An important scientific complimentary tool of the trade for punters and racing enthusiasts, sectional timing data can enhance both the form study and horseracing viewing experience on both KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape race meetings.
In our weekly column entitled Time Is Money, we look at some of the past weekend’s highlights, including some slow-run Grade 1 contests at Turffontein.
Cosmic Speed (Craig Zackey) stays on well to beat Texas Red (Kabelo Matsunyane) in a slow-run race (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Turffontein 1 March
- Track Condition: Good to Soft
- Penetrometer: 24
- Rain:Last 24hrs 6,5mm – Last 7 days 6,5mm
- Irrigation:Last 24hrs Nil – Last 7 days 18mm
- False Rail:Zero back straight to 5m on bend with a 5m spur at 700m mark
- Wind:11-30km/h North Westerly cross/head wind
Course Variant: Due to the deteriorating track condition throughout the afternoon, overall course variants for the straight and the bend could not be formulated
Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic 1800m
The first of the three Gr1 events to take place was the Fillies Classic and in a race in which heavy rain fell throughout, we saw a very smart performance from FIERY PEGASUS. Stepping up in distance here, this progressive daughter of Captain Of All raced 8th of the eleven early on.
Joey Soma’s charge was clearly unfazed by the conditions in this her first run in the wet and accelerated in good style early in the straight. She struck the front 300m from home and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by four and three quarters.
TAB Gr1 SA Classic 1800m
Run in a time just 1/100th of a second faster than that of the Fillies Classic, there was no real pace in the early stages of the SA Classic. Indeed, several of the leaders were hard held.
The eventual winner CONFEDERATE got to the front without having to make any real effort and under a clever ride from Craig Zackey he then raced clear throughout.
He ran on strongly in the straight and four lengths to the good going through the 400m, he never looked like being overhauled. The runner up FIRE ATTACK did suddenly take off over the final 200m though and gaining quickly at the finish was only beaten by three quarters of a length.
Alec Laird was said to have been devastated when Fire Attack couldn’t take his place in the Guineas due to a virus, and he did then miss his prep race last week as the meeting was washed out. He can improve plenty.
Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes 1800m
The 5/4 favourite, and indeed the best bet on the card for many, MAIN DEFENDER was declared a non-runner after getting his muzzle caught up in the grill of the gate at the start.
In what then completed a hattrick of false run Gr1 events victory went to Sean Tarry’s lightly raced 3yo COSMIC SPEED. Comparatively this was a slowly run race. They went steady early on, before some pace was injected rounding the turn.
However, they were very tightly bunched on entering the straight and nicely positioned in the box seat in third, the Querari gelding quickened nicely. He struck the front 300m out and went on to win well from the staying on pacemaker Texas Red by a length and three quarters.
Fastest times:
- 1000m (3) William Robertson 57,23s
- 1160m (2) Cymric 67,97s
- 1600m (2) Gimmefabulous 99,80s
- 1800m (2) Confederate 114,7s
Notebook:
- Fire Attack (A Laird)
Hollywoodbets Scottsville 2 March
- Track Condition: Going Soft
Penetrometer: 27 Both tracks
Rain: Last 24hrs Nil – last 7 days 17,5m
Irrigation: Last 7 days Nil
False Rail: 9m
Wind: 10-15km/h Southerly head wind
Course Variant: 0,84s Stand side – 1,12s slow Inside
Hollywoodbets Bright Future B Stakes 1000m
Topping a rather moderate bill was the 1000m B Stakes and in what proved comparatively to be the fastest race on the card the easy to back KALAHARI ROLLER registered his third victory from just eleven starts.
Nicely positioned in third just three quarters of a length off the strong pace set by both Ibhele and Luhamba Phambili, Garth Puller’s charge was always poised to challenge
He did so as the leaders began to tire 250m out and fending off a determined challenge from the always handy Don Querari (20/1 into 15/2) he won well by a half. With a time of 23,45s Kalahari Roller recorded the fastest 400m-finish time of the afternoon.
Open A Tabgold Account – 031 314 1874 Class 4 1200m
Three of the afternooon’s eight races were run over 1200m and in the fastest of these ONE SMART COOKIE gained her third career victory. Backed into favouritism at the track, the daughter of Lancaster Bomber sat 6th just 3,5 lengths off the pace for most of the journey.
She ran on strongly at the business end of the race and won comfortably by a length and a quarter.
Gallop TV Youtube Channel 1600m
The two 1600m events were both false run affairs, with by far the faster being that in which the well supported TERMINATOR (10/1 into 9/2) did the business. The pace was good on leaving the stalls, but then they were by far the slowest on the bend of the four races to round the turn.
The winner made the running and was a length to the good when the race developed into a sprint at the top of the straight. He kept on strongly over the final 400m and went on to score by almost a length and a half from the running on Papa C.
The runner up had raced 12th and was easily six lengths adrift turning for home. He had to switch out for a run twice over the final 400m and recording the fastest 400-finish time of the four races around the turn, he did well to get as close as he did.
tabGOLD Soccer 13 Class 5 1400m
The Wendy Whitehead trained THE QUEEN BEE won by far the faster of the two 1400m events. The confirmed frontrunner Head Girl set a strong pace, but once in the straight she soon began to tire.
The daughter of The Apache meanwhile had raced close up in fourth and she quickened well coming off the bend. She hit the front 300m from home and won well by a length and three quarters from her running on stable companion My True Love.
Fastest Times:
1200m (3) One Smart Cookie 70,60s
1400m (2) The Queen Bee 85,89s
1600m (2) Terminator 98,87s
400-finish Kalahari Roller 23,45s
