Weighted To Win

Progressive Daughter

Vaal 19^th February: They raced on the outside track on Tuesday where victory in the opening workrider’s maiden event over 1200m went to the 3yo OVERDRAFT. She got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m pole and comfortably accounted for RUBIES AND PEARLS by two and a quarter.

Race four on the card was a novice 1400m for the girls and here we saw a smart performance from the lightly raced ORATOR’S DAUGHTER. An eye catching winner when running on from the rear in her only previous outing, Alec Laird’s charge again came from off the pace. Along with the 6/10 favourite NEGEV Orator’s Daughter struck the front going through the 400m and with the rest well beaten she asserted her authority late over Negev to score by a length and a quarter.

The fastest of the afternoon’s three 1400m events was the MR78 Handicap in which the strongly fancied DONNIE BRASCO registered his third win. Making his sixth racecourse appearance here, Paul Peter’s charge was taken straight to the front by log leader Pierre Strydom and led throughout. He was always in command and won comfortably by a length and a half from AHOY CAPTAIN.

A progress plate over 1000m topped the bill and on the mark here was the Louis Goosen trained DE VAR HYT. On leaving the stalls it was the more fancied TURBO TOM who elected to make the running whilst De Var Hyt raced close up in fourth. He quickened well at the business end of the race and in what proved to be a real thriller he only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins.

Titbits

The newcomer SHINE TIGER found outside support prior to comfortably winning the maiden event over 1000m.

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Cutting It Fine

Greyville 19^th February: Race two on Tuesday evening was a novice plate over 1600m and as expected the finish here was fought out between the principals in the betting market WILD ONE and LEHAAF. The well supported favourite Lehaaf was the first to make a move and on striking the front at the 200m marker he looked to have done everything right. Wild One also quickened very nicely at that point though and after a thrilling tussle over the final 100m it was he who very narrowly got the verdict.

Another to land the spoils by the narrowest of margins was MAVERICK in the MR72 Handicap over 1900m. In what proved to be the fastest of the four races over this distance, the son of Black Minnaloushe made virtually all. He kept on doggedly in the home straight and in a race where only a neck separated the first five home he just held on from the low flying WILLIAM CONQUEST.

The MR71 Handicap over 1600m was won by TRIMONTIUM and interestingly, the time was faster than that of Wild One. Freely available at 15/1 on the off, the Var mare was always handy. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the pacemaker AL NADIRA by three quarters.

Also worthy of note on this card was the performance of VICTORY EMBLEM in winning the maiden event over 1900m. Positioned in midfield for most of the journey, the son of Victory Moon quickened best of all and won going away after striking the front 110m or so from home.

Titbits

BUDWEISER BOY and NINJA WARRIOR both ran on well from off the pace when 1^st and 2^nd respectively in the maiden 1200m.

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Winning Move

Kenilworth 20^th February: The faster of the two 1000m races in Cape Town on Wednesday was the maiden event for the girls in which VICTORIA PARK opened her account. Soon up handy in what quickly became a strung out field, Glen Kotzen’s charge was always poised to strike. She did so as they approached the 100m pole, but with the front running IZAANAZAMA finding extra once headed, she had to give her all in order to score by a neck.

There were three 1400m races on the card and the fastest of these was the MR90 Handicap in which GAME OVER registered his third career victory. Adopting a change of tactics here, the former Gauteng campaigner made most of the running. The well supported COSSACK GUARD ran on stoutly over the final 400m and was gaining at the finish. Game Over gave his all below the distance though and still had a half length to spare at the wire.

National jockey’s log leader Pierre Strydom had been seen in Cape Town on a couple of occasions recently and he was on the mark here with THE PROFESSOR in the MR72 Handicap over 1200m. He got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 200m pole and kept on strongly late to beat the running on COUNT EMMANUALE by a length.

The not so lucky last was a maiden plate over 1600m and here victory went to the Justin Snaith trained JOHNNY ROCKETS. Totally unfancied in the betting market (33/1), the lightly raced son of Jallad was positioned in the rear as the sixteen strong field turned for home. Once in the straight though he quickened well and under a well judged ride from Fareed Anthony he got up late to deny the luckless SHEPHERDS PURSE.

Titbits

The uneasy favourite SEVEN SUNS ran on well from the backend of midfield when beaten less than a length in the girl’s maiden event over 1400m.

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Francois On Track

Vaal 21^st February: They again raced on the outside track on Thursday where the fastest of the five 1200m races on the card was the bill topping MR92 Handicap won by the Guineas hopeful FRANCOIS BERNARDUS. Confidently ridden by Pierre Strydom, Tyrone Zackey’s charge sat in midfield for most of the journey. She quickened well when asked for her effort 400m out and won in good style going away from the 6/1 shot NICE STRIDE.

The Lucky Houdalakis trained WUNOUT was all the rage to win the opening maiden event over 1200m, but in the deposed favourite PIERNEEF she found one better. Nicely positioned in second early on Wunout (4/1 into 11/10) took up the running at halfway and went on to beat the remainder very easily by five and a half. Making his first start for the Kom Naidoo stable though, PIERNEEF always had him in his sights and quickening best of all over the final 200m he got up late to score by three quarters.

SOUTHERN TASTE always looked to be the right one in the maiden 1600m and so it proved to be. On leaving the stalls it was the perennial maiden MATCHLESS FLAG who elected to make the running whilst the well supported favourite raced close up in second. The steadily improving THE SANQUHARIAN was the first to make a move and in the hands of Robbie Fradd kept on determinedly after hitting the front 400m out. Indeed, Southern Taste had to work very hard from there onwards and he only got the verdict by a neck.

Titbits

The 3yo TAYBA ran on well from off the pace when runner up to the useful EASTERN GREETING in the MR88 affair over 1200m.

STAVINSKY was finishing best of all when third to his stable companion THE DISCIPLE in the MR76 Handicap over 1200m.

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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-

Top rated winners last week included

Notebook:-

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