Here, There & Everywhere
Greyville 2nd August: Sunday’s action took place on the poly track where fastest against the clock amongst the three 1200m races was NOBLE VIRTUE in the MR70 Handicap. Nibbled at on course into 11/2 from 7’s, Weiho Marwing’s charge raced in the rear early on. He quickened well when the race began in earnest and won comfortably by a length and three quarters after striking the front 250m out.
The faster of the two maiden plates over 1600m was the girl’s affair won by LADY LAGO. Allowed to drift as if a win was out of the question (7/1 out to 14/1), Mike De Kock’s charge was guarding the rear as the twelve runners swung for home. She finished best of all in the straight and in what turned out to be a real thriller she got up in the dying strides to deny the 5/4 favourite ALESSIA (her stable companion).
The not so lucky last, a MR66 Handicap was the faster of the two 1400m events on the card and first past the post here was the easy to back ANGELUS BELL. Freely available at 12/1 on the off, Brian Wiid’s charge was always handy. He kept on strongly over the final 200m and just had enough in hand to hold off the luckless BURWAAZ by a neck.
Titbits
MOUNTAIN BOY (a newcomer) and KINAAN both ran on well from the back when 1st & 2nd respectively in the boy’s division of the maiden plate over 1200m.
In the rear turning for home, SWISS NOTE made up many lengths in the straight when third in the girls’ division of the maiden plate over 1200m.
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Straight Down The Line
Fairview 3rd August: The National Emblem gelding MAINSTREAM was all the rage to win the MR72 Handicap over 1000m, and in what proved to be the faster of the two events over the trip he didn’t let down his supporters. Backed into 12/10 from 2/1 at the track, Mainstream was very quickly three lengths clear. He kept up a healthy gallop throughout and didn’t relinquish an inch of his advantage. The runner up BRAVE VISION ran on well from the rear and didn’t find the clearest of passages.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1300m and quickest home amongst these was HIGH FASHION when registering her second career victory in the MR60 Handicap. Confidently ridden by Greg Cheyne, the top weight raced a handy sixth for most of the journey. She quickened well at the top of the short home straight and won well by three quarters.
The faster of the two 1900m events was the MR64 affair won by the former Cape Town campaigner OH SO MODUS. Having his third start here since relocating to the Eastern Cape, the son of Modus Vivendi was always handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 400m and comfortably accounted for the unfancied ROCKET RIDER by a length and a half.
Titbits
RUNAWAY TIME ran on strongly late when third in the maiden plate over 1000m.
RUSSIAN MIG and SAMHAAN both ran on well from the backend of midfield when 1st & 2nd respectively in the MR90 Handicap over 1600m.
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Successful Raiders
Greyville 4th August: They raced on the poly track on Tuesday where the faster of the two opening maiden plates over 1400m was the boy’s affair won by COPPER’S PRIDE. Far from disgraced when third in feature race company last time out, the 16/1 shot was always handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m pole and with the benefit of first run he just held on by a neck from the very steadily gaining JOSHUA’S ANSWER.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1000m and quickest of these was the maiden plate in which the favourite ELEPHANT MATRIARCH got off the mark. Despite being restless in the pens she got away well when the gates opened and was soon up handy. She put her head in front early in the straight and comfortably accounted for the running on newcomer ROYAL KAITRINA by two and three quarters.
Gauteng based Brian Wiid has been in devastating form in Natal in the past week and he was on the mark with three of his five runners here. The most notable of these was the victory of ANGEL’S POWER in the MR66 Handicap over 1000m. The subject of a name change (Corpus Christi when winning his only previous outing impressively), the son of Miesque’s Approval raced sixth during the early part of the race. He made his move early in the straight and went on to win with plenty in hand after striking the front 120m out.
Titbits
Poorly drawn LOBELIA ran on well from the backend of midfield when getting off the mark at the first time of asking in the girl’s division of the maiden 1400m.
The PE visitor DRACO quickened very nicely late when opening his account in the maiden 1000m.
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Winner’s Purse
Durbanville 5th August: A maiden plate over 1000m was first up at the country course on Wednesday and sent off a strong favourite here was MYSTICAL TWILIGHT. Soon nicely positioned in second, Vaughan Marshall’s charge took up the running early in the straight and went on to score without any anxious moments from the running on SECRET NAME.
Three of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1600m and the fastest of these was the MR72 Handicap in which the regular place getter SHEPHERDS PURSE got his head in front for a change. Drawn widest of the fourteen, Piet Steyn’s charge raced at the back early on. Once in the long home straight though he quickened well and comfortably accounted for the promising BIG ED by a length and three quarters. Fourth placed COUNT MY LUCK didn’t find the clearest of passages in this race and was running on very strongly in the latter stages.
