Icing On The Cake
Fairview 19th February: They raced on the turf on Friday where the fastest of the three 1400m races was the bill topping Breeders Guineas Plate (non-black type) won by the hat-trick seeking CUP CAKE. Sent off second in the betting market at 2/1, the daughter of Var made all. She was a length and a quarter clear for most of the journey and extended her advantage to three and a quarter over the final 400m.
The faster of the two 1600m races was the MR88 Handicap in which the veteran POLITICAL PLAYBOY registered his seventh career victory. On leaving the stalls it was GLOBAL EXPRESS who elected to make the running whilst the topweight, in a strung out field, sat close up third. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the running on RAZED IN BLACK by three quarters.
The easiest victory on the eight race program was undoubtedly that of PEREGRINE KING in the faster of the two 1200m races, a MR72 Handicap. Freely available at 12/1 on the off, the King Of Kings gelding adopted a change of tactics here and raced handy. He put his head in front shortly after passing the 300m pole and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by five and a quarter.
Titbits
The 5yo ESS EL KAY ran on stoutly from the rear, and didn’t find the clearest of passages, when getting up in the very last stride to share first place in the MR84 Handicap over 1200m.
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100% Evergreen
Greyville 19th February: The poly track was the chosen surface for the action on Friday evening where the quickest home in the three 1600m events was PEACH DELIGHT in the MR76 Handicap. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 14/10 (op 2/1), Dean Kannemeyer’s charge sat sixth during the early part of the race. She quickened nicely at the top of the straight and cruised clear to score by four and three quarters after striking the front 160m from home.
The evergreen stable of Dean Kannemeyer was also on the mark with their other two runners on the card, CANIGAO and RUBY GEM. Backed into 2/1 second favourite from 7/2 to win the maiden plate over 1600m, Ruby Gem came from the back, and got up nicely late to deny DON’TSTOPTHEPARTY (led 250m). Canigao on the other hand was always handy in the faster of the two 2000m events, a MR70 Handicap, and won well by a length and a quarter after striking the front 350m from home.
Titbits
After losing two lengths at the start the 33/1 shot STORM KITTEN ran on well from the rear when getting up late to win the MR70 Handicap over 1200m. The runner up PRIVATE DANCER also ran on well from the rear in this race.
Poorly drawn MISS NIGHTINGALE ran on well from the rear when getting up late to win the faster of the two 1000m races, a MR66 Handicap.
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Pillar To Post
Turffontein 20th February: Saturday’s meeting took place on the inner track where we saw a very comfortable victory in the faster of the two 1000m races, a MR78 Handicap, for the speedy CATALUGA. Taken straight to the front by Gunter Wrogemann, the daughter of Fort Beluga soon had the field well strung out. She kept up a healthy gallop throughout, and with the rest some four lengths adrift she won well from the steadily gaining USISI by a length and a half.
The faster of the two 1450m races was the MR70 affair won by the easy to back MUTAKAYYEF. Freely available at 16/1 on the off, Clinton Binda’s charge was always handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the luckless GOLDEN MAN by a length and three quarters. Drawn wide and slow into stride to boot, the runner up raced detached at the rear early on. He also lost a shoe and was cut into on both hind, but despite all that he finished well.
There were also two races staged over 2000m and quickest home amongst these was CAYMEN SUNSET in the bill topping MR80 Handicap. Now a winner of four from seven, Geoff Woodruff’s charge was always handy. He quickened well when the race developed into a sprint at the top of the short home straight and did well to collar the front running SUPER GLUE close home.
Titbits
Returning from an eight month layoff here, the lightly raced BEATING HEART came from the rear when comfortably accounting for her eleven rivals in the maiden plate over 1450m.
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No Pain No Gain
Kenilworth 20th February: The fastest of the three 1200m races in Cape Town on Saturday was the pinnacles stakes won by the 15/10 favourite LINE BREAK. Always handy in a tightly bunched field, Mike Bass’ charge ran on stoutly over the final 400m and in a blanket finish he got the verdict by a neck over the second favourite EXELERO.
