift 62
Race 5: (9) Bequia 33 (EW)
Race 6: (10) Such A Rush 47
Race 7: (1) Chantyman 71
Race 8: (1) Flamenco Dancer 30
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (7) El Patron 11
Race 2: (1) Allmyloving 3
Race 3: (4) Humour Me 9
Race 4: (1) Gimme The Fire 15
Race 5: (10) Eightfolds Lass 6 (nb)
Race 6: (5) Gift For The Gap 72
Race 7: (1) La Bella Mia 68 NAP*)
Race 8: (2) Bullsade 50
Race 9: (14) No Mans Land 40
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (6) Kamadeva 12
Race 2: (10) Sanskrift 14
Race 3: (5) Louisa May 26
Race 4: (8) Rio Querari 20
Race 5: (1) Lip Service 17
Race 6: (1) Marauding 11
Race 7: (6) Top Of The Class 61
Race 8: (1) Anneline 57
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (13) We Light The Fire 15
Race 2: (9) Pinkerton 1
Race 3: (2) Clear Horizons 12
Race 4: (5) Rocking Ruby 50
Race 5: (8) The Sultans Bazaar 74
Race 6: (12) Woodstock Fairy 79
Race 7: (8) Orpheus 88
Race 8: (1) Cabo Da Cruz 48
Top rated winners last week included
Mr Fitz won 33/10
Twice As Smart won 57/20
True To Life won 11/4
Bella Summer won 47/20
Celestial Storm won 47/20
Lasair won 47/20
Fiorano won 19/20
Captain Of Stealth won 1/3
Notebook:-
Captain Of Stealth (V Marshall, W-Cape)
Temple Grafin (G Kotzen, KZN)
Victoria Paige (S Tarry, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (turf) 7th April
Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant: 1,62s slow
1000m (2) Fives Wild 59,90
1100m (1) Ishnana 65,50
1200m (1) Corazon 73,96
1400m (3) Temple Grafin 84,87
1900m (1) O’reilly 119,03
Fairview (poly) 12th April
Going Standard
1000m (1) Shepard’s Delight
1200m (2) Valentinik 72,18
1300m (3) Clifton Beach 77,85
1400m (1) Lets Play Ball 85,19
1600m (1) Chief Black Horse 101,03
1900m (1) Aranjuez 121,16
Turffontein (old) 13th April
Penetrometer 26 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant:
1160m (2) Basilius 68,95
1400m (3) Soldier On 86,21
1600m (3) Camphoratus 98,49
2000m (1) Mister Magic 128,80
2400m (1) Magic’s First 159,63
Durbanville 13th April
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (2) Celestial Storm 58,32
1250m (3) Bella Summer 75,18
1400m (1) Captain Of Stealth 83,96
1600m (1) Jailhouse Rock 97,26
2000m (1) Aldato 123,26
Scottsville 14th April
Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft
Course Variant:
1200m (3) Cumulus 68,46
1400m (1) Forthelastime 84,69
1500m (1) Twice As Smart 92,33
1600m (2) Mr Fitz 96,69
1950m (1) High Altar 123,63
