Franking The Form
Kenilworth 10th November: The fastest of the two 1200m races in Cape Town on Saturday was the maiden event in which the well supported favourite THE WHICH DOCTOR opened her account. Backed into 9/10 from 16/10 at the track, Glen Kotzen’s charge was soon up handy. She only had to be pushed out with hands and heels in the closing stages of the race and ran out a very easy winner from the running on GOULDIKOVA by two and a quarter.
A conditions plate over 1800m was next up and here favourite backers were again on the mark when TRIBAL DANCE did the business. Allowed to ease out to 11/10 from 8/10 at the track Vaughan Marshall’s charge raced midfield. He quickened well at the top of the short old course straight and comfortably accounted for the running on ENGLISH GARDEN after striking the front 250m from home.
The afternoon’s feature event was the Gr2 Choice Carriers Championship and here we saw a smart performance from last season’s Gr1 Thekwini Stakes winner ALL IS SECRET (8/10 into 9/20). Making her first racecourse appearance since landing that prestigious event at the back end of last season, the daughter of Captain Al was nicely positioned in sixth as the thirteen runners swung for home. The nibbled at second favourite BUTTERFLY GIRL (12/1 into 9/1) was the first to make a move and struck the front going through the 300m. All Is Secret always had her in her sights though and when she in turn moved up to challenge 150m from home, she could find no extra.
A MR72 Handicap was next up and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1600m events victory here went to the Justin Snaith trained CIGAR BOY. On leaving the stalls it was WINTER DYNASTY who elected to make the running whilst the son of Casey Tibbs raced in midfield. He was asked to take closer order as they came off the bend and although Winter Dynasty fought on determinedly, and did have the rest well beaten, he went on to score going away by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Lightly raced HAMBA KAHLE ran on from midfield and was only beaten 0,4 lengths by the 13/10 favourite Count To Ten in the maiden 1800m.
Not the quickest into stride GIRL’S BEST FRIEND was running on from the back when only beaten 3,1 lengths into sixth in the Gr2 Championship.
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What A Day
Scottsville 11th November: A workrider’s maiden event over 1000m got proceedings underway in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the rank outsider of the nine horse party EMBRACE THE DAY. Freely available at 45/1 on the off, the lightly raced son of Modern Day was soon up handy. He was always travelling well and only having to be pushed out with hands and heels by Samuel Mosia at the business end of the race, he comfortably accounted for the well supported favourite KINGSTON BOY (5/1 into 33/10) by a length and a half.
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by BENJAMIN BRUSH when gaining a well overdue first career win in the maiden 1400m. Taken straight to the front by Alec Forbes, the 4yo son of Mogok led throughout. He was always clear and went on to score without any anxious moments by four and a half.
A MR86 Handicap over 1400m topped the bill and here it was nice to see the costly to follow JETER register her second career victory. Soon in her favourite position at the head of affairs Charley Laird’s charge was never headed. The 33/10 favourite BLACK IS BLACK ran on best of all over the final 400m and in what proved to be a real thriller that one only failed to get up by the narrowest of margins.
There were five 1400m events on the card in total and the fastest of these was the MR70 Apprentice Handicap in which TRIMONTIUM was on the mark. A winner over this course and distance last time out, Lowan Denysschen’s charge was always handy. She moved through to take up the running early in the straight and kept on strongly late to beat the running on BAHAMA BABE by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Lightly raced CHILI PEPPER ran out a comfortable winner when opening her account in the girls division of the maiden 1400m.
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Ultra Impressive
Fairview 12th November: A maiden event over 1800m got proceedings underway in Port Elizabeth on Monday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the Gavin Smith trained ASTRO BOY. On leaving the stalls it was the well supported favourite HURRICANE HUNTER who elected to make the running whilst the Doowaley gelding raced close up in fourth. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 400m marker and after quickly skipping clear he easily accounted for the running on BOUCHERS INN by two and a quarter.
The most impressive performance of the afternoon was undoubtedly that of MUSCATT in the novice 1200m. A very easy 12 length winner in his only previous outing, the 3yo son of Victory Moon was taken straight to the front by apprentice Teague Gould and led throughout. He had been asked for no kind of effort when his rider started looking around for challenges 250m out and without ever seriously having had to race he cruised in by five and a half. Although in truth Muscatt hasn’t beaten anything of note in his two outings to date, the manner in which he has destroyed the opposition would suggest that he could be very useful.