The faster of the two 1400m races was the MR76 Handicap in which the well supported AMARILLO ROSE (7/1 into 9/2) did the business. Soon up handy, the daughter of Silvano took up the running 250m out and hard ridden in the closing stages of the race she comfortably accounted for the running on favourite TOPLESS by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
The 12/10 favourite ASPARA found extra when challenged 250m out and won the maiden plate over 1600m going away by three and three quarters.
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Time Machine
Vaal 6th August: The newcomer SPEEDY GONVARLEZ was touted as being a machine in the opening work rider’s maiden plate at the sand track on Thursday and as a result she was backed into favouritism at 16/10 (op 5/1). She got away well when the gates opened and was already at the head of affairs going through the 600m. She began to assert her authority at the 400m pole and in a time faster than those of the two conditions plates, she cruised in by eight.
There were a number of very easy victories on the day, among them TORO ROSSO when winning the faster of the two 1450m races, a MR93 Handicap. In the red at 9/10 on the off, Mike De Kock’s charge made all. He led by just a length going through the 400m and only had to be pushed out to score by nine with plenty in hand.
The biggest winning margin was recorded by DOVER BEACH in the faster of the two 1800m events, a MR64 Handicap. Having her first outing here since returning from a spell in the Eastern Cape, the Mullins Bay mare struck the front shortly after passing the halfway mark. She kept on strongly all the way to the wire and won unchallenged by ten.
Titbits
FLAME CAT only really got going over the final 200m, and gaining quickly at the finish was only beaten half a length when third in the girl’s conditions plate over 1000m.
BATTLE IN SEATTLE won the MR71 Handicap over 1450m very easily by six and three quarters and it could have been quite a bit more had he not been eased right down in the latter stages.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Memphis Mafia 16
Race 2: (1) King’s Fire 14
Race 3: (4) The Great Guru 10
Race 4: (4) Dynamite 43
Race 5: (2) Gogetthesheriff 71
Race 6: (16) Times Roman 45
Race 7: (9) Swift Wonder 79
Race 8: (17) Come Play 46
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (11) Saraaba 17 (nb)
Race 2: (2) Seattle Lady 55
Race 3: (5) Lazer Star 93 (NAP**)
Race 4: (5) Teagan’s Boy 23
Race 5: (3) Top Shot 25
Race 6: (1) The Midnight Train 15
Race 7: (2) Front Rank 66
Race 8: (13) Arkansas 60
Race 9: (8) Hit The Big Time 47
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (3) Like Janis 20
Race 2: (3) Sandton Rocker 14
Race 3: (1) Muscatt 76
Race 4: (1) Echuka 55
Race 5: (6) Titus 76
Race 6: (11) Count My Luck (EW)
Race 7: (5) Evoke Emotion 67
Race 8: (12) Harlem Shake 43
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Variable Pitch 15
Race 2: (6) Cyclone Sassy 1
Race 3: (12) Killer Woman 9 (NAP*)
Race 4: (7) Glinka 54
Race 5: (10) Fragrant Beauty 52
Race 6: (1) Bellicosity 44
Race 7: (4) Mr Whatever 81
Race 8: (10) Ivanovich 31
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Top rated winners last week included
Irish Maid won 25/1
Bevelled Edge won 16/1
Main Sunday won 16/1
Sutherfeni won 9/2
Bollywood Babe won 3/1
Aspara won 12/10
Rock Of Belinda won 17/20
Mystical Twilight won 13/20
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Notebook:-
Angel’s Power (B Wiid, KZN)
Lobelia (L Forbes, KZN)
Speedy Gonvarlez (M Houdalakis, Gauteng)
Toro Rosso (M De Kock, Gauteng)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 2nd August
Going Standard
1200m (3) Noble Virtue 71,46
1400m (2) Angelus Bell 84,08
1600m (2) Lady Lago 97,77
1900m (1) Lemon Tea 117,37
Fairview (poly) 3rd August
Going Standard
1000m (2) Mainstream 57,66*
1300m (3) High Fashion 75,82*
1600m (2) Sanfoneiro 94,72
1900m (2) Oh So Modus 116,23
Greyville (poly) 4th August
Going Standard
1000m (3) Elephant Matriarch 58,64
1200m (1) Sutherfeni 71,05
1400m (2) Copper’s Pride 84,22
1600m (1) Klondike River 95,38
2000m (1) Racing Socks 124,14
Durbanville 5th August
Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft
1000m (1) Mystical Twilight 59,64
1300m (1) Ochoncar 79,01
1400m (2) Amarillo Rose 85,56
1600m (3) Shepherds Purse 98,73
2000m (1) Cape Rebel 126,39
Vaal (sand) 6th August
Going Standard
1000m (3) Speedy Gonvarlez 58,23
1200m (1) Sir Price 74,85*
1450m (2) Toro Rosso 88,42
1800m (2) Dover Beach 114,81
