Amazing Peace
Turffontein 28th July: A maiden juvenile plate over 1400m got proceedings underway on the old stand side track on Sunday and here victory went to the well supported newcomer SUMMER PUDDING. Sent off a clear favourite at 16/10, this daughter of Silvano was soon up handy. She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and after getting the better of the form horse ZODIAC PRINCESS 50m from home, she won going away.
The two 1160m races on the card were both maiden events and in the faster of these CAPTAIN FLYNT opened his account. Another to race handy, Alec Laird’s charge commenced battle with INSIDE POLITICS 150m out and after a thrilling tussle he got the verdict by a neck.
The two 1800m races were also both maiden plates and quicker home here was PAX ROMANA when causing an upset in the boy’s division. Sent off as the rank outsider of the eight horse party at 44/1, Paul Peter’s charge was positioned at the back turning for home. He put his head in front going through the 300m and belying his two previous racecourse appearances, he cruised clear to score by five.
Titbits
Positioned at the back when the twelve runners swung for home, DANCEWITHTHEDRAGON fairly flew in the closing stages when getting up late to open her account in the girl’s division of the maiden1800m.
Super Six
Fairview 29th July: Three of the eight races on Monday’s poly track card were run over 1600m and in the fastest of these, a MR72 Handicap, the 3yo IN A PERFECT WORLD gained his fourth win from just ten starts. Content to amble along in the rear early on, Alan Greeff’s charge quickened best of all at the top of the short home straight and won going away after striking the front 100m from home.
They also ran three races over 1300m and stopping the clock in the fastest time amongst these was the Alan Greeff trained ELUSIVE DIVA in the MR64 Handicap. The fifth of six winners on the card for her trainer, the daughter of Elusive Fort made all. She raced a length and a quarter clear for most of the journey before asserting her authority in the straight to score by five.
The Greeff trained MIO GRANDE in the maiden juvenile plate over 1600m was the best bet on the card for most and he didn’t let down his supporters. Another to race clear throughout, Mio Grande ran on strongly over the final 400m and won without any anxious moments by two.
Titbits
Always handy in what soon became a strung out field, SUN UP bolted clear after striking the front 60m from home when winning the MR64 Handicap over 1300m by four.
Powerful Padre
Greyville 31st July: The opening maiden juvenile plate was the faster of the two 1200m races on Wednesday’s poly track card and here the Garth Puller trained WISHFUL GIRL LINN ran out a very easy winner. Deep in the red at 11/20 on the off, the daughter of Linngari was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three and three quarters.
The joint bill topping MR80 Handicap was the faster of the two 1000m races on the card and here victory went to the Duncan Howells trained COLDHARDCASH. Taken straight to the front by Musi Yeni, the lightly weighted Western Winter gelding led throughout. He kept on strongly over the final 400m and with the rest some four and a quarter lengths adrift, he held off a determined challenge from the always handy BRAVO ZULU by a neck.
The MR80 Handicap was much the faster of the two 1400m events on the card and here we saw a smart performance from the highly regarded PADRE PIO. Sent off a well-supported favourite at 5/2, this lightly raced 2yo also led throughout. He held a very healthy length and three quarters lead for most of the journey and despite the efforts of both CALIENTE and COLLABRO in the straight, he extended that advantage to three and a quarter.
Titbits
At the head of affairs throughout, the lightly raced 2yo WOLFGANG only had to be pushed out when comfortably accounting for his ten rivals in the maiden plate over 1200m.
Good As It Gets
Vaal 1st August: Three 1000m races got the new season underway at the Vaal’s classic track on Thursday and in the fastest of these, a MR80 Handicap, the 6yo Var gelding LIFE IS GOOD registered his eighth career victory. Up with the speed throughout, Barend Botes’ charge kept on strongly at the business end of the race and just had enough in hand to score by a neck from the running on TALKTOTHESTARS. The runner up had raced detached at the rear and finished very well.
The afternoon’s feature event was a MR94 Handicap over 1600m and in what proved to be the faster of the two races over the distance LAKE KINNERET landed the spoils. Content to race at the back of the six for most of the journey, St John’s Gray’s charge finished best of all and got up 150m from home to beat his stable companion MANITOBA going away.
They also ran two races over 1450m and stopping the clock in the faster time here was the 3yo LIGHTHEARTED when winning the MR71 Handicap. Easy to back at 14/1 on the off, Paul Peter’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He ran on strongly down the long straight and won well from the 2/1 favourite DHABYAAN by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
The best bet on the card for many, the 3yo FLYING HIGH came from the rear when opening her account in the girls’ division of the maiden plate over 1600m very easily by six.
