Fair And Square
Turffontein 10th June: They raced on the old stand side track on Sunday where victory in the opening juvenile plate over 1160m went to the second favourite MOGOK’S DESIRE (48). Backed into 28/10 from 7/2, Leon Erasmus’ charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m marker and in what proved to be a real thriller he only held on by the narrowest of margins from the newcomer HEAVENISARACEHORSE. The runner up ran on very well from the rear and can only improve next time.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by the unfancied HELL ALLEY (36) in the maiden 1400m. Freely available at 45/1 on the off, St John Gray’s charge sat fifth during the early part of the race. He began to take closer order early in the straight and after striking the front 500m from home, he easily drew clear.
The Gr3 Jubilee Handicap topped the bill and here we saw a very gutsy performance from the improving ETON SQUARE (78). Backed throughout the afternoon into 5/1 from 10’s, the lightly weighted son of Miesque’s Approval was always in touch with the leaders. He was headed by the favourite GOLDEN CREST shortly after striking the front 400m out and at that stage of the race he looked destined for a place. Gavin Van Zyl’s charge rallied gamely over the final 200m though and in what proved to be another thriller he got back up in the very last stride.
There was another very close finish in the next, a conditions event over 1000m where the friendless MALAGA-BELLE (71) landed the spoils. Allowed to drift right out to 9/1 from 7/2, Malaga-Belle raced prominent throughout. Both KALAAM and the well supported favourite VARIOMETER were always in close attendance and in a race where only a short head separated the first three home she only got the verdict on the nod.
Titbits
SUNNY DISPOSITION ran on well from midfield when only beaten a neck in the MR68 affair over 1600m.
Detached at the rear going through halfway, the in under sufferance WOLLONDILLY ran on best of all in the conditions event won by Malaga-Belle and was only beaten just over a length.
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Well Deserved
Clairwood 13th June: A maiden juvenile event over 1200m was first up at the garden course on Wednesday and here victory went to the favourite SHIMMER AND SHINE (22). Backed into even money from 16/10 at the track, Greg Ennion’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 200m and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the newcomer FLYFIRSTCLASS by a half.
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by the filly RUMYA (43) in the girls division of the maiden juvenile 1200m. In the red at 7/10 on the off (op 15/10), Mike De Kock’s charge raced up with the speed throughout. She began to assert her authority as they passed the 400m marker and although the form horse QUEEN’S COURT ran on stoutly from midfield, she went on to score very easily by three and a quarter.
An Allowance Plate over 1500m topped the bill and here it was nice to see the 6yo Windrush gelding RUSHING WIND (89) gain a well overdue fifth career victory. Usually one to run on stoutly from well off the pace, Rushing Wind was always in touch with the leaders here with just seven going to post. He was asked to take up the running as they approached the 200m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the rallying pacemaker GALILEO’S DESTINY by a short head.
The Mike De Kock trained CANTERBURY TALE was a very warm order to win the MR86 Handicap over 1800m, but just had he had done last time out, he found one better. Taken straight to the front by Anton Marcus the even money favourite (op 2/1) attempted to make all. He kept on strongly in the straight and did have the rest well beaten. The second favourite PREMIUM WOOD quickened best of all at the business end of the race though and under a well judged ride from Bernard Fayd’Herbe, he won going away by a length and a quarter after striking the front 180m out.
Titbits
Newcomer MUJAARIB ran on best of all when getting up late to deny the well supported KING NEPTUNE in the maiden event over 1200m. The other 18 runners were a minimum of eight lengths adrift.
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Phenomenal Debut
Vaal 14th June: Thursday’s action took place on the turf where victory in the opening workrider’s maiden event over 1700m went to the easy to back SANDBAR (25). Freely available at 15/1 on the off, Michael Azzie’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead 600m from home by Francis Semela and went on to score very comfortably by two and three quarters from the running on P G POWER.
The most impressive performance of the afternoon was undoubtedly that of the aptly named newcomer PHENOMENAL (35) who came home smoking in the maiden juvenile event over 1000m. Allowed to drift as if having lost a leg on course (7/1 out to 20/1), the daughter of Windrush was always handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and with some in hand she easily accounted for the favourite WHITE WHISPER by five and a half.
DIVINE INVITATION was the best bet on the card for many and he did duly save his followers from near bankruptcy when opening his account in the maiden 1700m. Confidently ridden by Marco Van Rensburg, the 17/20 favourite (op 15/10) sat a few lengths off them in sixth during the early part of the race. He made his move as they approached the 400m marker and under a well judged ride he got up late to deny the well tried IBHOLA.
Another to gain just compensation after a string of placed efforts was NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (63) when landing the afternoon’s feature event a MR86 Handicap over 1200m. Backed into favouritism at the track (4/1 into 2/1) Kom Naidoo’s charge as per usual came from off the pace. The 3yo NATIONAL ROAD was the first to make a move and swiftly moving three lengths clear after striking the front 400m from home, he looked to have the race in the bag. Quickening with all his usual zest though, the 6yo son of Muhtafal fairly flew in the closing stages of the race and with the rest well beaten he got up late to score by a length
Titbits
After losing a couple of lengths at the start, VENTURE ran on well from the rear in the MR80 Handicap over 2400m and was only beaten by a neck.
