Bred To Perform
Greyville 11th August: Favourite backers got off to a nice start on Sunday’s turf card when OONA did the business in the opening maiden plate for the girls over 1400m. Content to sit in the middle of what was a very tightly bunched field early on, Stuart Pettigrew’s charge ran on best of all in the short home straight, and under a well-judged ride from Keagan De Melo she got up late to deny ICE IMPERIAL.
The MR78 Handicap was not surprisingly the faster of the two races over 1400m and here we saw a comfortable victory for the former Cape Town campaigner CAESURA. Nibbled at into 13/2 from 11’s, Alyson Wright’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by a length and three quarters.
The only other distance to stage more than one race was 1000m where the faster of the two handicaps was the MR84 affair won by the easy to back TWEED VALLEY. Allowed to drift right out to 16/1 from 17/2, the Pathfork mare was soon positioned close to the speed. She put her head in front 160m out and comfortably accounted for the front running favourite OCEAN CITY by a length and a half.
Titbits
Now a winner of four from six, BORN TO PERFORM won the bill topping MR87 Handicap over 1600m with authority by two.
Silva Lining
Kenilworth 13th August: The going was still soft in Cape Town on Tuesday. Three of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1400m and in the fastest of these, a pinnacle stakes, we saw a smart performance from the 2018 Durban July third placed runner ELUSIVE SILVA. Shouldering no less than 61,5kg here, Justin Snaith’s heavily burdened runner was positioned in the backend of midfield as the thirteen runners turned for home. Once in the straight though this 7yo son of Silvano soon began to make headway and in what proved to be a real thriller, he got up late to deny his more fancied stable companion PLATINUM PRINCE.
1200m was the only other distance to stage more than one race and surprisingly the faster of these was the opening maiden plate won by the lightly raced Dynasty colt BAG OF TRICKS. Always handy, Brett Crawford’s charge ran on strongly at the business end of the race and with the rest some two and a half lengths adrift, he got the better of the running on BRONZED by a half.
Race five was a very smart looking progress event over 1200m and in a time 0,37 seconds slower than that of Bag Of Tricks, we saw an eye catching performance from the lightly raced ORATORIO filly ATHALIA. Finishing best of all, Adam Marcus’ charge struck the front 60m out and won going away from the odds on favourite MIRAGE.
Titbits
Confidently ridden by apprentice Sandile Mbhele, TATTOOED ROCKER came from the back when winning the MR70 Handicap over 1600m going away by three and a quarter.
European Champs
Greyville 14th August: Racing returned to the turf track on Wednesday afternoon where the best bet on the card for most, LIVERPOOL CHAMP did the business in the maiden plate over 1900m. Adopting a change of tactics here, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 300m and went on to score with authority from the ultra-consistent VELVET SEASON.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were staged over 1400m and comfortably the quickest of these was the bill topping MR90 Handicap won by MASTER KEYS. Always handy, the daughter of Master Of My Fate got the better of SPAM ALERT 70m out and won going away by three quarters.
Race six on the card was a MR76 Handicap over 1600m and here we saw a very easy victory for the column’s top rated runner PATH TO GLORY. Freely available at 13/1 on the off, Mike Miller’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. She put her head in front shortly after passing the 300m pole and won going away by just over three from the hat-trick seeking SCARLET CHILL.
Titbits
Backed into odds on at the track, lightly raced MATTERHORN quickened well below the distance when getting up in the very last stride to open his account in the maiden plate over 1400m.
Strangers In The Night
Vaal 15th August: Thursday’s action took place on the classic track where the only race down the straight was the opening work rider’s maiden plate over 1000m won by the easy to back OLD BLUE EYES. Freely available at 16/1 on the off, Candice Dawson’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m marker and won well by a length and a half from the second favourite DANCING FLAME.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1200m and stopping the clock in the fastest of these was THE SANDS when causing a bit of an upset in the MR88 Handicap. Positioned in the rear early on, Gary Alexander’s charge ran on strongly from halfway and after striking the front 110m from home, he comfortably accounted for the well-supported favourite CULTURE TRIP by a length and three quarters.
They also ran three races over 1500m and quickest home here was CATEGORY FOUR in the MR68 Handicap. Allowed to drift right out to 13/1 from 15/2, the top weighted Twice Over gelding raced fourth for most of the journey. He quickened well at the business end of the race and despite ROCKY PATH (raced 7th – led 300m) having the benefit of first run, he got the better of that one 50m from home to score by a half.
Titbits
After running on stoutly from the rear, HARTLEYFOUR won the MR72 Handicap over 1200m with authority by a length and a half.