Another Four
Fairview 2nd August: Following his six winners at the last meeting of the season on Monday, trainer Alan Greeff (4 winners here) wasted no time in getting off the mark on the first day of the new season in Port Elizabeth by winning the opening Maiden Plate with the newcomer GO GOODFELLOW. Allowed to ease right out to 23/10 second favourite after opening up at even money, the 3yo son of Jackson was soon up handy. He was always travelling well and won easing down after striking the front just 50m from home.
The stable of Alan Greeff were also on the mark in the fastest of the three 1600m events, a MR81 Handicap, when CHAKRI landed the spoils. Easy to back at 10/1 on the off, the former Cape Town campaigner was always handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m marker and kept on strongly late to beat her running on stable companion DOUBLE BLACK (came from the rear) by a length and three quarters.
In terms of distance the easiest victory on the card was recorded by PALACE QUEEN when getting off the mark in the maiden plate for the girls over 1200m. Backed into the red at the track, Tara Laing’s charge was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by four and three quarters.
Titbits
The Ideal World mare BELL TOWER ran on well from midfield when comfortably accounting for her eleven rivals in the MR64 Handicap over 1600m.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Queen Of Pop 11
Race 2: (4) Lucio 16
Race 3: (5) Seattle Oak 60
Race 4: (14) Honey Suite 24
Race 5: (1) Para Handy 42 (NAP*)
Race 6: (1) Alwahsh 61
Race 7: (7) Paper Town 72
Race 8: (7) Wildcat 50
Race 9: (12) Lalena 38
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (5) Stone Judgement 14
Race 2: (1) Prince Of Kahal 78
Race 3: (1) Maroon Bells 15
Race 4: (9) Perfect Light 21
Race 5: (5) Revelation 32
Race 6: (3) Soldier On 80
Race 7: (3) Archilles 48
Race 8: (1) Hightail 10
Race 9: (6) Vine Street Star 41
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (2) Grey Ferrari 6
Race 2: (6) Lilac Sensation 25
Race 3: (10) Fynbos 14
Race 4: (5) Cane Lime ‘n Soda 15 (NAP*)
Race 5: (4) Duntoche 21
Race 6: (7) Magic Mary 51
Race 7: (11) Nanna Anna 38
Race 8: (7) Mister Vargus 40
Greyville (sun)
Race 1: (1) Oona 15
Race 2: (4) Pantsula 45
Race 3: (1) Indigo Tractor 20 (NAP*)
Race 4: (2) Impact Zone 42
Race 5: (3) Driven Force 51
Race 6: (5) Love Theme 30
Race 7: (2) Accidental Tourist 50
Race 8: (1) Buffalo Soldier 57
Top rated winners last week included
In A Perfect World won 77/20
Informative won 73/20
Favour won 69/20
Miss Jacksonville won 13/4
Life Is Good won 61/20
Bernardo won 57/20
Elusive Diva won 12/10
Captain Flynt won 8/10
Notebook:-
Padre Pio (D Bosch, KZN)
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Turffontein (old) 28 July
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
Course Variant: 1,15s fast
1000m (2) Ulla 56,10
1160m (2) Captain Flynt 67,34
1400m (1) Summer Pudding 86,99
1800m (2) Pax Romana 112,09
2000m (1) Apache Too 123,65
Fairview (poly) 29th July
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,77s slow
1000m (1) Bushy Park 58,22
1200m (1) Bernardo 71,25
1300m (3) Elusive Diva 75,80
1600m (3) In A Perfect World 96,85
Greyville (poly) 31st July
Going Standard
Course Variant: 0,99s slow
1000m (2) Coldhardcash 56,23
1200m (2) Wishful Girl Linn 69,83
1400m (2) Padre Pio 81,55
1800m (2) Jamaica Bay 108,48
2000m (1) Favour 124,88
Vaal (classic) 1st August
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
Course Variant: 0,88s slow
1000m (3) Life Is Good 57,25
1200m (1) Clever Guy 69,99
1450m (2) Lighthearted 87,60
1600m (2) Lake Kinneret 97,38
2000m (1) Nimcha 123,26
Fairview (turf) 2nd August
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
Course Variant: 3,56s slow
1100m (1) Le Grand Rouge 64,56
1200m (2) Palace Queen 71,31
1400m (1) Falcon Rock 86,66
1600m (3) Chakri 99,27
2400m (1) Studio Blues 156,49