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Long Way To Brazil
Fairview 15th June: A juvenile plate over 1400m got proceedings underway in Port Elizabeth on Friday and here we saw another smart performance from the Miesque’s Approval gelding PLACIDO. The recent Dahlia Plate winner LE VAR led them into the straight and easily four lengths clear of PLACIDO going through the 400m he looked to have the race sewn up. Placido quickened well from that point though and no doubt aided by the early effort taking its toll on the front runner in the closing stages of the race, he got up late to win very comfortably by two and a quarter.
The first of the afternoon’s two feature events to be run was the listed Lady’s Slipper over 1400m and here victory went to the improving daughter of Albert Hall DEEPO. Freely available at 15/2 on the off, Deepo was always in touch with the leaders. She was asked to take up the running going through the 300m and went on to score easily by three and a quarter from the 15/1 shot INFLORESCENCE.
South Africa’s longest horse race the listed PE Gold Cup over 3600m was next up and here an upset was to be had when the lesser fancied of Corne Spies’ two runners CAMPO DE SANTANA landed the spoils. Sent off at 25/1 Campo De Santana was content to race towards the back end of midfield for most of the journey. On entering the home straight though he had moved up to fifth, and was full of running on striking the front 250m out. The well supported favourite HEYOUNEVERKNOW (his stable companion) chased hard in the latter stages of the race, but despite having the rest well beaten, he still had two and a quarter lengths to find at the wire.
Titbits
SKIPPYJON JONES ran on well from off the pace when winning the maiden event over 1200m going away.
Having his first start out of the maidens here, EBRO won the MR70 Handicap over 1200m very easily by five and a half.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Arlington Race 1: (1) Commodore Pete 16 Race 2: (12) Paris Symphony 12 Race 3: (1) Silverano 10 Race 4: (8) Evangelica 55 Race 5: (12) Asgard 75 Race 6: (16) Beast Of Burden 58 Race 7: (1) Celtic Fire 72 Race 8: (4) Daffodil Day 10 Greyville Race 1: (11) Storm Dancer 16 Race 2: (3) Copy Cat 14 Race 3: (7) Var Light 20 Race 4: (11) Blushing Peter 27 Race 5: (7) Sweet Oliver 58 Race 6: (14) Trumpet Call 43 Race 7: (5) West End 71 Race 8: (13) Little Swan 52 Turffontein Race 1: (1) Colour Quest 17 Race 2: (13) Senorita Casey 18 Race 3: (1) Flight Specialist 15 Race 4: (12) Cookie Monster 25 (NAP*) Race 5: (15) Dynasty Rose 51 Race 6: (11) Sabrina’s Baby 38 Race 7: (16) Royal Rez 37 Race 8: (6) Decameron 67 Race 9: (3) Oh Driscoll 59 Race 10: (4) Blue Nile 53 Kenilworth Race 1: (5) Just B Brave 22 Race 2: (13) Untamed 28 Race 3: (9) Gin And Tonic 83 Race 4: (5) Martial Eagle 84 Race 5: (3) King Of Pain 54 (NAP*) Race 6: (11) Approach Me 75 Race 7: (2) Dancing Dynasty 64 (EW) Race 8: (1) Why Worry 80 Race 9: (15) Pirate Flag 23 (nb) Clairwood Race 1: (2) Choir Maiden 10 Race 2: (14) The Hangman 21 Race 3: (1) Dawn Eclipse 23 Race 4: (5) Stone Reeves 15 Race 5: (5) Always Al 77 Race 6: (13) Gray’s Champ 56 Race 7: (1) Tribal Dance 73 Race 8: (1) Beloved Betty 75 Race 9: (1) Blouberg Beach 58 Race 10: (12) Little Swan 38
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Top rated winners last week included
Deepo won 15/2 Special Henny won 33/10 Skippyjon Jones won 3/1 Dirtydealin Mamma won 22/10 Chocolicious won 16/10 Happy Archer won 12/10 Brown Penny won 17/20 Gorongosa won 13/20.
Notebook:-
Heavenisaracehorse (G Van Zyl, Gauteng) Mujaarib (M De Kock, KZN) Phenomenal (D Zaki, Gauteng) Rumya (M De Kock, KZN).
FASTEST TIMES
(Shown in brackets is the number of races run in each category)Turffontein 10th June Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (3) Malaga-Belle Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (6) Eton Square Fastest Long 1900-3600 (0) No Qualifiers
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Clairwood 13th June Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (5) Honorine Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (4) Rushing Wind Fastest Long 1900-3600 (0) No Qualifiers
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Vaal 14th June Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (4) Napoleon Dynamite Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (2) Divine Invitation Fastest Long 1900-3600 (2) Golden Stream
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Fairview 15th June
Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (4) Ebro Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (3) Bella Aroma Fastest Long 1900-3600 (1) Campo De Santana
