Impressive Grey
Greyville 17th August: A maiden plate over 1000m got proceedings underway on the poly track on Sunday and here we saw a comfortable victory for SEVENTH VIRTUE. Sent off a clear second favourite in what was priced up as a boat race (14/1 bar two, in a twelve runner field), Sean Tarry’s charge raced in midfield. She ran strongly as they came off the bend and with some in hand won comfortably from the 75/1 shot ACROSS THE LAKE by a length and a quarter. After making the early running the favourite GIRLFRIEND found nothing in the straight and was reported as taking no interest. Poorly drawn YOU BOLT ran on well from the rear to fill third position in this race.
Run in a slower time was the boy’s division of the maiden 1000m won by the well-supported favourite BIG KING. Marginally in the red at the off, Greg Anthony’s charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and won well from the running on HARRY’S HORSE by two and a quarter.
The fastest of the three 1600m races on the card was the MR68 Handicap won by the veteran LIVE CONTROVERSY. Now a winner of four from 32, the 7yo was soon positioned close to the speed. He ran on strongly over the final 400m and in a thrilling three way finish he only got the verdict by a short head over the 4yo FULLY CHARGED.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by GREY LIGHT in the novice plate over 1600m. Confidently ridden by Anton Marcus, the 8/10 favourite sat sixth for most of the journey. Once given rein though, the 3yo daughter of Tapit quickly cut through the field and only having to be pushed out over the final 400m she cruised clear to score by seven and a half.
Titbits
BOYES DRIVE (rear) and MUCAJAI (midfield) both ran on strongly when 1st & 2nd respectively in the maiden plate over 1400m.
Now a winner of four from six the lightly raced 4yo BOLD INSPIRATION (7/2 into 15/10) won the afternoon’s feature event, a MR93 Handicap, with plenty in hand.
.
2746/1 Double
Flamingo Park 18th August: Local trainer Hennie Kotze had just two runners at Flamingo Park on Monday and both ridden by the visiting Greg Cheyne (only two rides at the meeting) won at big odds. Indeed if you had taken a double on their opening prices you would have landed a 2746/1 Double. The first to win was WIND AT YOUR BACK (40/1 into 13/2) in the MR65 Handicap over 1000m. Positioned in midfield early on, the 6yo ran on stoutly from halfway and won going away by a length.
ELEGANT BAY (66/1 into 12/1) completed the double when winning the MR73 Handicap over 1800m. Beaten by a minimum of eleven lengths, and unable to finish better than ninth in her latest seven outings, the Mullins Bay mare was always handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and won going away by two and a quarter.
The afternoon’s feature event was a MR84 Handicap over 1200m and here we saw a comfortable victory for the deposed favourite TRIBAL CODE. Allowed to ease out to 22/10 from 18/10 at the track as money came for KIRTLING TOWERS (2/1 into 15/10), Vernon Rugg’s charge was soon up handy. He took up the running as they approached the 400m marker and won well from the 8/1 shot WOLF’S GIRL by a length and three quarters.
The easiest victory on the nine race program was recorded by SUN SILK STAR when getting off the mark in the opening maiden plate over 1000m. Freely available at 5/1 on the off the first of three winners on the card for Vernon Rugg made all. She began to assert her authority going through the 400m and won going away by three and a quarter.
Titbits
The 20/1 shot PRINCESS CHICHIBU ran on well from midfield when getting up late to win the MR62 Handicap over 1200m going away.
.
Speedy Security
Greyville 19th August: Racing returned to the poly track on Tuesday where, by far the faster of the two 2000m maiden plates was the boy’s affair won by ROYALSECURITYJET. Sent off as one of the two rank outsiders of the ten horse party at 66/1, Kom Naidoo’s charge raced in the rear. Despite not finding the clearest of passages in the straight, the 4yo son of Authorized cut through the field like a knife, and won impressively by five.
Another to win with authority in the maiden ranks on this card was BROWN SUGAR in the girl’s 1400m event. Sent off second in the betting market at 4/1, Gavin Van Zyl’s charge went straight to the front and led throughout. She quickened well at the top of the short home straight and stretched her length and a half advantage to five and three quarters.
All the rage to win the novice plate over 1400m during the morning was the highly regarded CAPEL TOP and although the son of Giant’s Causeway cut it fine, he did nonetheless do the business. Allowed to flirt with 9/10 at one stage after opening up 2’s (sent off 14/10) Dean Kannemeyer’s charge sat in midfield for most of the journey. The similarly positioned 40/1 shot ROYAL LANCE also quickened well when he made his move 300m out, and in what proved to be a real thriller it was only by a neck that the favourite got the verdict.
Titbits
BLACK JAGUAR (came from second last) and BURRWOOD (midfield – baulked 250m) both ran on stoutly when 1st & 3rd respectively in the MR70 Handicap over 1000m.
.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park
Race 1: (4) Atso’s Scheme 15
Race 2: (2) Atso Time 35
Race 3: (9) Royal Quest 17
Race 4: (1) Son Of A P 25
Race 5: (2) African Gladiator 53
Race 6: (6) Dynamic Star 37
Race 7: (2) Tribal Code 54 (NAP*)
Race 8: (8) Campbell Black 41
Race 9: (15) Astro Vision 27
Greyville
Race 1: (1) Nisa’s Machine 29 (NAP**)
Race 2: (1) Translunar 13
Race 3: (1) Polar Trip 15
Race 4: (3) Nisa’s Trip 3
Race 5: (5) Pej 70
Race 6: (5) Siddharth 54
Race 7: (14) Wimoweh 34
Race 8: (1) Le Forti 37
Kenilworth
Race 1: (3) Ideal Countess 14
Race 2: (1) Bandana Girl 21 (NAP*)
Race 3: (9) Zingaro 24
Race 4: (8) Mr Vindaloo 49
Race 5: (7) First Favour 43
Race 6: (8) Sussex Song 68
Race 7: (10) Hamlets Speedo 50
Race 8: (7) Sunset Tripp 59 (EW)
Vaal
Race 1: (9) Charanga 14 (EW)
Race 2: (5) China Beach 16
Race 3: (4) Ntombe 57
Race 4: (1) Attract The Crowd 11
Race 5: (11) Matthew Ethan 51
Race 6: (1) De Var Hyt 69
Race 7: (11) White Whisper 49
Race 8: (8) Bold Flash 42
Race 9: (14) Brainstorm 43
.
Top rated winners last week included
Magical Dynasty won 10/1
Moonlight Runner won 8/1
Sun Silk Star won 5/1
Storm Coast won 7/2
My World won 2/1
Tell My Star won 12/10
Grey Light won 8/10
Cold As Ice won 1/3
.
Notebook:-
Boyes Drive (D Kannemeyer, KZN)
Grey Light (J Ramsden, KZN)
Royalsecurityjet (K Naidoo, KZN)
.
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Greyville (poly) 17th August
Going Standard
1000m (2) Seventh Virtue 60,26
1400m (1) Boyes Drive 85,13
1600m (3) Live Controversy 97,13
1800m (3) Bold Inspiraton 122,63
Flamingo Park 18th August
Going Standard
1000m (2) Wind At Your Back 58,92
1200m (2) Tribal Code 72,88
1400m (1) Black Platinum 87,24
1600m (2) Carlisie 100,54
1800m (1) Elegant Bay 114,50
2200m (1) Run For Wally 151,54
Greyville (poly) 19th August
Going Standard
1000m (2) Black Jaguar 58,41*
1200m (1) Island Fiesta 69,96
1400m (2) Capel Top 84,04
1600m (1) Ethylene 96,86
2000m (2) Royalsecurityjet 122,85*
