Gentlemanly Conduct
Greyville 8th September: Sunday’s action took place on the poly track where victory in the opening maiden plate over 1100m went to the 4yo Pathfork gelding GENTLEMAN’S WAY. Beaten almost 20 lengths in his only previous outing some 68 weeks earlier, Dennis Bosch’s charge was not surprisingly very easy to back in the betting market. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He got the better of the favourite QUANT MASTER 50m out and won going away by 0,3 lengths.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 2000m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was PRINCESS ANALIA when winning the MR74 Handicap. Another to race handy, Frank Robinson’s charge took up the running early in the straight and in what proved to be a real thriller she held on in a three way finish by a quarter.
The MR78 Handicap was the faster of the two 1000m races and here victory went to the rapidly improving 3yo PRINCE OF VENICE. Now a winner of two from three, this son of Vercingetorix sat fourth during the early part of the race. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and went on to score a bit more easily than the official winning margin of just half a length would suggest.
Titbits
Now a winner of two from four, FAVOUR completed a double over the course and distance when running on from the backend of midfield to win the MR78 Handicap over 2000m.
Classic Start
Durbanville 10th September: With a strong tail wind the track at the country course was running fast on Tuesday. The MR90 Handicap proved to be the faster of the two 1000m races on the card and here the 4yo BELLINGHAM BAY completed a double. Soon positioned close to the speed, Eric Sands’ charge put his head in front 150m out and kept on strongly late to beat the always handy SKIDOO by a half-length. Third placed RIO QUERARI raced at the back of the nine turning for home and finished best of all in this race.
The bill topping MR100 Handicap was the fastest of the three 1600m races and here victory went to the second favourite SECRET DEPTHS. Always handy, the daughter of Elusive Fort was ridden to lead going through the 400m and with the benefit of first run she got the better of the running on favourite SLEEPING SINGLE by just under a half.
The opening maiden plate over 1000m was priced up as a boat race between BROADSIDE and GOLDEN TRACTOR and so it proved to be. They raced first and second in that order throughout and were together over the final 200m. They drew some six lengths clear of the remainder and it was only very late that Broadside asserted his authority.
Titbits
The newcomer BINDI had the field well strung out at the finish when comfortably accounting for her ten rivals in the maiden plate for the girls over 1250m.
Catch Me If You Can
Scottsville 11th September: With the other two races over the distance being maiden plates, the bill topping pinnacle stakes won by the lightly weighted EFFORTLESS REWARD was not surprisingly the fastest of the three 1000m races. Set to shoulder the featherweight of just 46kg with the benefit of apprentice Ramzan’s 4kg allowance, the Reward For Effort mare led throughout. She raced two lengths clear for most of the journey and that proved to be only just enough to hold off the always handy GOLIATH HERON by a short head.
The MR74 Handicap was by far the faster of the two 1750m events and here we saw an impressive performance from the heavily supported DANCING FEATHER. An easy four length winner of her maiden last time out, this daughter of Duke Of Marmalade was soon cosily positioned in third. She took up the running early in the straight and after quickly skipping clear she won very well by four.
A maiden plate over 1000m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a comfortable victory for the Corinne Bestel trained MYSTIC DREAMER. Easy to back at 17/2 on the off, the daughter of Visionaire raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She quickened well from halfway and comfortably accounted for the well-exposed BLING A DING DING by two.
Titbits
Not disgraced in the R1M non-black type KZN Yearling Sale Million last time out, WE LIGHT THE FIRE made all when getting off the mark in the maiden plate over 1000m.
Marshalling The Troops
Turffontein 12th September: They raced on the inner track on Thursday where we saw a smart performance in the faster of the two 1600m events (a MR72 Handicap) from the progressive MARSHALL. Far from extended when opening his account on debut last time out, Mike De Kock’s charge again raced handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and went on to score with authority from the well-exposed PELICAN BAY.
Another to win in good style on this card was MY DREAM CHASER when registering her third career victory in the bill topping MR92 Handicap over 1800m. Content to race in the rear of what proved to be the fastest of the three races over the distance, David Nieuwenhuizen’s charge cut through the field like a knife in the short home straight and won going away by three and a half after striking the front 200m from home.
They also ran three races over 1450m and quickest home amongst these was EHSAAN in the MR88 Handicap. Always handy, this 3yo son of Captain Al ran on strongly at the business end of the race and held off a determined challenge from LONE SURVIVOR to score by a half.
