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.
Princess Of Gaul – skates clear on impressive debut (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
In Time Is Money this week, we look at some of Sunday’s standouts at Hollywoodbets Scottsville meeting and last Wednesday’s poly meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Hollywoodbets Scottsville 29 June
Track Condition
Going: Good (both tracks)
Penetrometer: 23 (both tracks)
Rain: Last 24 hours Nil – Last 7 days 2mm
Irrigation: Last 24 hours Nil – Last 7 days 4mm
False Rail: Inside track 5m: Standside 4m rail from 1200 to finish
Wind: 10-15km/h North Easterly head wind
Course Variant: 0,65s fast straight – 0,62s fast bend
Two 1100m Races
Just a ¼ of a second separated the winners of the first two races in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, with the quicker being the maiden juvenile plate won by the newcomer PRINCESS OF GAUL.
Supported throughout the day into even money favourite this daughter of Vercingetorix was soon up handy. She only had to be ridden with hands and heels in order to take up the running 350m out and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score effortlessly by nine and a half lengths. One to follow.
Gallop Form Class 3 – 1200m
The afternoon’s top liner was a Class 3 over 1200m and in what proved to be the faster of the two races over that distance, victory went to the 3yo What A Winter gelding SOHO STAR.
Sent off a joint favourite at 28/10, Yogas Govender’s charge raced fifth during the early part of the race some three lengths off a brisk pace set by his heavily supported joint favourite Vihaan’s Web (5/1 into 28/10).
Vihaan’s Web set solid fractions throughout and when joined by Soho Star 200m from home, he gallantly found extra. Both gave their all as they drew clear of the remainder, and in a thrilling finish Soho Star only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins.
2 x Class 5 – 1400m
The two 1400m races on what was a very neat card distance wise, were both Class 5 events. The fillies & mares race was comfortably the quickest and here the marginally lessor fancied of Dennis Bosch’s two runners, BEAUTIFUL RANIA registered only her second career victory.
After being a little cramped at the start, the rank outsider of the party Flying Reign Storm began to over race and cut through the field quickly before setting a brisk pace.
The daughter of Twice Over meanwhile was always travelling well and raced close up in third. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the faster finishing Golden Aspen by three quarters.
Three 1600m Races
By just 16/100th of a second the closing Hollywoodbets Bright Future Class 4 event was the fastest of the three 1600m races on the card and here victory went to the friendless SERPENTINE FIRE (14/1 out to 25/1).
Drawn widest of the fifteen, Matthys Odendaal’s charge broke well and was soon nicely positioned four lengths off the pace in sixth. The well supported favourite Terminator (drawn one, 4/1 into 2/1) made the running and halfway down the home straight it was clear that he had the rest well beaten.
Confidently ridden by Marco Van Rensburg though, the Potala Palace gelding quickly reeled him in, and with some in hand after taking up the running 150m out, he went on to score going away.
Quickies
ONE SMART COOKIE recorded the fastest 400m to finish time of the afternoon when running on from the back to fill third position in the Class 3 event for fillies & mares over 1600m.
Fastest Times:
1100m (2) Princess Of Gaul 62,51
1200m (2) Soho Star 67,24
1400m (2) Beautiful Rania 84,77
1600m (3) Serpentine Fire 95,82
400-finish One Smart Cookie 23,14
Hollywoodbets Greyville (poly) 25 June
Track Condition
Going: Standard
Rain: Last 7 days Nil
Wind: 9-24km/h North, North, Easterly head wind
Course Variant: 0,49s fast
Greyville Convention Centre C Stakes 2000m
On what was a very moderate card, a C Stakes over 2000m topped the bill and here victory went to the R1,3M Fire Away gelding GURKHA.
Initially priced up as a clear favourite at 2/1, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge was uneasy in the betting market and was eventually sent off as a joint favourite at 28/10. On leaving the stalls the apprentice ridden Tin Cup made the running whilst never the quickest into stride, Gurkha raced at the rear.
The pace was a fair one and as the others fanned out early in the straight, Craig Zackey cleverly took the shortest way home. Gurkha ran on best of all in the straight and with the rest well beaten, he got the better of the easy to back PAPA C (10/1 out to 14/1) by just over a half.
Three 1200m Races
Despite being the slowest to the halfway point, the opening maiden plate was the fastest of the three 1200m races that opened up the card.
As expected it was the well-exposed Higher Love who elected to make the running whilst the eventual winner WING WALKER was content to sit some five lengths adrift in eighth.
Always in the red, the son of Rafeef quickly made headway when the pacemaker surprisingly exited the back door early in the straight, and after taking up the running 300m from home, he cruised clear to score by five and three quarters.
The time of 22,71 recorded by Wing Walker over the final 400m was the fastest for that segment of the afternoon.
Two 1400m Races
Just 17/100th of a second separated the winners of the two Class 4 1400m events with the faster being that won from off the pace by MISTER NIBBLES.
Five lengths off a fair pace set by the easy to back Western Cape visitor Givethatmanabells for most of the journey, Paul Lafferty’s charge was always travelling well. He ran on strongly in the straight and with the rest comfortably beaten, he got the better of the well-supported favourite Star Of The Future (3/1 into 2/1) 100m from home.
Fastest Times:
1200m (3) Wing Walker 70,63
1400m (2) Mister Nibbles 82,39
400-finish Wing Walker 22,71
