Out Of The Question
Fairview 29th March: The easiest victory in the maiden ranks in Port Elizabeth on Friday was that of DESERT EMBLEM in the 1600m event. Allowed to drift as if a win was out of the question at the track (4/1 out to 12/1), Dorrie Sham’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He quickened well at the top of the long home straight and won going away by three and quarter after striking the front 200m from home.
Runner up to the subsequent winner MUCHO GOLD last time out, MAJOR MACDONALD was not surprisingly sent off a well supported favourite to win the maiden 2000m and he didn’t let down his followers. He was always handy and when the new recruit from Cape Town LAGO CUOMO struck the front 200m out he was already on his heels. Both ran on stoutly in the closing stages of the race and it was only by a half that the son of Toreador got the verdict.
The afternoon’s feature event was a MR89 Handicap and in what proved to be the fastest of the four 1800m races on the card the 5yo ZEZINHO CAMPEAO registered his fourth success. Another to drift considerably in the betting market (7/1 out to 15/1), the son of Hard Buck raced prominent throughout. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 300m pole and in what proved to be a real thriller he went on to score by a neck from the running on SKIPPYJON JONES.
Titbits
DRUMMINOR ran on well from the rear when getting up in the very last stride to win the MR73 Handicap over 1800m.
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Getting Into Gear
Greyville 29th March: Favourite backers got off to a nice start in Natal on Friday evening when KAPITI COAST did the business in the opening maiden event over 1300m. Backed into 18/10 from 5/2 at the track, the Anton Marcus ridden son of Greys Inn stumbled leaving the stalls, but despite that was soon up handy. He gave his all in the short home straight and only got up in the very last stride.
Champion jockey Anton Marcus was also on the mark in the MR87 Handicap over 1600m when guiding the 3yo KING OF TORTS to victory. Drawn in pole position the son of Mogok got away well when the gates opened and was soon positioned close to the speed. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and comfortably accounted for the 5yo OLD MAC DONALD by three quarters.
A MR89 Handicap topped the bill and in what proved to be the fastest of the three 1400m events MURMERING SKY landed the spoils. Freely available at 12/1 on the off, the stable companion to the favourite raced sixth of the nine for most of the journey. She quickened well when asked for her effort at the top of the straight and with the rest well beaten she won by a length from the running on FELIX THE CAT.
Titbits
Lightly raced BEAUTIFUL JET came from the rear when getting up in the very last stride to open her account in the maiden 1400m.
FIRE CURTAINand KINGSTON BOY both ran on well from the rear when 1st and 3rd respectively in the MR78 Handicap over 1000m.
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So Close, Yet….
Turffontein 30th March: The Gr1 SA Classic, the second leg of South Africa’s Triple Crown, topped the bill on the old stand side track on Saturday and here all eyes were on the first leg winner TELLINA. Backed into 16/10 from 33/10 during the afternoon, Geoff Woodruff’s charge raced seventh and was only two and a half lengths off the pace going through the 400m. The KZN raider LOVE STRUCK had just hit the front at that stage and under a determined ride from Sean Cormack that one ran on stoutly. Indeed, Tellina had to give his all in the closing stages of the race, and very steadily gaining at the finish, he only failed to stay in line for a R2M bonus (awarded to the winner of all three legs) by the narrowest of margins.
One who did stay in line for a healthy bonus though was CHERRY ON THE TOP who couldn’t have been more impressive when winning the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m. Deep in the red at 13/20 on the off, the Fillies Guineas winner was always handy. She was asked to take up the running going through the 600m and after quickly skipping clear she cruised in by five and a quarter.
Another to win very well on this card was ARCETRI PINK in the Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m. Backed into 12/10 from 2/1 at the track, the unbeaten daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar raced in midfield during the early part of the race. She quickened well passing halfway and easily accounted for the running on FOR THE LADS (winner of the Ruffian Stakes last time out) by two and a half after taking up the running 200m out.
Titbits
SLUMDOGMILLIONAIRE showed real guts and determination when marginally getting the better of WHITELINE FEVER in the Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. Interestingly, KNOCK ON WOOD finished best of all in this race.