Titbits
Making his debut in what looked to be a fair maiden event over 1450m, the newcomer RIVERSTOWN cruised clear in the straight to score decisively by three and three quarters.
Change As Good As A Rest
Fairview 13th September: They raced on the poly track on Friday where a half of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1200m. The pinnacle stakes was the fastest of these and here victory went to the heavily supported SIR FRENCHIE. Backed into the red before the off, Yvette Bremner’s charge raced in the backend of midfield for most of the journey. He quickened best of all from halfway and won with plenty in hand after striking the front 200m out.
1900m was the only other distance to stage more than one race. The MR62 Handicap was comfortably the quicker of the two and here victory went to the well-supported SALUBRIOUS. Always handy, the daughter of Golden Sword took up the running 250m out and went on to score with authority from the in-form OASIS QUEEN.
There were a number of very easy victories on the card and none more so than that of TOLTEC in the MR82 Handicap. Having his first outing since relocating to the Eastern Cape, Toltec was soon positioned close to the speed. He put his head in front early in the short home straight and cruised clear over the final 400m to win with a ton in hand by six and a quarter.
Titbits
Pitched in against mainly boys in this only her second outing, TAWNY JET won the opening maiden plate over 1200m much easier than the official winning margin of half a length would suggest.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (3) Andrea 18
Race 2: (1) Princess Rebel 84
Race 3: (1) Cradleofgratitude 21
Race 4: (6) Falcon Rock 66
Race 5: (12) Torio Lake 45
Race 6: (3) Ontenderhooks 64
Race 7: (9) Onesie 65
Race 8: (8) Finley Hill 42
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (7) Bold Ranson 21 (NAP*)
Race 2: (4) Circle Of Latitude 44
Race 3: (15) Musaytara 5
Race 4: (3) Green Top 63
Race 5: (1) My Dream Chaser 63
Race 6: (8) Sunshine Silk 82
Race 7: (2) Three Stars 43
Race 8: (5) Queen’s Jet 32
Race 9: (1) The Sands 48
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (9) Kilindini 29
Race 2: (3) Frank Lloyd Wright 55
Race 3: (3) Point Of Sale 29
Race 4: (4) Pay Pay 25
Race 5: (10) Cyber Law 44
Race 6: (7) Purple Mountains 56
Race 7: (5) Faye 43
Race 8: (9) Pacific Rim 8
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (6) Cersei 14
Race 2: (1) Krishnies Jet 25
Race 3: (2) Great Guy 13
Race 4: (5) La Bella 43
Race 5: (2) Candy Galore 56
Race 6: (7) Blaze Of Silk 58
Race 7: (5) Stream Ahead 60
Race 8: (1) Noble Joshua 52
Race 9: (4) Mighty Smart 20
Top rated winners last week included
Mystic Dreamer won 17/2
Prince Of Venice won 5/1
We Light The Fire won 51/20
Lunar Tunes won 22/10
Flatware won 2/1
Brandina won 37/20
Readysetglo won 31/20
Wylie’s Flame won 14/10
Notebook:-
Dancing Feather (G Van Zyl, KZN)
Marshall (M De Kock, Gauteng
Riverstown (P Peter, Gauteng)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 8th September
Going Standard
1000m (2) Prince Of Venice 58,96
1100m (1) Gentleman’s Way 65,85
1400m (2) Bestday Of Mylife 84,43
2000m (3) Princess Analia 123,56
Durbanville 10th September
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,01s fast
1000m (2) Bellingham Bay 56,91
1250m (1) Bindi 75,73
1400m (1) Hurricane Harry 85,99
1600m (3) Secret Depths97,71
1800m (1) Lunar Tunes 111,96
Scottsville (inside) 11th September
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,2s fast
1000m (3) Effortless Reward 55,88
1200m (1) San’s Dancer 69,03
1400m (2) Spiffy 84,00
1750m (2) Dancing Feather 105,88
Turffontein (inside) 12th September
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,21s slow
1200m (1) Over The Limit 73,36
1450m (3) Ehsaan 87,57
1600m (2) Marshall 98,25
1800m (3) My Dream Chaser 110,99
Fairview (poly) 13th September
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,32s slow
1200m (4) Sir Frenchie 69,83
1400m (1) Brandina 83,63
1600m (1) Toltec 95,40
1900m (2) Salubrious 117,93
