Winter In Summer

What A Beauty

Kenilworth 15^th December: A workrider’s maiden event over 1200m got proceedings underway in Cape Town on Saturday and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the lightly raced SISTER LYNN. Having only her second career outing here the daughter of Mogok raced in the rear during the early part of the race. She began to make headway passing halfway and not given a hard ride she got up in the very last stride to deny the much more fancied TRIBUTARY.

The only other 1200m event on the card was a MR90 handicap and in a time almost two seconds faster than that of the workrider’s race, the 4yo ENCHANTING CATHY registered her third career victory. On leaving the stalls it was JEAN’S PRIDE who elected to make the running whilst the daughter of Var raced close up in sixth. She made her move passing halfway and won well after striking the front 150m from home.

The fastest of the four 1800m races on the card was the Gr3 Victress Stakes in which RAZZLE DAZZLE ROSE gained her fifth win from just twelve starts. Allowed to ease a little at the track out to 8/1 from 6’s, Yogis Govender’s charge was always in touch with the leaders. She took up the running 100m out and in a race where just three quarters of a length separated the first six home, she held on by a neck from the running on BELOVED BETTY.

The Gr2 Premier Trophy over the same distance topped the bill and here it was nice to see the only female in the race BEACH BEAUTY find her best form. She got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m marker and kept on strongly late to beat the running on RUN FOR IT by a length and a quarter.

Titbits

After having to switch out for a run, DUBAI GINA finished best of all in the Gr3 Victress Stakes and was only beaten 0,6 of a length.

The poorly drawn Dynasty filly SHOWDOWN impressed when running strongly after being baulked for a run to win the maiden event over 1800m.

.

Back On Good Ground

Clairwood 15^th December: Favourite backers got off to a nice start at the garden course on Saturday when the aptly named BID FOR SPEED did the business in the opening maiden event over 1000m. He was a little slow into stride when the gates opened, but despite that he was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 300m and easily accounted for the well supported second favourite CHESHIRE CAT (33/10 into 22/10) by two and three quarters.

Another to win well in the maiden ranks on this card was MAINMAST in the first division of the girl’s 1200m event. Heavily supported at the track into 4/10 from even money, Charley Laird’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She began to take closer order as they approached the 400m marker and after striking the front 200m later she easily drew clear.

A Pinnacle Stakes topped the bill and in what proved to be the faster of the two 1000m events victory here went to the topweight TETELESTAI. Confidently ridden by the 4kg claimer Lerato Mohapi, Tetelestai raced fifth of the six for the first half of the race. Once given rein though he quickened well and got up nicely late to beat the fancied KRACKERJACK ACE by three quarters of a length.

The fastest of the three 1600m events on the card was the Allowance Plate in which the improving PUT THE KETTLE ON registered her fourth career victory. Another to run on stoutly from a few lengths off them, Dennis Drier’s charge quickened best of all in the long home straight and with the rest well beaten she comfortably accounted for APPROACH ME who also finished well.

Titbits

Lightly raced IVANKA didn’t find the clearest of passages when running on stoutly late to take second position in the second division of the girl’s maiden 1200m.

.

1207/1 Double For Wallace

Turffontein 16^th December: They raced on the old stand side track on Sunday where the easiest victory in the maiden ranks was recorded by SPECTROSCOPIC in the maiden event over 2450m. Deep in the red at 9/20 on the off (op 7/10), Weiho Marwing’s charge raced seventh of the fourteen for most of the journey. He made his move early in the home straight and drew clear easily to score by four after striking the front 300m from home.

The fastest of the three 2450m events was the MR86 Handicap in which MONEY FLOWS registered his fifth career victory. Another to run on stoutly from off the pace, Stephen Moffatt’s charge didn’t find the clearest of passages when the race began in earnest and did well to get up in the dying strides. MISTER CAT CLUB also finished well from off the pace in this race.

Race seven on the card was a MR78 Handicap over 1600m and here we saw a smart performance from the Greys Inn gelding GREY’S CHAMP. On leaving the stalls it was the confirmed front runner MARCHING BAND who elected to make the running whilst Gavin Van Zyl’s charge was content to amble along in the rear. Once in the long home straight though he quickened best of all and won well after striking the front close home.

Another to catch the eye running on stoutly to win was PACIFIC DYNASTY in the afternoon’s feature event, a MR90 Handicap over 1400m. The second of two winners on the card for trainer Wallace Tolmay (a 100% win record as he only took two runners to the meeting), Pacific Dynasty was stone last going through the 500m. Once given rein though the Dynasty mare quickened best of all and got up late to win in impressive fashion.

Titbits

Eased down late after quickly going clear 280m out, MISS STINGRAY won the girl’s maiden event over 1400m a lot more easily than the official winning margin of a length and a quarter would suggest.

Poorly drawn TRUE IMPERIUM ran on well from the rear when third, beaten just a length, in the MR68 affair over 1800m.

.

Useful 3yo’s

Kenilworth 17^th December: A maiden plate for the girls over 1000m was first up in Cape Town on Monday and here it was nice to see the regular bridesmaid TESTING THE WIND finally find the winner’s enclosure. A runner up in eight of her previous twenty five outings, Mike Stewart’s charge found good support at the track and eventually left the stalls deep in the red at 13/20. As per usual up with the speed throughout, Testing The Wind kept on determinedly at the business end of the race and won by three quarters of a length in a faster time than that of the only other 1000m race on the card, a MR72 Handicap for the girls.

The fastest of the three 1600m events on the card was the MR94 Handicap in which the only 3yo in the race AWESOME POWER registered his second career victory. A three length sixth in the Gr3 Cape Classic in his penultimate start, Glen Puller’s charge was soon up handy. Running on from the rear, GRASP YOUR DESTINY was the first to make a move and looked to have done everything right on striking the front 150m from home. Awesome Power quickened best of all below the distance though and went on to win by three quarters going away.

Another 3yo to catch the eye on this card was LA TIGRESSE in the MR70 affair over 1200m. Confidently ridden by the vastly experienced Karl Neisius, the top weighted daughter of Tiger Ridge was positioned towards the back end of midfield as the eleven runners turned for home. She steadily made headway all the way down the long new course straight and won very comfortably by a length and three quarters after hitting the front 150m from home.

Titbits

After not finding the clearest of passages in the straight, MUSSOORIE finished best of all when only beaten a neck in the MR77 Handicap over 1600m.

Running stoutly from the rear DIRECT APPROACH only failed to get to the winner of the maiden event over 1600m by the narrowest of margins.

SOLOMONS WALL looked to have plenty in hand when easily winning the maiden event over 2500m by three and a quarter.

.

Top speedratings for this weekend include:-

Top rated winners last week included

Notebook:-

FASTEST TIMES