Outsmarted
Vaal 16th February:
Four of the nine races on the inside track on Thursday were run over 1400m and quickest home in these was TOKYO DRIFT in the MR70 Handicap. He got away well when the gates opened and soon at the head of affairs led throughout. Just a length and a quarter clear for most of the journey, Scott Kenny’s charge asserted his authority going through the 400m and went on to score very easily by four and a quarter.
The faster of the two 1200m races on the card was the MR68 Handicap in which KIRKCONNEL LASS registered her second career victory. Easy to back at 8/1 on the off, the daughter of Mogok was a little slow into stride and as a result she raced in midfield early on. She took up the running 200m out and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat LITTLE SWIFT (raced handy – led 400m) by a half.
They also ran two races over 1000m and stopping the clock in the fastest time here was the lightly raced 3yo CLEVER GUY. Found to be lame on the near fore by the veterinary surgeon after the race, the son of Argonaut also made virtually all. He was always in command and won going away by three and a half.
Titbits
Third placed SAMAR came from the rear when only beaten a length and a quarter in the opening work rider’s maiden event over 1400m.
Appreciating The Extra
Fairview 17th February:
They raced on the turf on Friday, where with a 20k easterly tail wind blowing, and the going good, the times were fast. Three of the nine races were staged over 1600m and quickest home amongst these was VILLANELLE in the first division of the MR60 Handicap for fillies and mares. Trying a mile for the first time, the daughter of Gitano Hernando raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and won comfortably from the running on ANOTHER NIGHT.
The faster of the two 1000m races on the program was the MR63 affair in which BAAHIR recorded a time of 55,61 seconds. Always top of the boards, Dorrie Sham’s charge raced a handy seventh. He quickened well from halfway and won going away by two and a quarter after striking the front 150m from home.
Rather than the MR98 Handicap, it was the maiden plate won by the aptly named STRUT YOUR STUFF that was the quicker of the two 2000m races. Having only her second outing since relocating from Gauteng, the daughter of High Chaparral was always handy. She put her head in front going through the 400m and went on to score with authority by three and a quarter.
Titbits
Rustic Sunrise was always in command when making all in the MR60 Handicap over 1600m.
Best Handicapped
Greyville 17th February:
The times were slow on the poly on Friday evening. Four of the eight races were staged over 1600m and quickest home in these was NIGHT SHADOW in the bill topping MR90 Handicap. Despite being drawn wide and slow into stride to boot, this 5yo son of Silvano was soon up handy. He took up the running shortly after passing the 200m pole and comfortably accounted for another easy to back runner in ROYAL ARMOUR.
A MR68 Handicap over 2000m had gotten proceedings underway and in what proved to be the faster of the two races over the distance, the Sporting Post’s joint best handicapped runner in the field ROY’S EMBLEM caused a major upset. Freely available at 50/1 on the off (R65,10 on the tote), Alyson Wright’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. She ran on strongly off the slow pace in the straight and had a length and a quarter to spare over the much more fancied PEGGY’S DREAM who came from the rear.
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by another Sporting Post best handicapped runner in ROY’S DOLLAR when winning the MR64 Handicap over 1600m. Freely available at 7/1 on the off, the daughter of Warm White Night lost two lengths at the start and as a result she raced in the rear. Once in the short home straight though she quickly made her way through the field and cruised clear to score by five after striking the front 150m from home.
Titbits
The always handy HANDS AT WORK opened her account in the girls’ division of the maiden 2000m very easily by four and a quarter.
Very Promising
Turffontein 18th February:
A maiden plate over 1200m was first up on Saturday and here we saw an impressive performance from the newcomer SIMPLY ROYAL. Sent off second in the betting market at 3/1, Sean Tarry’s charge broke through the gates before the off and travelled at least 200m. She was a little slow into stride when the stalls opened for real and having been poorly drawn, she very quickly found herself positioned in the rear. After being given rein at the top of the short home straight though she cut through the field like a knife and in impressive fashion won going away by three and a half.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1600m and despite being a false paced affair, the progress plate won by BRAZUCA was the quickest. Always in the red, Johan Janse Van Vuuren’s charge raced second of the five for most of the journey. He put his head in front when the race developed into a sprint 400m out, and made to work late, he kept on to beat the improving RACETHEGREENLIGHT by a neck.