The faster of the two 1600m races was the non-black type Cape Mile won by the lesser fancied of Brett Crawford’s two runners BIG CAT. Freely available at 25/1 on the off, the 6yo son of Black Minnaloushe was always in touch with the leaders. He ran on strongly in the straight and beat his always handy stable companion SAIL SOUTH (8/1) fair and square by a length.
Sharing top billing was the Gr3 Chairmans Cup over 3200m and trying the distance for the first time the Greys Inn gelding KING OF PAIN landed the spoils. Usually one to run on stoutly from off the pace, the easy to back 6yo broke particularly well, and with none of the others keen to go on, he reluctantly found himself making the running. He found an extra gear when challenged at the business end of the race, and won comfortably by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
At the helm from halfway, RESPECTABLE REBEL ran out a very easy winner of the opening work rider’s maiden plate over 1200m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park (sat)
Race 1: (8) Bow ‘n Arrow 11
Race 2: (3) Forever Alert 17
Race 3: (3) Captain’s Flight 12
Race 4: (6) Tetelestai 52
Race 5: (3) Ballerini 31
Race 6: (6) Over Budget 29
Race 7: (17) Afterburner 33
Race 8: (7) Move Like Jagger 64
Race 9: (2) Cristal Arrow 31
Race 10: (5) Glinka 32
Fairview (tues)
Race 1: (5) Messageinabottle 6
Race 2: (1) Stevedore 9
Race 3: (3) Harmston Herald 16
Race 4: (14) Spiaggia 56
Race 5: (14) Come Along 47
Race 6: (10) On My Wits Alone 53
Race 7: (11) Night Dancer 51
Race 8: (12) Soaring Jet 43
Turffontein (tues)
Race 1: (3) Double Appeal 19
Race 2: (3) Leroy 23
Race 3: (1) Odd Rob 22
Race 4: (1) Duzi Moon 18
Race 5: (8) High Drama 58
Race 6: (9) Post Grad 61
Race 7: (8) Mombela 58
Race 8: (1) Chinawhite 11
Greyville (wed)
Race 1: (1) Diamond League 13 (NAP*)
Race 2: (6) Seattle Light 24
Race 3: (7) Alldressedup 11
Race 4: (1) Tuscan 62
Race 5: (2) Tigress Dance 36
Race 6: (2) Emperor Niarchos 54
Race 7: (6) Cat In Command 78
Race 8: (6) Secret Admirer 35
Race 9: (6) First Apostle 6
Vaal (thur)
Race 1: (1) Matilda’s Daughter 18
Race 2: (1) Beckoning 8
Race 3: (1) In The Moment 14
Race 4: (1) Prospectus 10 (nb)
Race 5: (10) Nother Russia 18 (NAP**)
Race 6: (12) Kalanchoe 54
Race 7: (9) Gullivers Travel 58
Race 8: (12) Die Kat 56
Race 9: (2) Turbo Tom 49
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Top rated winners last week included
Beating Heart won 6/1
Sportstrader won 3/1
Eviction won 17/10
Line Break won 15/10
Battle In Seattle won 14/10
Ronnie Rocket won 12/10
Thayer won 17/40
Miss Varlicious won 1/3
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Notebook:-
Beating Heart (J Vos, Gauteng)
King Of Pain (J Ramsden, W-Cape)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (turf) 19th February
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
1000m (1) Radisha 57,63
1200m (2) Peregrine King 68,81*
1400m (3) Cup Cake 84,27
1600m (2) Political Playboy 97,10
Greyville (poly) 19th February
Going
1000m (2) Miss Nightingale 58,15
1200m (1) Storm Kitten 70,58
1400m (1) Battle In Seattle 83,03
1600m (3) Peach Delight 95,61
2000m (2) Canigao 122,64
Turffontein (inner) 20th February
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
1000m (2) Cataluga 58,16
1200m (1) Ronnie Rocket 73,68
1450m (2) Mutakayyef 88,69
1600m (2) Kingkovsky 98,49
2000m (2) Caymen Sunset 125,24
Kenilworth (new) 20th February
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (1) Hoist The Mast 59,90
1200m (3) Line Break 72,32
1400m (1) Cuvee Brut 85,71
1600m (2) Big Cat 97,52
3200m (1) King Of Pain 218,72