The fastest of the three 1000m events on the card was the bill topping Pinnacle Stakes in which the much travelled COPPER PARADE registered his fifth career victory. Racing for the first time since relocating to the Eastern Cape, the son of Lecture raced prominent throughout. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and in a race where only a length and a quarter separated the first five home he got the verdict by a half over APOLO GREY.
Also worthy of note on this card was the performance of EMILY ROSE in winning the MR66 affair over 1600m. In the rear turning for home, the Requiem mare ran on best of all and under a well judged ride from the in form Francois Herholdt, she got up late to deny ENDLESS JOY
Titbits
BRIGHT APPROVAL was running on from the rear when only beaten 3 lengths into fifth in the MR70 Handicap over 2000m.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (1) Yes No Maybe So 15 Race 2: (1) Grande Alado 12 (NAP*) Race 3: (7) She’s Got Gears 32 Race 4: No Qualifiers Race 5: (6) Ibiscus 62 Race 6: (12) Asaal’s Magic 33 Race 7: (11) Breeze Bar 42 Race 8: (1) Opening Night 49 Race 9: (3) Change Your Mind 19 Scottsville Race 1: (1) Silver Spring 32 (nb) Race 2: (1) Prayer Of Praise 30 Race 3: (4) Commanche Moon 15 Race 4: (1) Winds Of Noordhoek 20 Race 5: (8) Skweleti 43 Race 6: (1) General Sherman 62 (NAP**) Race 7: (5) Approach Me 68 (EW) Race 8: (1) Zire Special 45 Race 9: (1) Cadillac Palace 35 Turffontein Race 1: (1) Rebel Heart 27 Race 2: (9) Irish Lace 14 Race 3: (7) Giro Jet 12 Race 4: (2) Cherie’s Boy 16 Race 5: (1) Lucky Gambler 21 Race 6: (3) Rumya 67 (NAP**) Race 7: (1) Brooks-Club 69 Race 8: (9) Lady Beatrix 64 Race 9: (11) Wollondilly 61 Kenilworth Race 1: (2) Surfer Girl 19 Race 2: (1) Second-In-Command 18 Race 3: (1) Eighth Man 16 Race 4: (2) Lucky Cat 20 Race 5: (2) Awesome Power 56 Race 6: (2) Tevez 72 Race 7: (4) Happy Horatio 43 Race 8: (13) Boniface 54 Vaal Race 1: (12) Coventry Road 20 (EW) Race 2: (6) Night Embers 14 Race 3: (12) Heads Up 42 Race 4: (1) Sebastian Bolt 23 Race 5: (1) Shattered Image 48 Race 6: (1) Albert Dock 48 (NAP*) Race 7: (7) Matilda’s Love 44 Race 8: (8) Luminous Love 80 Race 9: (5) Marching Band 50 Race 10: (16) Jumbo 58 .
Top rated winners last week included
La Volta won 33/10 Cat’s Mistress won 3/1 Nautica won 5/2 Disco Al won 19/10 Rivatorio won 15/10 Tribal Dance won 11/10 Walking Onthe Moon won 9/10 All Is Secret won 9/20 .Notebook:-
All Is Secret (V Marshall, W-Cape) Cigar Boy (J Snaith, W-Cape) Muscatt (G Smith, E-Cape) .
FASTEST TIMES
(Shown in brackets is the number of races run over each distance)Kenilworth 10th November Penetrometer 21 Going Good 1200m (2) The Which Doctor 72,36 1400m (1) All Is Secret 87,64 1600m (3) Cigar Boy 99,05 1800m (2) Tribal Dance 110,73 2400m (1) River Crossing 150,74 .
Scottsville 11th November Penetrometer 25 G/Soft 1000m (1) Embrace The Day 58,96 1200m (3) Island Fiesta 70,16 1400m (5) Trimontium 86,57 1750m (1) Qin Wei 108,61 . Fairview 12th November Penetrometer 23 Going Good 1000m (3) Copper Parade 57,40 1200m (1) Muscatt 70,58 1600m (2) Emily Rose 98,11 1800m (1) Astro Boy 112,68 2000m (1) Strike A Light 124,99
