Power Of Five
Scottsville 29th September: Five of the ten races run in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday were over 1200m and the fastest of these was the MR78 apprentice handicap won by ACTIVE POWER. Sent off third in the betting market at 9/2, the 6yo son of Toreador broke well when the gates opened and was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 400m marker and with the rest some four lengths in arrears, he just held on by a neck from the running on BIG BIRD.
Much easier a winner over the 1200m trip was the newcomer ETHYLENE in the girls’ maiden event. Nibbled at into 25/2 from 22/1, Dennis Drier’s charge raced fourth for most of the journey. She took up the running approaching the 200m pole and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to beat the perennial maiden ON YOUR BIKE by three and a quarter.
Surprisingly the faster of the two 1400m events was the maiden plate in which the 3yo Encosta De Lago gelding TAARISH opened his account. Another to race handy, Taarish hit the front going through the 300m and cruised clear from there onwards to score by five and a quarter.
Titbits
CINEMA SCOPE won the opening maiden event over 1200m with authority by two.
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Easy Does It
Flamingo Park 30th September: A maiden plate over 1200m got proceedings underway in the Northern Cape on Monday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the 4yo SARGE TATOO. Nibbled at on course into 9/1 from 18’s, the son of Sarge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead at the 200m marker and won very cosily by three and a quarter from the running on ILISABETTA.
Also winning with authority in the maiden ranks on this card was THUNDERSTREAK in the 1600m event. Another outsider to find some support, the son of Bezrin raced fifth early on. He was asked to take up the running as they approached the 400m pole and went on to win going away by three and a half from SHAVAR.
The easiest victory on the card though was recorded by the veteran WINGS OF AN ANGEL in the lucky last, a MR68 Handicap over 1400m. Sent off a well supported favourite (7/2 into 19/10), the 7yo was soon positioned close to the speed. He struck the front 220m out and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by five and a quarter.
Titbits
TRIPARTITE ran on well from off the pace when getting up late to win the MR66 Handicap over 1200m.
100% Double
Turffontein 1st October: Favourite backers got off to a good start at the inner track on Tuesday when ADVENTURE did the business in the opening workriders’ maiden event over 2600m. Pitched in against what has to be said was a very moderate bunch, the son of Silvano raced within striking distance throughout. He made his move as they came off the strip and won with authority from GLITTER ALLEY.
The faster of the three maiden events run over 1200m was the first division in which the easy to back ANTONINI caused a bit of an upset. On leaving the stalls the poorly drawn odds on favourite TIGER SIGHT flew, and was very quickly at the head of affairs. Ormond Ferraris’ charge always had the son of Tiger Ridge in his sights though, and under a well judged ride from Francois Herholdt he got up late to score by a half.
The stable of Ormond Ferraris were also on the mark in the second division of the maiden 1200m when the easy to back SHAYNA (their only other runner on the card) opened her account. Ridden to lead early in the short home straight, the daughter of Toreador found extra when challenged 200m out and won comfortably by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
The newcomer MISS ROCKY (lost two lengths at the start and also lost a shoe at some stage) ran on from the rear when third in the maiden 1200m won by Shayna.
Easily twelve lengths adrift in the rear early on, the newcomer WILD DANCER was flying at the finish when a four length fourth in the third division of the maiden 1200m.
Lightly raced NTOMBE ran on well in the latter stages when third in novice company in her first outing following a four month break.
Although never really in the race, the poorly drawn MOGOK’S EXPRESS ran on strongly from the rear when a 3,75 length eighth in the maiden 1450m.
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Good Racing
Durbanville 2nd October: For the first time in quite a while the going was good in Cape Town on Wednesday.
A MR90 Handicap over 1000m topped the bill and here we saw a smart performance from the lightly raced CAPE SUGARBIRD. Sent off joint second favourite at 28/10, Justin Snaith’s charge broke well and was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for her stable companion CAT’S PAW by a length and a half.
Another to win well from the stable of Justin Snaith on the day was TAPDANCE in the maiden 1400m. Sent off a rather uneasy favourite at 19/10, the poorly drawn daughter of Tapit was positioned in the rear as the twelve runners turned for home. She ran on best of all down the long straight and under a well judged ride from Richard Fourie she got up late to beat CALL OF THE HUNT going away.
Four of the afternoon’s eight races were run over 1400m and the fastest of these was the MR88 handicap won by DARK JOURNEY. On leaving the stalls it was her stable companion MADAME ROONEY who elected to make the running whilst the Black Minnaloushe mare raced close up in fourth. She moved through to take up the running shortly after passing the 300m pole and although Madame Rooney kept on strongly once headed, she went on to win well by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
The newcomer MYSTERIO ran on well from midfield when opening her account in the maiden 1000m.
