Blue Eyed Boy Sparkles
Kenilworth 25th April: Three of the eight races in Cape Town on Saturday were for maidens over 1200m, and the fastest of these was that in which the lightly raced BLUE EYED BOY opened his account. Well supported on course into 28/10 second favourite from 5/1, the son of Tiger Dance raced in the rear for the first half of the race. Once given rein though he quickened best of all and under a well-judged ride from Brandon Morganrood he got up late to deny the favourite ETERNAL LOVE.
There were also three races run over 1600m and quickest home amongst these was LADY KELPIE when registering her fourth career victory in the MR86 Handicap. The field was well strung out early on and racing seventh of the nine Eric Sands’ charge had quite a number of lengths to make up coming off the bend. The field quickly began to concertina 400m out though and then catapulted into contention she got up late to beat the much more fancied PETTY OFFICER by a half.
The biggest winning margin on the card was just the 2,25 lengths recorded by SASSY SAL when winning the MR70 Handicap over 1600m. Always handy, Vaughan Marshall’s charge took up the running as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for EVOKE EMOTION.
Titbits
The 3yo MASTER’S EYE ran on well from midfield when winning the MR88 Handicap over 1800m.
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Coming From Afar
Kenilworth 27th April: They also raced at Kenilworth on Freedom Day where five of the afternoon’s eight races took place over 1400m. The fastest of these, a little surprisingly, was the MR76 handicap won by the lightly weighted 5yo SUIT OF LIGHTS. Nibbled at on course into 5/1 from 7’s, Mike Bass’ charge raced in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened best of all when the field began to concertina early in the straight and comfortably accounted for the well supported favourite NORDIC WIND (7/2 into 22/10) by a length and a quarter.
A maiden juvenile plate over 1200m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a smart performance from the aptly named FROMAFAR. Freely available at 10/1 on the off, the Dean Kannemeyer trained newcomer raced in the rear early on. She ran on stoutly from halfway and went on to score in good style by a length and a quarter.
The only event over ground was a maiden plate over 2500m and here we saw a comfortable victory for the heavily supported favourite BLUE DOOR. Backed throughout the day into 18/10 favourite from 7’s, the 3yo son of Fort Wood was always handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and won well from the consistent, but limited, EXCLUSIVE KNIGHT by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
The 3yo NIGHT IN SEATTLE came from the back when getting up late to win the bill topping MR91 Handicap over 1400m.
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Can Only Get Better
Turffontein 28th April: There were some smart performances on the old stand side track on Tuesday evening, but none more so than that of the 2yo SWIFT SARAH in the maiden plate over 1160m. Backed into favouritism at the track (2/1 into even money), Sean Tarry’s newcomer was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m pole and despite racing very green, she cruised clear to score by six.
Another to win with lengths to spare on this card was TALCA when opening his account in the boy’s division of the maiden 1160m. Taken straight to the front by Raymond Danielson, the son of Kahal led throughout. He was always in command and won without any anxious moments by four.
The faster of the two maiden juvenile plates over 1600m was the boy’s affair in which ESCAPE ROUTE did the business. The best bet on the card for many, the even money favourite (op 14/10) was soon positioned close to the speed. The second favourite SCHILLACI was the first to make a move and after striking the front 500m out he kept on determinedly. Escape Route very steadily wore him down below the distance though, and got up late to score by a neck.
Titbits
Gutsy DYNAMITE JIM just kept finding when making all to win the MR76 Handicap over 2450m.
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Thrown In On Previous
Fairview 29th April: The Visionaire colt STRUBEN was the best bet on the card for many on Friday’s poly track card and he didn’t let down his supporters. Sent off at the prohibitive odds of 1/3 to win the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1200m, Alan Greeff’s charge sat fifth of the seven for the first half of the race. He quickened nicely when asked for his effort at the top of the straight and won well by a length and a quarter after striking the front 100m from home.
There were three races run over 1200m in total and the fastest of these was the MR91 Handicap won by the favourite LAND OF MEADOWS. On leaving the stalls it was the easy to back OATS who elected to make the running whilst the market leader sat close up in second. He was asked to take up the running shortly after passing the 200m pole and although Oats kept on strongly after being headed, he went on to score very easily by a length and a half.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races took place over 1000m and quickest home amongst these was the former Gauteng campaigner LEODOCUS. Having only his third outing since relocating to the Eastern Cape the 33/1 shot made all. He raced a length and three quarters clear for most of the journey and that proved to be just enough to beat the running on DESTINY DRIVEN by a neck. Rated 79 by the official handicapper eight runs back, Leodocus raced off a mark of just 48 here.
Titbits
At the helm from pillar to post BLIZZARD BELLE won the graduation plate over 1000m more easily than the official winning margin of just half a length would suggest.
The 3yo OYSTER NUT ran on well from midfield when runner up to the heavily supported Quebiango (4/1 into 7/10) in the maiden plate over 1300m.
