Doing The Business
Greyville 20th September: This was the meeting originally scheduled to take place at Scottsville. The faster of the two maiden plates over 1200m got proceedings underway on the poly track on Sunday and here victory went to the 7/1 shot ROY’S STRIKE FORCE. Drawn wide and slow into stride to boot, Paul Lafferty’s charge raced in the rear early on. Once into stride though he quickened best of all, and after a thrilling tussle with the always handy BAGGER VANCE over the final 150m he got the verdict by a half.
Quickest home in the two 1600m maiden events was LIGHTING THE FIRE when winning the boy’s affair. Always on offer at around 6/10, the Fort Wood gelding led throughout. He was always a couple clear and won without any anxious moments by two and three quarters.
Another odds on favourite to do the business was Lighting The Fire’s stable companion WELL IN FLIGHT in the novice 1400m. Backed into 8/10 from 14/10 at the track, Dennis Drier’s charge also led from pillar to post. She was always in command and won with authority by three.
The scheduled MR72 Handicap over 2400m, and the MR78 Handicap over 1950m, were both run over 2000m and the fastest of these was the MR78 affair won by WORSHIP DANCER. Freely available at 7/1 on the off, Garth Puller’s charge was always handy. He ran on stoutly at the business end of the race and in what proved to be a real thriller he got the better of a three way finish in the very last stride.
Titbits
The 3yo STORM KITTEN ran on well from midfield when winning the girl’s maiden plate over 1200m going away.
.
Duck To Water
Vaal 22nd September: They raced on the sand on Tuesday where victory in the fastest of the four 1600m events, a MR87 Handicap, went to OLYMPIC BOLT. Well supported on course to go off a co-favourite of three, Mike De Kock’s charge raced in the middle of the seven for most of the journey. The veteran fellow co-favourite COMMODORE AL made the running and under a determined ride from champion jockey S’manga Khumalo, it was only close home that Olympic Bolt got the better of him.
The fastest of the three 1000m races was the MR68 Handicap in which the lightly raced son of Toreador LA TASCA registered his second career victory. Allowed to ease out to 7/1 from 11/2 at the track, Sean Tarry’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He took up the running shortly after passing the 300m marker and won comfortably from the running on CHIEF SIOUX.
The remaining race was a work rider’s maiden plate over 1200m and here we saw a very easy victory for the 18/10 favourite EMERALD MACKAY. Trying the sand for the first time, Alec Laird’s charge was taken straight to the front by Tshepiso Moagi and led throughout. He was always clear and won without any anxious moments by three and a quarter.
Titbits
After racing handy, ESCUDO cruised clear over the final 350m to win the MR75 Handicap with authority by six and a quarter.
.
Three From Four
Durbanville 23rd September: The going was good at the country course on Wednesday where victory in the fastest of the three 1400m races, a MR71 Handicap, went to the Kahal filly DAZZLING DANCER. Allowed to drift right out to 6/1 from 7/2, Glen Kotzen’s charge was always handy. She ran on strongly in the straight and won well by a length and a quarter after striking the front 100m from home.
Quickest home over 1300m was BLACKMORE when registering his fourth career victory from just ten starts in the bill topping MR94 Handicap. Another to ease considerably in the betting market (9/2 out to 7/1), Dean Kannemeyer’s charge was soon prominent. He took up the running as they approached the 400m pole and despite shifting around and surviving an objection he won by a length.
The faster of the two 2000m events was the MR68 Handicap won by MORNING LIGHT. Allowed to ease out to 3/1 from 22/10 as money came in buckets for SHELTERED (10/1 into 33/10), the favourite sat third for most of the journey. She ran on strongly over the final 300m and after a thrilling tussle with the money horse, she got the verdict by a half.
Race six on the card was a MR74 Handicap over 1300m and completing a smart hat-trick here was the 3yo Trippi colt BARITONE. Now a winner of three from four, Justin Snaith’s charge was soon up handy. He put his head in front going through the 100m and won comfortably by a length.
Titbits
The lightly raced 5yo ROYAL FLYING CORPS made all when comfortably accounting for his eight rivals in the maiden plate over 1400m.
.
Still Going Strong
Vaal 24th September: Thursday’s action took place on the outside track where five of the ten races were run over 1400m. The fastest of these on my clock was SANDS OF TIME in the maiden plate. Always positioned close to the speed, St John Gray’s charge ran on stoutly over the final 400m and got up in the very last stride to deny the pacemaker O’BRIEN THE LION.
