The Lucky Last

Well Drilled

Fairview 21^st December: A maiden juvenile plate over 800m got proceedings underway in Port Elizabeth on Friday and here we saw a smart performance from the newcomer YOSHIE. A daughter of Antonius Pius the heavily supported Yoshie (14/1 into 5/1) was soon up handy. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and with some in hand comfortably accounted for her stable companion WINTER FANTASY (5/2 out to 5/1) by a length and a quarter.

Another to win well after finding heavy support in the maiden ranks on this card was KATIE EM in the 1000 event. Backed all the way in to 8/1 from 33’s, Yvette Bremner’s charge was soon at the head of affairs. She kept up a healthy gallop throughout and although the uneasy favourite NOMENCLATURE (2/1 out to 33/10) chased hard she won well by a length.

The easiest victory on the card was undoubtedly that of DRILL SARGEANT when landing the conditions event over 2400m. Nicely positioned in sixth for most of the journey, the son of Dynasty began to take closer order rounding the home turn and had already moved up in to third on entering the long home straight. He struck the front going through the 600m and with a ton in hand he cruised in by five and a half despite being eased down late.

The faster of the two 1200m races on the card was the MR89 Handicap in which the former Flamingo Park campaigner ARCTIC JET took his tally of wins into double figures. Yet another to find good support at the track, Tara Laing’s charge raced prominent throughout. He began to assert his authority going through the 200m and won well by a length and a quarter.

Titbits

RIGHTLY SO won the maiden event over 2400m with some in hand.

As was the case when only beaten a neck last time out, POPPINS was running on strongly at the finish when only failing by a short head to get to the useful Lunar Lee in the conditions event over 1400m.

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Couple To Follow

Clairwood 22^nd December: This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place at Greyville on 21^st December.

A maiden event over 1600m was first up and here we saw a smart performance from the Chris Erasmus trained PELOTON. Freely available at 7/1 on the off, Peloton was a little slow into stride and soon found herself towards the back end of midfield. She quickened well when asked for her effort at the top of the long home straight and comfortably accounted for both SWEET LILY and the 4/10 favourite PECAN by a length and a half.

There were a number of easy winners on the card and none more so than DISTINGUISHED in the faster of the two 1400m events, a novice plate. Soon in command of a three lengths advantage the son of Kahal led throughout. He was always clear and comfortably extended his advantage to six and three quarters over the final 400m.

Another to win by a steeplechase margin on this card was BIG CITY ANGEL in the MR68 affair over 1600m. Backed into the red at the track (15/10 into 7/10), Gavin Van Zyl’s charge raced towards the rear early on and was still five lengths adrift of the leaders as they turned for home. He cut through the field like a knife in the home straight though, and after striking the front 270m or so from home, he drew clear easily to score by six and a half. Big City Angel won very well and is clearly one to keep tabs on.

Also worthy of note on this card was the performance of MR WHATEVER in winning the MR78 Handicap over 1000m. Nibbled at into 7/1 from 12’s, the 3yo son of Mogok was taken straight to the front and led throughout. His jockey Jarred Samuel was looking around for challenges from the 100m marker and won much more easily than the official length and a quarter margin would suggest. 

Titbits

STORM DANCER won the maiden event over 1900m with authority by three and three quarters.

INDIAN CONNECTION came from the rear when runner up to the useful looking Mr Whatever in the MR78 affair over 1000m.

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Impressive Guineas Win

Kenilworth 22^nd December: The highlight on Saturday’s card was the prestigious Gr1 Cape Guineas over 1600m where we saw an impressive performance from the Western Winter colt CAPETOWN NOIR. Sent off a heavily supported favourite at even money (op 22/10), Dean Kannemeyer’s charge broke well when the gates opened and was soon up handy. He quickened well on striking the front 400m out and easily accounted for the running on CHAVE DE OURA by three and a quarter.

The supporting act was the Gr3 Summer Stayer’s Handicap over 2500m and here the stable of Dean Kannemeyer were again on the mark when last season’s Natal Gold Cup winner IN WRITING registered his seventh career success. Allowed to drift as if having lost a leg on course (5/1 out to 14’s), the flexible 7yo raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He made his move early in the home straight and under a well judged ride from Grant Behr he got up late to beat the 5yo JEPPE’S REEF by a length and a quarter.

Surprisingly the faster of the two 1000m races was the maiden juvenile event in which SEA CAT opened her account. On leaving the stalls it was the rank outsider of the six horse party LETS PARTY (80/1) who elected to make the running whilst the daughter of Var raced close up in third. She quickened best of all at the business end of the race and won going away from her five male rivals by a minimum of a length and three quarters.

There were also two 1200m races on the card and again the fastest of these was the maiden event rather than the handicap. The winner ARGUTO went straight to the front and was very quickly three lengths clear. He kept on strongly over the final 400m and although PRIDE OF LONDON did make some headway in the latter stages of the race, he still had two lengths to spare at the wire.

Titbits

TERMINATOR won well after taking up the running 200m out in the MR86 Handicap over 1200m.

DANCE FOR GOLD came from the back end of midfield and was steadily gaining at the finish when third in the MR76 Handicap over 2000m.

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Weighted To Score

Turffontein 23^rd December: They raced on the old stand side track on Sunday where victory in the opening maiden event over 1000m went to the newcomer HLATIKULU. Backed into 2/1 favourite from 9/2, Alec Laird’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and comfortably accounted for the friendless KIMURA CAT (8/1 out to 33/1) by a length and three quarters.

The easiest victory on the card was recorded by the well weighted FIRE WHEEL in the girl’s novice event. In what proved to be the fastest of the four 1600m races on the card, Sean Tarry’s charge raced closed up in second for most of the journey. She was asked to take up the running as they approached the 400m marker and won very easily by four from the running on LADY TATTY.

Another to win well on this card was the aptly named NO WORRIES in the MR77 Handicap over 1600m. Taken straight to the front by Pierre Strydom, the 3yo son of Kahal led throughout. He kept on strongly at the business end of the race and went on to score without any anxious moments by a length and a quarter. One to look out for next time from this race is TELLINA who finished third. Positioned in the rear after being slow into stride, Geoff Woodruff’s charge was finishing best of all.

Titbits

Poorly drawn SILENT ANGEL ran on well from the rear and only failed to get to the winner of the MR68 Handicap over 1400m by the narrowest of margins.

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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-

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Top rated winners last week included

Notebook:-

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