First In Line
Fairview 25th January
They raced on the poly track on Wednesday where four of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1600m. Quickest home in these was LAWS OF SUCCESSION when registering his seventh career victory in the bill topping MR87 Handicap. Always handy, Yvette Bremner’s charge ran on stoutly in the short home straight and in what proved to be a real thriller, he got the verdict by the narrowest of margins over FLY LIKE THE WIND.
Another to cut it fine when finding the winner’s enclosure was GIVE IT AWAY when getting off the mark in the opening maiden event over 1900m. Backed into the red at the track, the best bet on the card for many also raced close to the speed. He put his head in front 400m out and in a race where just 0,35 of a length covered the first four home, he just held on. Fourth placed VIDA FELLA came from the rear, and was finishing best of all in this race.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by TIME TRIPPER when opening her account in the maiden 1600m. Nicely positioned in fifth as they came off the bend, the daughter of Traffic Guard was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and drew clear easily from there onwards to score by four and a quarter.
Titbits
IRISH GREY ran on well from the backend of midfield when getting up in the very last stride to win the maiden plate over 1200m.
LORD WINDERMERE won the novice 1300m with some in hand.
In The Right Place
Vaal 26th January
The fastest of the three 1000m races on the inside track on Saturday was the MR72 Handicap won by the lightly raced 3yo CATHEDRAL COUNTY. Sent off favourite at 5/2, the son of Trippi was always handy. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and comfortably accounted for the front running STARK (sweating) by a length and a quarter.
The faster of the two 1200m maiden plates was the girls’ affair won by the newcomer GRANDE ROCHE. On leaving the stalls it was the second favourite GRATUITY who elected to make the running and going through the 400m, she was still four lengths clear. The 5/2 favourite quickened nicely at the business end of the race through, and cruised clear to score by three and three quarters after striking the front less than 100m from home.
Quickest home in the two 1700m races was WILD BRIER in the MR65 Handicap. Exceptionally well weighted on his earlier form, the son of Ideal World raced fourth for most of the journey. He put his head in front at the 200m marker and with a ton in hand won going away by three.
Titbits
Despite being eased late, the 3yo LADY OF THE WORLD won the MR68 Handicap over 1000m going away by two and a quarter.
Consistency Reward
Fairview 27th January
The non-black type Fairview Merchants topped the bill at Friday’s turf meeting and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1200m races the 6yo Var gelding NORMANZ gained just reward for his consistency. Taken straight to the front by S’manga Khumalo, Normanz led throughout. He was always around a length and a quarter clear and without any anxious moments, he went on to score by that margin.
They also ran three races over 1400m and stopping the clock in the fastest time here was FREDERICK FOX when registering his fourth career victory in the MR72 Handicap. Easy to back at 6/1 on the off, Gavin Smith’s poorly drawn charge raced in the backend of midfield early on. He quickened best of all down the long home straight and won going away by a length and three quarters after striking the front 100m from home.
Another to win with authority from the stable of Gavin Smith (3 winners on the card) was EN GEE OH in the novice 1800m. Travelling the distance for the first time, the 3yo son of Philanthropist was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m and with his jockey looking around for challenges 100m out, he went on to win quite a bit more easily than the official three quarter length margin would suggest.
Titbits
STRAWBERRY LIPS didn’t find the clearest of passages en-route from the rear when winning the maiden 1400m with some in hand.
Aptly Named
Greyville 27th January
As is usually the case they raced on the poly track on Friday evening where the fastest of the three 1200m races was the MR62 Handicap won by the 3yo WAVEBREAKER. Sent off a warm favourite at 5/2, Frank Robinson’s charge was soon at the head of affairs. He quickened well at the top of the short home straight and extended his one length advantage to three and a half before crossing the line.
Quickest home in the three 1900m races was the aptly named ONE MAN SHOW when easily accounting for his nine rivals in the MR70 Handicap. Another to make all, the son of Tiger Ridge adopted almost identical tactics to those used by Wavebreaker and won going away by three.
The two remaining races were both run over 1600m and quickest against the clock in these was INTO THE GROOVE. Freely available at 8/1 on the off, Ivan Moore’s charge sat in midfield during the early part of the race. He was ridden to lead approaching the 200m marker, and clearly unphased by the heavy rain that was falling, he drew clear easily.
