Speedy Progeny
Scottsville 30th March: A maiden juvenile plate over 1200m got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and here we saw a very easy victory for the Right Approach colt EASY LOVER. Deep in the red at 9/20 on the off, Duncan Howells’ charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He struck the front going through the 400m and only having to be pushed out in the closing stages of the race won with plenty in hand.
The stable of Duncan Howells were also on the mark in the listed Kwazulu Natal Stakes over 1000m when the champion filly VIA AFRICA showed her well being. Taken straight to the front by Kevin Shea the speedy daughter of Var led throughout. She was always in command and won without any anxious moments by two and a half.
Run in a time 0,63 seconds faster than that of Via Africa was the pinnacle stakes won by her half brother CONTADOR. On leaving the stalls it was BARBOSA who elected to make the running whilst Contador raced close up in second. He took up the running going through the 200m and won well by two.
Titbits
Running on from the backend of midfield, STAR ATTORNEY finished best of all when getting up late to win the maiden 1400m.
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Saved From Bankruptcy
Scottsville 1st April: Racing returned to Scottsville on Tuesday where the fastest of the four 1200m races was the maiden juvenile plate won by the newcomer PEACE AGAIN. Freely available at 10/1 on the off, Lezanne Forbes’ charge made all. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest some nine lengths adrift she comfortably accounted for the slightly more fancied newcomer GEMSTONE GLAMOUR.
The easiest victory on the eight race program was recorded by the costly to follow ALBERT in the graduation plate over 1600m. Another to lead from pillar to post, Albert was a length and three quarters clear turning for home and won comfortably by two and a quarter.
A MR86 Handicap over 1200m topped the bill and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the Mogok gelding CINEMA SCOPE. Allowed to ease out to 11/2 from 4/1 at the track, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge was soon positioned close up in second. The field was always very tightly bunched and in a race where; only a neck separated the first four home, he got the verdict on the nod.
Titbits
Lightly raced GERMAN LADY showed considerable improvement when winning the graduation plate over 1400m whilst out at the weights.
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Fastest Battle
Turffontein 1st April: They raced on the stand side track on Tuesday where we saw a very smart performance in the boys’ division of the maiden juvenile 1160m from the newcomer LOCK HIM UP. Freely available at 20/1 on the off, Sean Tarry’s charge raced in midfield early on. He quickened nicely from halfway and with the rest some eight lengths adrift he easily accounted for AMAZING STRIKE by four and a half.
Five of the nine races were run over 1160m in total and the fastest of these was the MR68 Handicap won by LAST BATTLE. On leaving the stalls it was LEGAL ACTION who elected to make the running whilst Last Battle raced in midfield. He made his move shortly after passing halfway and after a tussle with the lightly raced 3yo POLAR PALACE he got the verdict by a length and a quarter.
A MR88 Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and in what proved to be a real thriller Sean Tarry saddled the first two home. The runner up GOLDEN HIGH ran on stoutly from the back end of midfield whilst the eventual winner MONEY DOESNT COUNT came from the rear. Golden High didn’t find the clearest of passages and it was only by the narrowest of margins that his stable companion landed the spoils.
Titbits
With the rest some seven lengths adrift, the newcomer VICTORIA YOUNG (66/1) showed a nice turn of foot late when getting the better of the pacemaker ONE FINE DAY (4/1 into 15/10).
The newcomer RICHARD PARKER was gaining rapidly at the finish when only beaten a short head in the maiden 1400m.
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Rising To The Occasion
Durbanville 2nd April: The Western Winter filly THALER POINT was heavily supported to win the opening maiden juvenile plate at the country course on Wednesday and she didn’t let down her followers. In the red at 13/20 (op 12/10) on the off, Joey Ramsden’s charge led throughout. Her jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe was already looking around for potential challenges 250m out and with a ton in hand she cruised in by six.
A MR88 Handicap over 2400m topped the bill and here we saw another gutsy performance from the 5yo TIPPUANA MOON. Soon at the head of affairs, the Victory Moon gelding was headed by PRIVATE DOOWALEY 70m or so from home and fought back gamely below the distance to get the verdict on the nod.
Race seven on the card was a MR70 Handicap over 1300m and catching the eye here was the 3yo ROYAL KNOCKOUT. Freely available at 7/1 on the off, the bottom weight was second last as the eleven runners came off the bend. Once in the straight though he quickened best of all and with the rest well beaten he won going away from ORATIUS by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Running on from the backend of midfield, ALS BONANZA was baulked for a run 200m out, and then had to switch 50m later, when only beaten three quarters of a length in the MR78 affair over 1000m.