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Via Cape Town
Clairwood 31st March: Five of the ten races at the garden course on Sunday were run over 1000m and not surprisingly the fastest of these was the non-black type KZN Stakes in which the recent Cape Flying Championship runner up VIA AFRICA did the business. Deep in the red at 1/4 on the off, Duncan Howells’ charge was soon in her favourite position at the head of affairs. Her only serious rival in the betting market MISS OCTOBER chased hard throughout, but despite her efforts the favourite only had to be pushed out with hands and heels in order to score by two.
Another to win well on this card was GOLDRIDGE in the girls’ maiden event over 1600m. Positioned in midfield as the eleven runners swung for home, Kom Naidoo’s charge ran on best of all, and won going away by a length and a half.
The final event on the card was a 600m dash and here victory went to the classy CAPE ROYAL. Allowed to drift right out to 2/1 from 8/10 on course, the 3yo, as with the vast majority, raced prominent throughout. She ran on best of all below the distance and with some in hand she comfortably accounted for PINK MARTINI by three quarters.
Titbits
Returning from a 67 week layoff here, LIANCOURT ROCK ran on strongly from off the pace when only failing to win the pinnacle event over 1450m by the narrowest of margins.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (6) La Flamme 8 Race 2: (8) Sharp Emotions 11 Race 3: (1) Pay Master 12 Race 4: (11) And Counting 31 Race 5: (4) Fort Knox 26 Race 6: (10) Eden Rose 35 Race 7: (1) Jagerbomb 56 Race 8: (5) Power Flow 36 Race 9: (2) Gatusso 36 Scottsville Race 1: (6) Kono 20 Race 2: (1) Admiral’s Eye 18 Race 3: (1) Sebueng 20 (NAP*) Race 4: (1) Tevez 70 Race 5: (5) Wundabar 49 Race 6: (3) Live Controversy 62 Race 7: (5) Hijacked 67 (EW) Race 8: (6) Pop Home 23 Durbanville Race 1: (8)Tsotsoma 27 Race 2: (8) Tiger Island 3 Race 3: (1) Covertina 2 Race 4: (1) Finnigan 28 Race 5: (6) Texas Flood 60 Race 6: (6) Flame Of Africa 70 Race 7: (1) Pergamon Alter 36 Race 8: (1) Clockwinder 43 Vaal Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (2) Stormy Cape 27 (NAP*) Race 3: (1) Royal Cookie 12 Race 4: (2) Annaconda Moon 25 Race 5: (10) Ohiki Bay 45 Race 6: (6) Mexican Glory 51 Race 7: (13) Fiery Fellow 51 Race 8: (7) Night Embers 58 Race 9: (13) Quinoa 41 Race 10: (11) Black And White 57 .
Top rated winners last week included
Rebel Queen won 14/1 Mcallistor won 12/1 Tizasmartdollar won 8/1 National Forest won 5/1 Kings Rose won 7/2 Cape Royal won 2/1 Goldridge won 18/10 Cherry On The Top 13/20 .
Notebook:-
Arcetri Pink (G Woodruff, Gauteng) Cherry On The Top (O Ferraris, Gauteng) Liancourt Rock (D Kannemeyer, KZN) Via Africa (D Howells, KZN) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherFairview 29th March Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft 1000m (3) I Got You Babe 58,30 1600m (1) Desert Emblem 100,53 1800m (4) Zezinho Campeao 111,27 2000m (1) Major Macdonald 127,51 .
Greyville 29th March Penetrometer 26 – G/Soft 1000m (1) Fire Curtain 58,86 1300m (1) Kapiti Coast 78,19 1400m (3) Murmering Sky 83,64 1600m (2) King Of Torts 95,94 2000m (1) Breeze By 125,54 .
Turffontein (old) 30th March Penetrometer 24 – Going G/Soft 1100m (3) Alcaninia 63,82 1160m (1) Master Sabina 69,56 1400m (1) Forever After 89,66 1600m (2) Slumdogmillionaire 99,06 1800m (3) Cherry On The Top 111,09 2850m (1) Masai Warrior 188,31 .
Clairwood 31st March Penetrometer 20 – Going Good 600m (1) Cape Royal 33,49 1000m (5) Via Africa 55,66 1200m (1) Indira 69,34 1450m (1) Captain’s Secret 85,98 1600m (1) Goldridge 98,48 2000m (1) Roman Wall 121,00