The faster of the two maiden plates over 1000m was the boy’s affair won by the newcomer RUSSIAN STEWARD. Allowed to drift as if a win was out of the question at the track (14/1 out to 33/1), Lucky Houdalakis’ charge raced in midfield early on. He ran on best of all over the final 400m and under a well-judged ride from Ryan Munger, he got up late to score by a length.
Quickest home in the two 1200m races was the veteran KAPELLMEISTER when registering his ninth career victory in the bill topping MR94 Handicap. Now an 8yo, the Kahal gelding was always in touch with the leaders. He ran on strongly in the closing stages and in a race where just two and a half lengths covered the first seven home, he got the verdict by 0,4 from FINCHATTON.
Titbits
The newcomer CASEY CAN came from the rear when getting up late to beat the 5/10 favourite SEAL MY FATE going away with some in hand.
.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Rouge Berry 8
Race 2: (3) Nottinghamshire 37
Race 3: (3) Plain Of Wisdom 12
Race 4: (8) Romeo Bravo 66
Race 5: (9) The Captain’s Cat 50 (NAP*)
Race 6: (13) Marriage Vows 34
Race 7: (4) Political Playboy 79
Race 8: (13) Count Zafonic 43
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (1) Wild Namaqua 25
Race 2: (7) Lecture D 13 (nb)
Race 3: (7) Tanjiro 26 (NAP*)
Race 4: (1) Caligari Carnival 12
Race 5: (8) Black Jaguar 56
Race 6: (9) Pimpernel 43
Race 7: (10) Shivrani 35
Race 8: (11) Teppanyaki 39
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (3) Coratina 1
Race 2: (4) Teagan’s Boy 23
Race 3: (5) Champagne Haze 45
Race 4: (6) Super Commuter 18
Race 5: (2) Deo Juvente 82
Race 6: (9) Madame Dubois 88
Race 7: (1) Ice Machine 101
Race 8: (5) Aurum Pot 81
Race 9: (3) Va Bene 35
Race 10: (1) Respectable Ruler 35 (NAP*)
Durbanville (sat)
Race 1: (1) Krytonite 4
Race 2: (3) Readytogorightnow 79
Race 3: (1) Glanto 4
Race 4: (1) Arctic Teon 12
Race 5: (9) Seven Wood 63
Race 6: (1) Act Of War 82
Race 7: (3) Come Fly With Me 87
Race 8: (8) Adorada 18 (NAP*)
Scottsville (sun)
Race 1: (13) Sublime Code 14
Race 2: (5) Chapel Queen 14
Race 3: (1) Split The Breeze 64
Race 4: (6) Roy’s Roll’s Royce 22
Race 5: (3) Al Wahed 56
Race 6: (10) Baltic Amber 87
Race 7: (5) Fly Away With Me 44
Race 8: (1) Roy’s Gold 10
.
Top rated winners last week included
Seeking The Dream won 9/1
Arkansas won 8/1
Roy’s Strike Force won 7/1
Dazzling Dancer won 6/1
Respect At Bay won 6/1
Roxy Lady won 5/1
Spanish Kiss won 22/10
Emerald Mackay won 18/10
.
Notebook:-
Baritone (J Snaith, W-Cape)
Casey Can (S Tarry, Gauteng)
.
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 20th September
Going Standard
1000m (1) Respect At Bay 59,48
1200m (2) Roy’s Strike Force 74,02
1400m (1) Well In Flight 85,35
1600m (2) Lighting The Fire 100,05
2000m (2) Worship Dancer 123,72
Vaal (sand) 22nd September
Going Standard
1000m (3) La Tasca 58,29
1200m (1) Emerald Mackay 72,96
1600m (4) Olympic Bolt 100,37
Durbanville 23rd September
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1300m (2) Blackmore 78,65
1400m (3) Dazzling Dancer 86,44
1600m (1) Kemal Kavur 97,94
2000m (2) Morning Light 122,97
Vaal (outside) 24th September
Penetrometer 21 – Going good
1000m (2) Russian Steward 58,49
1200m (2) Kapellmeister 70,12
1400m (5) Sands Of Time 83,64*
1600m (1) Arkansas 96,30