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Impressive Muwaary
Vaal 30th April: They raced on the outside track on Thursday where we saw a very impressive performance from the newcomer MUWAARY. Allowed to ease out to 16/10 from 9/10 at the track, Mike De Kock’s charge raced second, a length and a half behind the very speedy ZIGGY’S BOY. He put his head in front 400m out and with a ton in hand won going away by nine. This was the fastest of the afternoon’s four 1200m races.
The grey PACIFICA in the girl’s division of the maiden juvenile plate over 1200m had looked to be the best bet on the card in the morning and albeit by a lot shorter she too won well. Positioned in midfield during the early part of the race, the daughter of Lecture also struck the front 400m out, and with the remainder some seven lengths adrift she fended off a determined challenge from the newcomer SHE’S A DRAGON by three quarters.
The faster of the two 1600m events on the nine race program was the bill topping MR84 Handicap won by CAPTAIN’S DELIGHT. Nicely positioned in second in what was a small but very strung out field, the top weight was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the running on DIVANO by three quarters. The runner up ran on strongly from the rear and did well to get as close as she did.
Titbits
Beaten just a neck, the slow into stride SEATTLE FAIRY was continually baulked for a run at the business end of the MR67 Handicap over 1600m, before running on strongly to finish second.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (4) High Fashion 8
Race 2: (3) Bobby James 66 (NAP*)
Race 3: (2) Draco 8
Race 4: (12) Sir Swarovski 49
Race 5: (1) Captain Broadhurst 17
Race 6: (12) Moucha Gasolina 41
Race 7: (1) Al Lunam 43
Race 8: (9) Shake And Bake 46
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Jay Again 11
Race 2: (1) Pena Palace 11
Race 3: (6) Cartouche 1
Race 4: (1) Corker Stalker 23
Race 5: (9) Sebueng 39
Race 6: (3) Golden Mirabilis 43
Race 7: (12) Battle Hammer 47
Race 8: (13) Nottingham Forest 50
Race 9: (10) Yuries Gold 54
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (11) Tearaway 8
Race 2: (4) Kalahari 6
Race 3: (1) Master ‘n Commander 27 (NAP*)
Race 4: (3) Bad Dream 11
Race 5: (2) Be Mine Tonight 61
Race 6: (6) Jezero 64
Race 7: (5) Silver Scooter 71
Race 8: (10) Klondike River 58
Race 9: (16) Dravidian 44 (EW)
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (8) Schachar 14
Race 2: (1) Glamour Gal 13
Race 3: (4) Twentymanjones 63
Race 4: (1) Consonance 13
Race 5: (3) Lanner Falcon 91
Race 6: (4) Macduff 35 (EW)
Race 7: (1) Champery 32
Race 8: (12) Topless 8
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (5) Mambo Mime 7
Race 2: (9) Banbury 96
Race 3: (1) West Coast Star 7
Race 4: (2) Goodnight Seattle 5
Race 5: (8) Popular Blues 37
Race 6: (11) Master Archer 65
Race 7: (4) Akii Bua 74
Race 8: (1) Secret Lover 18
Fairview (sun)
Race 1: (2) Cape Flyaway 6
Race 2: (2) Al-Amadi 12
Race 3: (1) Sir Duke 72
Race 4: (9) Miss Friskie 64
Race 5: (4) Blaze Of Fire 76
Race 6: (8) Savethelastdance 55
Race 7: (1) Captain Swarovski 33
Race 8: (20) Peregrine King 45 (EW)
Race 9: (1) Plain Of Wisdom 12
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Top rated winners last week included
Lady Kelpie won 12/1
Panchatanta won 10/1
Natatela won 22/10
Night In Seattle won 19/10
Escape Route won 1/1
Pacifica won 17/20
Quebiango won 7/10
Struben won 1/3
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Notebook:-
Blue Eyed Boy (P Reeves, W-Cape)
Muwaary (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Swift Sarah (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
Kenilworth (new) 25th April
Penetrometer 21 – Good
1000m (1) Mistico Lady 58,25
1200m (3) Blue Eyed Boy 70,60
1600m (3) Lady Kelpie 98,69
1800m (1) Master’s Eye 111,82
Kenilworth (new) 27th April
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
1000m (1) Eastern Front 58,93
1200m (1) Fromafar 74,00
1400m (5) Suit Of Lights 86,35
2500m (1) Blue Door 160,85
Turffontein (old) 28th April
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1160m (3) Splendid Garden 65,96
1400m (1) Walking On Air 85,93
1600m (2) Escape Route 98,90
2000m (1) Star Point 123,75
2450m (1) Dynamite Jim 154,98
Fairview (poly) 29th April
Going Standard
1000m (4) Leodocus 57,81
1200m (3) Land Of Meadows 69,65
1300m (1) Quebiango 77,08
Vaal (outside) 30th April
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
1000m (1) Bad Boy Buddy Boy 56,67
1200m (4) Muwaary 69,72
1400m (2) My Treasure 83.30
1600m (2) Captain’s Delight 95,02
