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Smart 2/3yo’s

Vaal 31st July: The aptly named newcomer THE BIG EASY was sent off a well-supported favourite to win the opening maiden juvenile plate at the Vaal’s sand meeting on Thursday and he didn’t let down his supporters. Taken straight to the front by Gavin Lerena (3 winners on the day) the son of Big Brown led throughout. The deposed favourite GRAND OPERA went with him in the early stages of the race, but as they approached the 400m pole that one was already beaten. The Big Easy meanwhile kept on strongly all the way to the wire and with some in hand won very easily by six and a quarter.
Another 2yo to impress (now both 3yo’s of course) was the Dominic Zaki trained PRECURSOR when winning the graduation plate over 1200m. Another to lead from pillar to post, the Captain Al colt was pitched in against a very good sort in SHADOWOFHISSMILE. That one raced close up in second and it was already clear at the halfway mark that the pair would have the race between them. Shadowofhissmile gave his all at the business end of the race, but try as he might he couldn’t make any impression on Precursor’s two lengths advantage.
The 3yo SAMOGAN had ran out a very easy winner in the maiden ranks last time out and off a mark of 71 he repeated the dose in the MR70 Handicap. Another to do it all the hard way Sean Tarry’s charge was always a couple clear. He quickened well when given rein 400m out and easily accounted for the much raced 5yo CHEDWIN PARK by five and a half.
Titbits
The 66/1 shot EUSEBIUS flew out of the stalls and kept up a very healthy gallop throughout when winning the faster of the two 1000m events, a MR68 Handicap.
The seemingly perennial maiden WILD THING was flying at the death when only losing out on the nod in the maiden plate over 1000m.

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Back On Fire

Fairview 1st August: First up in Port Elizabeth on Friday was a maiden plate over 1000m and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the friendless MATADORAS EL TOROS. Freely available at 33/1 on the off (op 12/1), the daughter of Toreador was soon up with the speed. She kept on strongly at the business end of the race and won well by two and a quarter.
Three of the afternoon’s nine races were run over 1000m and the fastest of these was the MR83 Handicap won by VIVALDA. Nibbled at on course into 6/1 from 7’s, Yvette Bremner’s charge was always handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and comfortably accounted for the easy to back NONA IN COMMAND by three quarters.
The non-black type Friendly City Stakes over 1800m topped the bill and here the stable of Yvette Bremner was again on the mark when the talented son of Victory Moon BLAZE OF FIRE registered his eighth career victory. Soon in his favourite position at the head of affairs Blaze Of Fire made all. He raced a length and a half clear throughout and won without relinquishing an inch of his advantage.
Titbits
COUNTERBLAST ran on well from the rear when fourth in the MR64 Handicap over 1400m.

Useful Youngsters

Clairwood 2nd August: Favourite backers got off to a good start in the final meeting at the garden course on Saturday when the uneasy TRIPANDIE did the business in the opening maiden plate over 1000m. Allowed to ease right out to 28/10 from 16/10 at the track, Dean Kannemeyer’s charge raced in midfield for the first half of the race. Once given rein though the son of Trippi quickened well and won going away after striking the front 100m from home.
The easiest victory on the card was recorded by the lightly raced PIONEER SPIRIT when winning the third leg of the Young Guns Apprentice Challenge, a maiden plate over 1450m. Ridden by South Africa’s representative Craig Zackey the well supported 6/10 favourite (op even money) sat in midfield for most of the journey. He cut through the field like a knife in the long home straight and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by five and a quarter.
Another to win with authority on this card was OLMA in the girl’s maiden plate over 1800m. Backed into 15/10 from 2/1 at the track the 3yo daughter of Dynasty also came from midfield. She struck the front 300m out and with a ton in hand won by four and three quarters.
Titbits
A little slow into stride when the gates opened, A P STRIKE ran on well from the rear, and was gaining quickly at the finish, when only beaten a neck in the MR72 Handicap over 1450m.