Titbits
After being a little slow into stride, SILVER JAY ran on well from midfield when getting off the mark in the opening maiden plate over 1200m.
Smart Craftsmanship
Greyville 28th January
Having stolen two races from Kenilworth, there were just six races on the poly track card on Saturday. Three of these were staged over 1000m with the quickest being the MR60 affair won by ICE RUN. Nibbled at on course into 9/1 from 15’s, Tony Rivalland’s charge made all. He kept on determinedly in the straight and won by a half from the always second positioned HALLO MR.
A maiden plate over 1400m had gotten proceedings underway and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the well supported even money favourite THE CARPENTER. Not the quickest into stride when the gates opened, Charlie Laird’s charge raced sixth for the first half of the race. He made his move coming off the bend and won going away by two and a half after striking the front 200m from home.
The best bet on the card for Sporting Post was BRAVE KNIGHT in the qualified maiden plate over 1000m and at the generous odds of 5/2, he did the business. Soon up handy, the son of Great Britain was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m pole, and after quickly drawing clear he went on to score very cosily by two and three quarters.
Titbits
The Gauteng raider GUNSHIP had the rest well beaten when getting the better of CLASS ACT to win the MR70 Handicap over 1000m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (3) Dickensian 13 (NAP*)
Race 2: (10) Gold Force 17
Race 3: (3) Green Lantern 57
Race 4: (1) Figure Of Grey 13
Race 5: (7) Rush In 35
Race 6: (1) Victoria Lavelle 70
Race 7: (9) Rock Me Var 57
Race 8: (5) Orchestrated 86
Race 9: (7) Diamond Dynasty 42
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Oliver Queen 21
Race 2: (5) Baby In Black 12
Race 3: (8) Secret Service 17
Race 4: (4) Astroman 37
Race 5: (9) The Royal Rumba 76
Race 6: (9) Priceless Gem 43
Race 7: (3) Panza 65 (NAP*)
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (3) Salmon Run 11
Race 2: (8) Tharoos 31
Race 3: (5) Bandanna 1
Race 4: (1) Jackman 15 (NAP**)
Race 5: (7) Star Trek 58
Race 6: (8) Polyphonic 100
Race 7: (9) Cosmic Count 58
Race 8: (11) Dawn Flight 52
Race 9: (8) Arpad 49
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (3) Innocently Naughty 10
Race 2: (1) Mighty Hash 24
Race 3: (18) Rainbowinthesky 20
Race 4: (14) Whale Watching 34
Race 5: (9) Millrace 47
Race 6: (1) Night Trip 85
Race 7: (6) Mark My Card 74
Race 8: (1) Amadora 9
Top rated winners last week included
Cumberland won 35/1
Light Chaser won 9/1
Professor Brian won 9/1
Bushy Park won 9/2
Chili Con Carne won 6/1
Together Forever won 3/1
Talbec won 5/2
Time Tripper won 18/10
Notebook:-
Grande Roche (G Woodruff, Gauteng)
Strawberry Lips (G Paddock, E-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (poly) 25th January
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,84s slow
1000m (1) Talca 58,32
1200m (1) Irish Grey 71,23
1300m (1) Lord Windermere 76,01
1600m (4) Laws Of Succession 95,93
1900m (1) Give It Away 117,73
Vaal (inside) 26th January
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,97s slow
1000m (3) Cathedral County 58,13
1200m (2) Grand Roche 71,89
1400m (1) Intandokazi 83,61
1700m (2) Wild Brier 103,94
2000m (1) Cockade 122,74
Fairview (turf) 27th January
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,62s slow
1000m (1) Graci May 59,17
1200m (3) Normanz 69,66
1400m (3) Frederick Fox 84,97
1600m (1) Brave Option 98,30
1800m (1) En Gee Oh 110,54
Greyville (poly) 27th January
Going Standard
Course Variant: 1,61s slow
1200m (3) Wavebreaker 71,31
1600m (2) Into The Groove 97,33
1900m (3) One Man Show 116,12
Greyville (poly) 28th January
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,23s fast
1000m (3) Ice Run 57,68
1200m (1) Aznerak 71,14
1400m (1) The Carpenter 83,43
1600m (1) Snowman 95,46