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Dangerous Speed
Vaal 3rd October: Thursday’s action took place on the sand where the best bet on the card for most DANGEROUS LIAISON did the business. Sent off in the red in this his first outing since December, the son of Right Approach was always travelling well. He ran on strongly from his position in fifth at the halfway mark and with some in hand won by four and a quarter going away.
A MR88 Handicap over the same distance topped the bill and in a time only six one hundredths of a second faster than that of Dangerous Liaison the well supported favourite HANG FIRE registered his fifth career victory. Positoned in fourth in what very quickly became a strung out field, Brett Webber’s charge quickened well when the pacemaker GABRONZA went in search of gas 300m out and won well from the running on TROUBLED WATERS by a length and a quarter.
After finishing well to take second position in a stronger field on Emerald Cup day MUTHIAH PILLAI looked like the right one in the MR72 Handicap over 1800m and so it proved to be. Adopting a change of tactics here Kom Naidoo’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. He took up the running going through the 200m and comfortably accounted for EL MANOLETE by two and a half.
Titbits
A fluent winner when 100/1 in his only previous start, CHIEF SIOUX ran on strongly over the final 400m when getting up late to win the MR72 Handicap over 1000m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Arlington Race 1: (1) Arctic Desert 19 (NAP*) Race 2: (1) Captain’ntenille 19 Race 3: (4) Layette 9 Race 4: (15) Above Emeralds 45 Race 5: (5) Earth’s Orbit 93 (nb) Race 6: (10) Varuna 63 Race 7: (2) Celtic Fire 83 Race 8: (11) Victorialaine 74 Race 9: (18) It’s Exciting 50 Turffontein Race 1: (13) Augusta Pines 11 Race 2: (1) Let’s Play 21 Race 3: (5) Nuggets 47 Race 4: (1) Dragon Fay 26 Race 5: (13) Venture 47 Race 6: (6) Extroadinaire 33 Race 7: (9) Fulcrum 71 Race 8: (8) Fun Sunzi 67 Race 9: (8) Rose Bay Moon 47 Durbanville Race 1: (10) Jackie Black 19 Race 2: (5) Jungle Skyline 43 (EW) Race 3: (4) You Beauty 25 Race 4: (7) Latin Magic 53 Race 5: (11) Qubla 52 Race 6: (3) Bobby James 75 Race 7: (6) Code Of Honour 46 Race 8: (12) Seven Fountains 47 Scottsville Race 1: (1) Cayenne 25 Race 2: (1) Golden Matador 28 Race 3: (7) Bright Shining 16 Race 4: (1) Beyond The Burg 11 Race 5: (4) Chosen Goddess 51 Race 6: (7) Sparkling Wood 47 Race 7: (1) Open The Bank 33 Race 8: (5) Hard Rock 81 Race 9: (6) Active Power 54 Race 10: (4) Diski 14 (NAP*) .
Top rated winners last week included
Guided Arrow won 6/1 Dark Journey won 5/1 Barefoot Lady won 3/1 Judge The Stride won 19/10 Tapdance won 19/10 Wings Of An Angel won 19/10 Hang Fire won 14/10 Forest Panther won 21/20 .
Notebook:-
Cape Sugarbird (J Snaith, W-Cape) Wild Dancer (M De Kock, Gauteng) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherScottsville 19th September Penetrometer 27 – Going Soft 1000m (1) Mr Whatever 58,11 1200m (5) Active Power 71,01 1400m (2) Taarish 86,10 1750m (1) Stone Reeves 108,46 2400m (1) Eton Mess 153,66 .
Flamingo Park 30th September Going Standard 1000m (1) Sudden Surprise 56,97 1200m (3) Tripartite 72,88 1400m (2) Here I Am 86,51 1600m (2) Thunderstreak 101,50 1800m (1) Captain Siderious 114,11 .
Turffontein (inner) 1st October Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (1) Katch 57,41 1200m (3) Antonini 74,60 1400m (2) Pinstripe Miss 88,73 1600m (1) Sammy Silver 98,51 2600m (1) Adventure 172,93 .
Durbanville 2nd October Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (2) Cape Sugarbird 60,76 1200m (1) Sagetator 75,35 1400m (4) Dark Journey 87,63 2000m (1) Le Capitane 128,28 .
Vaal (sand) 3rd October Going Standard 1000m (1) Chief Sioux 59,57 1200m (3) Hang Fire 72,59 1450m (2) Passion Pleaser 90,60 1600m (1) Judge The Stride 101,05 1800m (1) Muthiah Pillai 114,84