After the scratching of ZANTE, PATCHIT UP BABY looked to be a good thing in the bill topping Allez France Stakes (non-black type) and so it proved to be. Confidently ridden by the in-form Gavin Lerena (3 winners on the day), the best handicapped runner raced at the back for the majority of the trip. She made her move coming off the strip and after putting her head in front 250m out, she won well by a length and a half.
Titbits
Having only her second career outing here, and indeed her first over a mile, STREET GAZE made all, and despite being eased down at the finish won the maiden plate for the girls over 1600m by five and a half.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Bright Flame 14
Race 2: (3) Daring Dave 79
Race 3: (5) Royal Regatta 20
Race 4: (7) Kashmira 9
Race 5: (12) Taffety Tart 85
Race 6: (12) Golden Tongue 50 (EW)
Race 7: (4) Champery 76 (NAP**)
Race 8: (10) Brooklyn Brawler 92
Race 9: (14) Auto Pilot 55
Greyville (sat)
Race 1: (7) Imagination 13
Race 2: (3) Fashion Quest 13
Race 3: (5) Astroman 41 (EW)
Race 4: (12) Academy Princess 50
Race 5: (10) Too Cool 47
Race 6: (7) Zelig 50
Race 7: (12) National Agenda 30
Race 8: (3) Royal Bodyguard 9
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (2) Cold Cash 23
Race 2: (13) Vogue’s Wood 49
Race 3: (12) Blue Sage 38
Race 4: (1) Charter Jet 17
Race 5: (7) Shivering Sea 62
Race 6: (2) Secret Star 50
Race 7: (6) Post Grad 44
Race 8: (3) Cosmic Count 32
Race 9: (4) Captain Rockhopper 14
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (1) Lauren Of Rochelle 5
Race 2: (10) Queen Moira 2
Race 3: (1) Strikeitlikeamatch 23
Race 4: (6) Juddering Angel 64
Race 5: (1) Brutal Force 93
Race 6: (4) Professor Brian 45 (NAP*)
Race 7: (5) Dynamic 101
Race 8: (11) Just Sensual 90 (EW)
Race 9: (4) Tiffindell 7
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (15) Victory Trip 8
Race 2: (1) Autumn In Seattle 14
Race 3: (1) Barbosa 82
Race 4: (11) La Suerte De Matar 29
Race 5: (5) Shine Up 23
Race 6: (1) Sea Fever 75
Race 7: (13) Roy’s Ambassador 34
Race 8: (10) Love Lyric 14
Top rated winners last week included
Scent won 8/1
Strut Your Stuff won 8/1
Roy’s Dollar won 7/1
Aspen Fire won 5/1
Aviatrix won 15/10
Desert Rhythm won 14/10
Kampala Campari won 13/10
Patchit Up Baby won 11/10
Notebook:-
Simply Royal (S Tarry, Gauteng)
Street Gaze (G Woodruff, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Vaal (inside) 16th February
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,67s fast
1000m (2) Clever Guy 56,02
1200m (2) Kirkconnel Lass 69,15
1400m (4) Tokyo Drift 81,61
1700m (1) A P Chanel 103,03
Fairview (turf) 17th February
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,54s fast
1000m (2) Baahir 55,61
1400m (1) The Merry Widow 82,26
1600m (3) Vilanelle 96,14
1800m (1) Western Wu 109,09
2000m (2) Strut Your Stuff 122,89
Greyville (poly) 17th February
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,93s slow
1000m (1) Captain Of Rock 59,60
1200m (1) Icy Spirit 72,35
1600m (4) Night Shadow 97,20
2000m (2) Roy’s Emblem 125,11
Turffontein (inner) 18th February
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,3s fast
1200m (1) Simply Royal 72,32
1600m (3) Brazuca 96,06
1800m (1) Porcupine Creek 112,68
2000m (2) Royal Honour 124,11
2200m (2) Patchit Up Baby 137,92
