Warrior Wins Battle
Vaal 24th December: Racing on Christmas Eve took place on the sand track where the easiest victory on the card was undoubtedly that of TAPTAP MAKHATINI in the opening maiden event over 1600m. Backed into 13/20 from 12/10 at the track, Sean Tarry’s charge broke well and was soon up handy. His jockey Gavin Lerena had barely moved a muscle when he struck the front 500m out and after never really having had any kind of a race he cruised in by six and three quarters with a ton in hand.
Another to win very easily on this card was CANTE LIBRE when registering her third career victory in the MR76 Handicap over 1200m. Another to race handy, Paul Matchett’s charge took up the running going through the 200m and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by five and a quarter.
The fastest of the afternoon’s three 1200m events was the MR88 affair in which the speedy SOLARIUM ran out an easy winner. Taken straight to the front by Robbie Fradd, the daughter of Var led throughout. She held just a three quarter lengths advantage at the 400m marker, but once given rein she quickly asserted her authority.
A MR104 Handicap topped the bill and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1600m events victory here went to the lesser fancied of Michael Azzie’s two runners MASAI WARRIOR. On leaving the stalls it was GREAT SMOKEY who elected to make the running whilst the well supported Masai Warrior (8/1 into 11/2) and his stable companion PYLON (the even money favourite) raced close up in third and second respectively. Masai Warrior was the first to make a move and after striking the front at the 400m marker he kept on strongly late to fend off Pylon by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
SCARLETTO came from the rear when getting up very late to open her account in the maiden event over 1450m.
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Coming Of Age
Clairwood 26th December: Boxing Day’s action at the garden course got underway with a maiden juvenile plate over 1200m and here we saw a smart performance from the Miesque’s Approval filly VERNA. Confidently ridden by apprentice Ntuli Verna raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She made her move passing halfway and cruised clear to win by four and a quarter after taking up the running 300m out.
Another to win well from off the pace on this card was DEFEAT THE DESERT in the slower of the two 2500m events, a MR68 Handicap. Produced with a well timed run by Anthony Delpech, the son of The Sheik won by a length and a quarter going away.
The best bet on the card for most was CONTADOR in the MR96 Handicap and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1200m events the son of Var didn’t let down his supporters. In the red at 9/10 on the off, Contador was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and kept on strongly late to beat MIDNIGHT RUN by a length and a quarter.
The Gr3 Christmas Handicap over 1600m topped the bill and in what proved to be a bit of a false paced affair victory here went to the Jeff Freedman trained SILVER AGE. Nicely positioned in sixth turning for home Silver Age ran on strongly down the long home straight and in a race where less than three quarters of a length separated the first four home, he got the better of the faster finishing BULSARA by a half.
Titbits
Slow into stride and disadvantaged by a slipped saddle to boot, the 18/10 favourite ANGIE ran on strongly from the rear when only beaten 0,6 lengths in the maiden juvenile event over 1000m.
Three quarter length fifth WINTER PASSING was badly hampered 100m from home when running on strongly from midfield in the MR79 Handicap over 1200m.
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Successful Flight
Vaal 27th December: They raced on the turf on Thursday where the first of the eight races for professional riders, a maiden juvenile plate over 1000m, was won by the Sean Tarry trained ARABIAN NATIONAL. Backed into joint favouritism at 12/10 at the track (op 3/1), the previously unraced son of National Emblem was soon up with the speed. He began to assert his authority going through the 300m and comfortably accounted for MANZAI by a length and a quarter.
A maiden event over 1000m was next up and in what proved to be the faster of the two five furlong affairs victory went to the easy to back newcomer CO-PILOT. Freely available at 10/1 on the off, Lucky Houdalakis’ charge raced in the rear along with the formless USHOKOLETHI early on. Both ran on particularly well from the halfway mark and after a thrilling tussle it was only by a half that Co-Pilot got the verdict.
The fastest of the five 1200m races on the card was the bill topping MR90 Handicap in which COSMOGENIC registered her third win from just six starts. Having only her second outing here since returning from a six month layoff, Stanley Ferreira’s charge got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. She took up the running shortly after passing the 300m marker and won well by two and a quarter from the equally fancied MYSTICAL JET.
Titbits
After losing four lengths at the start, FLYING WENDY ran on well from the rear when fourth in the MR71 Handicap over 1200m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (2) With Passion 11 Race 2: (1) Platoon 18 Race 3: (5) White House 61 Race 4: (6) Cash Counter 44 Race 5: (16) Way Above 42 Race 6: (13) Fancy Footwork 50 Race 7: (1) Kentucky Express 70 Race 8: (2) Campo De Santana 43 Race 9: (1) Golden Breeze 10 Vaal (Tues) Race 1: (7) Orlando Magic 21 Race 2: (4) American Pie 12 Race 3: (13) Shadow Line 27 Race 4: (11) King Of Kuwait 19 Race 5: (7) Follow The Piper 79 Race 6: (14) Juno’s Dream 52 Race 7: (11) Variety Show 62 Race 8: (12) Jumbo 51 Race 9: (7) Benbow 66 Race 10: (3) Kleintjie 45 Greyville Race 1: (2) Alexander 16 Race 2: (5) Stowaway 22 (NAP*) Race 3: (12) Miesque’s Star 46 Race 4: (6) Slinky The Cat 81 Race 5: (6) Highland Fling 39 Race 6: (5) King Neptune 64 (EW) Race 7: (13) Good Idea 54 Race 8: (6) Sanfoneiro 33 Kenilworth Race 1: (5) Flame Of Africa 24 Race 2: (1) Miss Jaimie 11 Race 3: (2) Lucky Cat 20 Race 4: (1) Eighth Man 16 (NAP*) Race 5: (12) Moonlight Gambler 80 Race 6: (2) Bronco Buster 56 Race 7: (8) Pan Amm 76 Race 8: (2) Jet Lady 41 Vaal (Thur) Race 1: (5) Lunar Mission 7 Race 2: (2) La Volta 65 (NAP*) Race 3: (1) Inn On The Square 17 Race 4: (2) Five Rings 19 Race 5: (4) Right Beauty 84 Race 6: (7) Fantasia Island 86 Race 7: (11) Sparkle With Speed 55 Race 8: (7) Tomorrow’s Miss 54 .
Top rated winners last week included
Black And White won 8/1 Masai Warrior won 11/2 D G’s Boy won 5/1 Home Tree won 5/1 Arguto won 4/1 Contador won 9/10 Fire Wheel won 8/10 Taptap Makhatini won 13/20 .
Notebook:-
Cosmogenic (S Ferreira, Gauteng) Taptap Makhatini (S Tarry, Gauteng) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherVaal (sand) 24th December Going – Standard 1200m (3) Solarium 70,76 1450m (2) Raise The Bar 89,29 1600m (3) Masai Warrior 99,17 . Clairwood 26th December Penetrometer 19 – Going G/Firm 1000m (1) Lucky Packet 60,14 1100m (1) Chocolicious 63,90 1200m (3) Contador 70,70 1600m (2) Silver Age 94,00 1900m (1) Dylan’s Promise 114,68 2500m (2) Air Patrol 156,62 .
Vaal (outside) 27th December Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft 1000m (2) Co-Pilot 58,71 1200m (5) Cosmogenic 70,19 1600m (2) Eskimo Inn 96,50
