Captain Marcus
Scottsville 2 September: Four of the eight races in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday were staged over 1000m and by far the fastest of these was the bill topping pinnacle stakes won by CAPTAIN’S GIRL. One of five runners from the Louis Goosen stable in an eight runner field, the Noordhoek Flyer mare was an eye catching booking for Anton Marcus. Always handy, Captain’s Girl quickened in good style after having to switch for a run 400m out, and after striking the front just 70m from home, won going away by two and a quarter.
The maiden plate over 1400m was comparatively the fastest of the four races around the turn and here we saw a smart performance from the Duncan Howells trained THANKSGIVING. Drawn wide, the son of Dynasty raced in midfield during the early part of the race. Once given rein though he quickly made up the deficit, and cruised clear to score by four after striking the front 200m out.
Another to win with authority on this card was I FLY when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1950m. Prominent throughout, Gareth Van Zyl’s charge was ridden to lead going through the 300m and with the rest well beaten he comfortably accounted for LEAVE ME ALONE by two.
Titbits
After losing three lengths at the start, the Dennis Drier trained newcomer IN THE STARS ran on well from the rear when winning the maiden plate for the girls over 1000m.
Benefit Plates
Vaal 4 September: Winning margins were very deceiving on the outside track at the Vaal on Tuesday, and none more so than that of RINGS AND THINGS in the assessment plate over 1200m. Absolutely thrown in at the weights in this her first appearance since relocating to Gauteng, the daughter of Querari sat fourth of the six for most of the journey. Up and coming jockey Ryan Munger never really asked her to race, and with him barely having to move a muscle, she coasted to the front 50m out.
It was a similar story in the boy’s division of the assessment plate over 1200m where the very well weighted PRINCE KAHAL registered his third career victory. Very confidently ridden by Dennis Schwarz, Roy Magner’s charge sat the back of the five for the vast majority of the trip. He too coasted to the front with little effort from his rider, and with Schwarz looking around in the closing stages of the race, he won going away with a ton in hand. This was the fastest of the four 1200m races on the card.
Three of the four remaining races were staged over 1400m and by far the quickest of these was the MR66 Handicap won by GET YOUR GROVE ON. An eye catching winner in the maiden ranks last time out, Ashley Fortune’s charge led throughout. She was always in command and although both KISSMEINMYDREAMS and SAMMI MOOSA ran on strongly, she won without any anxious moments by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
The form horse PARENTAL CONTROL only had to be pushed out when winning the girl’s division of the maiden 1200m with authority by two and a half.
Spot The Opposition
Scottsville 5 September: The girl’s division of the maiden 1200m got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday and here we saw a very smart performance from the Dynasty newcomer GOLDEN CHANCE. Heavily supported throughout the morning, Dennis Drier’s charge was eventually sent off deep in the red at 9/20. She led throughout, and with her jockey looking around for the opposition from the 300m marker, she cruised in by seven with plenty in hand.
Followers of the money were also on the mark in the boy’s division of the maiden 1200m when the lightly raced PERFECT PETER opened his account. Racing for the first time since making a promising debut over 800m way back in December, the 3yo son of Judpot raced fifth during the early part of the race. He quickened in good style at the business end of the race and won going away after striking the front 200m out.
Although marginally the slower of the two 1600m events, the winner of the maiden plate, SECOND REQUEST couldn’t have won more impressively. In what soon became a strung out field, Sean Tarry’s charge raced towards the rear for most of the journey. He quickened in good style at the top of the home straight and with a ton in hand he cruised clear 200m out to score by six and a quarter.
Titbits
Best bet on the card for Sporting Post, BOEING CITY was always in command when winning the MR68 Handicap over 1000m going away.
Two For The Future
Vaal 6 September: Favourite backers got off to a nice start on the Vaal’s classic track on Thursday when BIG BLUE MARBLE did the business in the opening maiden plate for 3yo’s over 1200m. Positioned in third some four lengths off the pace set by his stable companion OCEAN CITY, Ashley Fortune’s charge was always poised to strike. He did so going through the 200m and with Aldo Domeyer looking around for the opposition 100m later, he went on to score even more easily than the official winning margin of 3,75 lengths will reflect. Both jockey Aldo Domeyer and his father Andrew Fortune spoke very highly of this one after the race.
There were three races over 1000m in total and only marginally the fastest of these on my clock was the bill topping MR90 Handicap won by the uneasy joint favourite PILLAROFTHEEARTH. The heavily burdened ISPHAN made the running and quickly went four lengths clear. In the strong headwind though that early effort took its toll, and after striking the front 100m out, the always handy King’s Chapel gelding won well.