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Fresh As A Daisy
Vaal 3rd April: Thursday’s action took place on the sand where the faster of the two 1600m events was the bill topping conditions plate won by the Sean Tarry trained TAPTAP MAKHATINI. Returning from a break of 345 days here, the son of Albert Hall made all. He was always a length and three quarters to the good and won without any anxious moments.
The easiest victory on the eight race program was recorded by CHEDWIN PARK when causing an upset in the MR72 Handicap over 1450m. Nibbled at during the afternoon into 14/1 from 33’s, Leon Erasmus’ charge was always handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and although the pacemaker VELDDRIFTER kept on gamely after being headed, he won going away by two and three quarters.
Another to upset was INVENTIVE GIRL when winning the MR76 Handicap over 1000m. Freely available at 16/1 at the off, Brian Wiid’s charge came from midfield. She finished best of all and under a well judged ride from apprentice Collen Storey, she got up late to score by a neck.
Titbits
The uneasy favourite LADY CASEY was gaining quickly at the finish when runner up in the maiden 1450m.
Beaten two lengths into third in the MR68 Handicap over 1600m, the well supported ORLANDO MAGIC (10/1 into 5/1) had been detached at the rear early on.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview Race 1: (2) Royal Kate 17 Race 2: (6) Can-Can Inn 25 Race 3: (8) Howami 18 (EW) Race 4: (10) Captain ‘n Tenille 23 Race 5: (7) Tamayim 37 Race 6: (2) Secret Quest 54 (EW) Race 7: (17) Captain Surge 46 Race 8: (2) Spellcaster 52 Race 9: (12) Silver Gilt 55 Turffontein (fri) Race 1: (1) Flaming Ace 22 Race 2: (9) Rock Me Var 2 Race 3: (6) Mystic Express 9 Race 4: (1) Cervantes 19 Race 5: (7) Savage Wind 87 Race 6: (4) Magic Smoke 77 Race 7: (9) Principled 79 Race 8: (11) Arkansas 49 Scottsville Race 1: (8) Spanish Flamenco 1 Race 2: (6) Jay Again 7 Race 3: (1) Girlfriend 34 Race 4: (8) Omaticaya 91 Race 5: (8) High On Rebellion 69 Race 6: (5) Speed Rocket 78 Race 7: (4) Eventual Angel 79 Race 8: (7) Roc ‘n Rose 72 Race 9: (2) Secret Traveller 23 Kenilworth Race 1: (1) Richard Strauss 26 Race 2: (7) Little Bear 11 Race 3: (4) Tobesuretobesure 12 Race 4: (3) Cigar Boy 73 Race 5: (1) Dressed In Cotton 71 (EW) Race 6: (2) Kingvoldt 41 Race 7: (4) Perpetua 40 Race 8: (1) Captainofmysoul 70 Race 9: (16) Seven Suns 52 Turffontein (sun) Race 1: (2) Flame Cat 38 Race 2: (3) Silence Descends 32 Race 3: (1) Sharp Design 95 Race 4: (1) Wat’s Up Sarge 19 Race 5: (12) Ultimate Tiger 33 (NAP*) Race 6: (6) Supa Sami 18 Race 7: (12) Arcetri Pink 85 Race 8: (3) Johnny Chestnut 23 .
Top rated winners last week included
High Arrow won 9/2 Albert won 4/1 Duty Dance won 28/10 David’s Flower won 16/10 Sea Cat won 16/10 Thaler Point won 13/20 Easy Lover won 9/20 Via Africa won 1/4 .
Notebook:-
Contador (C Laird, KZN) German Lady (C Laird, KZN) Lock Him Up (S Tarry, Gauteng) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherScottsville (inside) 30th March Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft 1000m (4) Contador 56,98 1200m (2) Cool Anne 71,06 1400m (2) Star Attorney 88,25 2400m (1) Beewithmee 156,20 .
Scottsville (inside) 1st April Penetrometer 24 – Going Good 1000m (1) Vanilla Twilight 58,80 1200m (4) Peace Again 70,99 1400m (1) German Lady 86,22 1600m (1) Albert 97,63 1750m (1) Ramp Diva 107,78 .
Turffontein (stand side) 1st April Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1000m (1) Countess Bacardi 58,01 1160m (5) Last Battle 67,45 1400m (2) Money Doesnt Count 85,05 1600m (1) Silva Shama 98,23 .
Durbanville 2nd April Penetrometer 29 – Going Soft 1000m (2) Speed Merchant 60,28 1300m (2) Royal Knockout 78,75 1400m (2) African Fish Eagle 85,47 1600m (1) Denia Tibbs 100,63 2400m (1) Tippuana Moon 156,29 .
Vaal (sand) 3rd April Going Standard 1000m (2) Inventive Girl 59,08 1200m (2) Sugar And Shake 71,98 1450m (2) Chedwin Park 90,72 1600m (2) Taptap Makhatini 99,79