Steeplechase Margin
Fairview 16th August: All eyes on Friday afternoon were on WORLD RADAR in the novice plate over 1200m. Rated an incredibly high 105 by the official handicapper when winning her only previous outing in impressive fashion, Alan Greeff’s charge started at 3/10 here. She got away well when the gates opened and soon at the head of affairs led throughout. She raced a couple of lengths clear for most of the journey and only having to be pushed out over the final 400m, she went on to score with total authority by three and a quarter. This was the fastest of the three races over the distance, but it is worth noting that this was only 0,21 seconds faster (just over a length) than the opening maiden plate won by DUET.
2200m was the only other distance to stage more than one race on the card and surprisingly the faster of these was the maiden plate won by TOM TOM. Sent off a strong favourite at 5/4, the former Gauteng campaigner raced sixth early on. He began to take closer order rounding the home turn and after striking the front 300m out, he bolted clear to score by eleven and a half.
A very competitive looking pinnacle stakes over 1900m topped the bill and here it was nice to see the ultra-consistent 6yo STORY OF MY LIFE register a fifth career victory. Taken straight to the front by Musi Yeni, the Soar With Eagles gelding led throughout. He was always a couple clear and although both FREE AGENT and MANGROVE chased hard in the home straight, they could only make minimal impression.
Titbits
At the back of the thirteen turning for home, BURNT ROCK ran on best of all when getting up in the very last stride to win the MR68 Handicap over 1300m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (7) Queen Of Pop 16
Race 2: (1) JJ The Wolf 18
Race 3: (6) Blushing Bride 33 (NAP*)
Race 4: (7) Cloud Atlas 64
Race 5: (5) Founding Father 46
Race 6: (2) Dutch Philip 82
Race 7: (4) Meryl 68 (nb)
Race 8: (2) Epic Storm 46
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (8) Clock Stopper 10
Race 2: (3) Strikeitlikeamatch 41
Race 3: (11) Mr Mogambo 16
Race 4: (7) Fireworks 1
Race 5: (9) Only To Win 53
Race 6: (2) The Sash 42
Race 7: (2) Dromedaris 66
Race 8: (3) Kurt’s Approval 26
Race 9: (6) Norland 44
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (10) Warrior Tiger 36
Race 2: (1) Platinum Prince 64
Race 3: (5) Queen Of Quiet 30
Race 4: (3) Watch Me Now 13
Race 5: (1) Path Of Choice 7
Race 6: (1) Nasty Harry 60 (EW)
Race 7: (6) Gimme Katrina 41
Race 8: (12) Purple Mountains 55
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (5) Blonde Babe 12
Race 2: (3) Samsonite 46
Race 3: (3) Velvet Season 25
Race 4: (5) Perfect Air 68
Race 5: (11) Alphamikefoxtrot 37
Race 6: (1) Accidental Tourist 44
Race 7: (2) Triple Fate Line 71 (NAP**)
Race 8: (3) Red Hot Night 25
Top rated winners last week included
Elusive Silva won 20/1
Path To Glory won 13/1
Britannia Queen won 25/4
Master Keys won 17/4
Bellingham Bay won 26/10
Day Trip won 26/10
Duchess Lane won 21/10
Oona won 7/4
Notebook:-
Born To Perform (D Bosch, KZN)
World Radar (A Greeff, E-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (turf) 11th August
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,86s slow
1000m (2) Tweed Valley 59,11
1200m (1) Eternal Words 71,70
1400m (2) Caesura 85,28
1600m (1) Born To Perform 97,73
2000m (1) Before Noon 126,08
2200m (1) Deposition 142,16
Kenilworth (old) 13th August
Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft
Course Variant: 4,75s slow
1000m (1) Bellingham Bay 63,20
1200m (2) Bag Of Tricks 78,01
1400m (3) Elusive Silva 92,33
1600m (1) Tattooed Rocker 106,47
2000m (1) Day Trip 135,88
Greyville (turf) 14th August
Penetrometer 23 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,70s slow
1200m (1) Duchess Lane 72,91
1400m (4) Master Keys 84,19
1600m (1) Path To Glory 97,38
1800m (1) Techno Captain 111,87
1900m (1) Liverpool Champ 119,01
Vaal (classic) 15th August
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,20s slow
1000m (1) Old Blue Eyes 58,23
1200m (3) The Sands 69,74
1500m (3) Category Four 90,76
1800m (1) Burindi 110,49
2400m (1) Il Mondo 150,32
Fairview (poly) 16 August
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,80s slow
1200m (3) World Radar 70,98
1300m (1) Burnt Rock 75,85
1600m (1) Stream Of Kindness 96,42
1900m (1) Story Of My Life 116,85
2200m (2) Tom Tom 138,43