Four of the five remaining races were staged over 1800m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was the lightly raced 4yo CONDOR GULCH. Another to race handy, Mike De Kock’s charge put his head in front as they approached the 400m marker and despite the efforts of the running on veteran HIDDEN AGENDA, he went on to score by six and a half with some in hand.
Titbits
Backed as if the result was already known prior to the off, DALAI’S PROMISE won the maiden plate over 1000m with authority by three.
Adopting a change of tactics here, the form horse SAINTS ALIVE never really had a race when making all to win the assessment plate over 1600m a lot more easily than the official winning margin of 1,6 lengths would suggest.
Flying Start
Fairview 7 September: Just a 1/3 of a second separated the winners of the three 1600m events on the poly track on Friday, the quickest being the bill topping MR86 Handicap won by SPACE TATTOO. Freely available at 15/1 on the off, Grant Paddock’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and kept on strongly late to beat RED GRANITE by three quarters. Back in third was ROCKSETTE. She was finishing best of all.
They also ran three races over 1200m. The MR66 Handicap was the fastest of these and here victory went to one of the joint favourites FALCON ROCK. Another to race handy, Alan Greeff’s charge took up the running halfway down the short home straight, and comfortably accounted for the running on MAN OF FIRE.
There were a number of easy victories on the afternoon, but none more so than that of HARTLEYTHREE in the maiden plate over 1200m. Soon positioned close to the speed, the daughter of Eightfold Path put her head in front 350m out and drew clear in good style late to score by five and a quarter.
Titbits
The 22/1 shot ESTIMET was finishing best of all when only beaten by the narrowest of margins in the opening maiden plate over 1000m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Sport Chic 10
Race 2: (2) Vous Et Var 78
Race 3: (5) Adalberto 2
Race 4: (2) Master’s Spirit 57
Race 5: (8) Tombodi 46
Race 6: (13) Green Field 43
Race 7: (1) Bid Before Sunset 42
Race 8: (14) Across The Lake 28 (EW)
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (17) Rescue 31
Race 2: (4) Regal Girl 26
Race 3: (9) Free And Easy 61
Race 4: (7) Forest Express 59
Race 5: (10) Come The Day 65 (EW)
Race 6: (8) All I Got 48
Race 7: (6) Lunar Dancer 39
Race 8: (1) Rose In Bloom 59
Race 9: (5) Count Tassilo 65
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (5) Merkaba 26
Race 2: (14) Jingle Belle 45
Race 3: (1) Caesura 6
Race 4: (10) Blue Flower 54
Race 5: (9) Piracy 48
Race 6: (8) Royal Chian 40
Race 7: (1) Clouded Hill 46
Race 8: (8) Astrapi 39
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Missy J 7
Race 2: (9) La Valette 6
Race 3: (8) Panza 42
Race 4: (4) Ishnana 53
Race 5: (5) Cat’s Legacy 45
Race 6: (8) World Mission 69
Race 7: (6) Dame Commander 51
Race 8: (10) Caliente 27
Top rated winners last week included
So Var won 71/10
Chappaquiddick won 6/1
Escape Club won 57/20
Boeing City won 47/20
Rings And Things won 16/10
Parental Control won 1/1
Thanksgiving won 8/10
Big Blue Marble won 8/11
Notebook:-
Golden Chance (D Drier, KZN)
Perfect Peter (G Van Zyl, KZN)
Rings And Things (A Fortune, Gauteng)
Second Request (S Tarry, KZN)
Thanksgiving (D Howells, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Scottsville (inside) 2nd September
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,14s slow
1000m (4) Captain’s Girl 55,65
1400m (1) Thanksgiving 82,97
1600m (1) Tommy Grand 95,97
1750m (1) Escape Club 106,11
1950m (1) I Fly 119,09
Vaal (outside) 4th September
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,66s slow
1200m (4) Prince Of Kahal 70,94
1400m (3) Get Your Grove On 83,33
1600m (1) Norland 97,45
Scottsville (inside) 5th September
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,50s slow
1000m (1) Boeing City 56,61
1200m (3) Perfect Peter 68,61
1400m (2) Burra Boy 82,22
1600m (2) O’reilly 95,60
Vaal (classic) 6th September
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 2,19s slow
1000m (3) Pillaroftheearth 58,55*
1600m (1) Saints Alive 100,99
1800m (4) Condor Gulch 111,22
Fairview (poly) 7th September
Going Standard
Course Variant:
1000m (1) Albrandino 61,76
1200m (3) Falcon Rock 73,75
1600m (3) Space Tattoo 99,40
1800m (1) Chappaquiddick 115,57