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Five From Seven

Flamingo Park 2nd August: Not surprisingly the faster of the two 1000m races in the Northern Cape on Saturday was the non-black type Betting World Sprint won by the 4yo ANGER. Completing a four timer here Corne Spies’ charge was soon prominent. He began to assert his authority shortly after passing the 400m marker and won very comfortably by two and three quarters from the running on WOLF IN WINTER.
The non-black type Racing Association Flamingo Park Mile topped the bill and here victory went to the lightly weighted 5yo TAQDEER. On leaving the stalls it was KING’S JOY who elected to make the running whilst the Bernardini gelding raced close up in fourth. King Of Joy kept on determinedly in the straight and at the wire he had the remainder some four and a half lengths adrift. Taqdeer steadily wore him down below the distance though and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up late to score by a neck. Taqdeer has now won five of his last seven starts.
At the other end of the scale there were a number of very easy victories, but none more so than that of JET FOR JOY in the not so lucky last, a MR74 Handicap over 1600m. Freely available at 10/1 despite being partnered by our newly crowned champion jockey S’manga Khumalo, Jet For Joy was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and drew clear in good style from there onwards to score by six and three quarters.
Titbits
BEEZ BROTHER ran on strongly from the rear when a three quarter length runner up in the maiden plate over 1000m.

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Cutting It Fine

Turffontein 3rd August: They raced on the old stand side track on Sunday where the best bet on the card for most MAAYAAT did the business in the opening workrider’s maiden plate over 1400m. The victory wasn’t without some anxious moments though. Deep in the red at 1/3 on the off, Mike De Kock’s charge was positioned in the rear of a very strung out field as they came off the bend and going through the 400m she looked to have more than enough to do. Pitched in against what has to be said was a very moderate field though, Maayaat ran on stoutly at the business end of the race and just as if scripted she got up late to score by three quarters.
The faster of the two 1000m races on the card was the MR90 Handicap won by DE VAR HYT. The third of four winners on the card for jockey Piere Strydom, the 5yo Var gelding was soon up handy. He was asked to take up the running shortly after passing the 200m pole and kept on strongly late to beat the staying on pacemaker GREASEPAINT by a length and a quarter.
The final event on the eight race program was a MR64 Handicap over 1160m and here victory went to the friendless PENNY FARE (8/1 out to 25/1). The second winner on the card for trainer St John Gray, the 7yo Announce mare raced in midfield for the first half of the race. She quickened surprisingly well over the final 400m and comfortably accounted for the 3yo LAVENDER GIRL by a length and a half.
Titbits
After not finding the clearest of passages THE FIFTH DAY ran on well late and with plenty in hand won the maiden over 2450m going away.
YER-MAAN and SAFE HOUSE both ran on well from off the pace when 1st & 3rd respectively in the MR88 Handicap over 2000m.

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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-

Top rated winners last week included

Notebook:-

Precursor (D Zaki, Gauteng)
The Big Easy (JJ V Vuuren, Gauteng)
Tripandi (D Kannemeyer, KZN)

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FASTEST TIMES

The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher

Vaal (sand) 31st July
Going Standard
1000m (2) Eusbius                 59,14
1200m (1) Precursor               72,19
1450m (2) Samogan               90,01
1600m (1) Lucky Hand          101,92
1800m (1) Impeccable           116,64
2000m (1) Master Entainer 128,37

Fairview (turf) 1st August
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (3) Vivalda                 56,78
1400m (3) Gypsy Lane         85,28
1800m (2) Blaze Of Fire      111,18
2700m (1) Combattimento 176,57

Clairwood 2nd August
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1000m (2) Tripandi                  57,34*
1200m (2) Flyfirstclass             69,11
1450m (4) Peter Piper              85,89
1800m (1) Olma                        109,78
2000m (1) Mountain Master 120,87

Flamingo Park 2nd August
Going Standard
1000m (2) Anger                     56,44
1200m (2) Gaelic Girl            70,99
1400m (2) Kirtling Towers   86,01
1600m (2) Taqdeer                99,56
2200m (1) Dansili Express 150,82

Turffontein (old) 3rd August
Penetrometer
1000m (2) De Var Hyt        57,95
1160m (1) Penny Fare         68,97
1400m (2) Lisnoble             89,41
2000m (2) Sammy Silver 127,60
2450m (1) The Fifth Day  162,50