Guts And Determination
Kenilworth 21st January: A maiden plate over 1400m was first up in Cape Town on Tuesday and here victory went to the 3yo Tiger Ridge gelding TIGER RIDER. Sent off third in the betting market at 15/4, Eric Sands’ charge was soon up handy. He was ridden to lead going through the 300m and kept on strongly late to beat the running on favourite PANGA PANGA by three quarters.
The only distance to be raced over more than once on the card was 1600m and the fastest of the three races here was surprisingly the fillies’ maiden event won by DEPUTY RYDER. Another to race handy the daughter of Go Deputy struck the front 300m out and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by three and a half.
At the other end of the scale the narrowest winning margin on the card was recorded by BAD NEWS MEEUWS in the MR70 Handicap over 1800m. Taken straight to the front by Greg Cheyne, Mike Stewart’s charge may well have made all. IN THE CRUISE heading a wall of challengers over the final 200m might very briefly have gotten his whiskers in front, but either way Bad News Meeuws showed real guts and determination to get the verdict.
A MR78 Handicap over 2500m topped a rather moderate bill and here victory went to the recent maiden winner BIG ED. Positioned in third as the nine runners swung for home Brett Crawford’s charge seemed to be caught for toe when the race began in earnest. On reaching the 200m marker though he quickened nicely and got up late to win going away.
Titbits
The 3yo WESTERN FORCE only had to be pushed out when winning the maiden plate over 1000m going away.
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Pleasurable Trip
Vaal 22nd January: They raced on the sand on Thursday where the fastest of the three 1450m events was the MR69 Handicap won by ROYAL TRIP. Confidently ridden by Chad Little the top weight was always handy. She took up the running as they approached the 300m marker and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by five and a half. Royal Trip won her only other start on today’s surface by seven and a quarter.
Another to win with lengths to spare was FOREST VIEW in the opening maiden plate over 1200m. Taken straight to the front by Marco Van Rensburg the Fort Wood gelding led throughout. He raced a length and a half clear early on and cruised clear to score by five and a half when given rein 400m out. This race was run in a faster time than that of the MR68 Handicap won by ROCKINGANDROLLING.
The faster of the two 1000m events on the card was the MR77 Handicap won by the veteran BENBOW. Now a 7yo, Leon Erasmus’ charge as per usual came from off them. He ran on best of all over the final 400m and under a well-judged ride from Ian Sturgeon he got up late to deny the marginally more fancied EUSEBIUS.
The faster of the two 1600m races on the card was not surprisingly the conditions stakes won by ALL THE BIDS. Supported into joint second favourite at the track (5/1 into 7/2) despite his stable companion TOMMY GUN being on top of the boards, the son of Daring Bid made all. It was ORCHESTRATED who proved to be the biggest threat on the day, but All The Bids was always travelling well in the hands of Piere Strydom and won without any anxious moments by a length and a quarter.
Titbits
Lightly raced ISOSHA won the maiden plate over 1600m going away by six and a quarter.
Pacemaker DISCO BOY found extra when challenged 300m out in the MR68 Handicap over 1450m and won going away by two and a half.
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The Right Path
Fairview 23rd January: Three maiden plates over 1000m got proceedings underway at Port Elizabeth’s turf meeting on Friday and fastest against the clock in these was the well exposed PACHINKO in the boy’s affair. Making his nineteenth appearance on a racecourse here, the 7/2 second favourite (op 2/1 fav) broke well and was soon nicely positioned in second. He struck the front going through the 200m and with the remainder some six and a half lengths adrift he comfortably accounted for I WILL BE by a length and a half.
The fastest of the three 1200m races on the card was the MR85 Handicap won by the Western Winter mare PATH TO TRAVEL. Nibbled at on course into 14/1 from 25’s, Yvette Bremner’s charge raced close up in third. She ran on strongly from halfway and beat the much more fancied CRUZWITHMECAPTAIN fair and square by a length.
There were also three races run over 1600m and quickest here was DIVINE INVITATION when registering his fourth career victory in the MR64 Handicap over 1600m. Confidently ridden by Musi Yeni, the 6yo Dupont gelding raced in the backend of midfield for most of the journey. Once given rein though he finished best of all and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up in the dying strides to deny the always handy FALLING SKY.
Titbits
The newcomer LA REBEL ran on well from midfield when winning the maiden juvenile plate over 1000m going away by a length and a quarter.
The veteran THE FORD was flying at the finish when runner up in the MR72 Handicap over 1200m.
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Now On The Poly
Greyville 23rd January: They raced on the poly track on Friday evening where very unusually four of the eight races were run over 2000m. By far the quickest of these (a minimum of 2,2 seconds) was the MR72 Handicap in which the Mike De Kock trained AHLAAM registered a quick double. Sent off fourth in the betting market at 11/2, the daughter of Asiatic Boy broke well and was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead at the top of the straight and cruised clear over the final 400m to beat the 4yo CITY OF ATHENS by five and a quarter.
Another to win with authority on this card was SAN TRIP in the MR78 Handicap over 2000m. Just four went to post and not surprisingly the runners were always tightly grouped. San Trip raced second and put her head in front going through the 500m. She quickly went clear and won very cosily by four.
A conditions plate over 1000m topped the bill and here we saw a smart performance from the sand specialist UNCLE TOMMY. Having his first outing on the surface the 7yo son of Kahal was content to sit at the back of the seven for most of the journey. He was only five lengths adrift at the top of the straight though and got up late to beat the front running CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER going away.
Titbits
Drawn wide and slow into stride to boot, the newcomer QUEEN’S ADVANCE ran on stoutly from the backend of midfield when a three quarter length runner up in the maiden plate over 1200m.
PRINCESS BEACH ran on well from midfield when winning the girl’s maiden plate over 2000m going away by two and three quarters.
VITRUVIAN MAN broke a bloodvessel when winning the MR66 Handicap over 1600m and will now be suspended for three months.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview (fri)
Race 1: (1) Lets Party 16
Race 2: (2) Drill Sargeant 67
Race 3: (9) Carmen Silver 12
Race 4: (2) Lupin 48
Race 5: (6) Rushing Elf 53
Race 6: (15) Dancinginthedesert 62
Race 7: (3) Blackmalkin 72
Race 8: (9) Ready To Rock 35
Race 9: (6) Nile Symphony 65
Greyville (fri)
Race 1: (7) Hold The Line 24 (NAP*)
Race 2: (13) Royal Lance 63
Race 3: (4) Shezamatador 23
Race 4: (9) Jellylorum 42
Race 5: (8) Mogokity 42
Race 6: (2) Royalsecuritypower 58
Race 7: (1) Flying Luxmi 20
Race 8: (13) Melanchete 48
Kenilworth (sat)
Race 1: (7) Money Surger 60
Race 2: (4) Gulf Storm 80
Race 3: (13) Chrisaldame 51
Race 4: (3) Harlem Shake 14
Race 5: (5) Silence Descends 50
Race 6: (1) Act Of War 90 (NAP**)
Race 7: (14) Carry On Alice 89
Race 8: (3) Louis The King 96
Race 9: (12) Judd’s Joy 47
Race 10: (14) Oreo Shake 77
Race 11: (9) Lift Off 77
Race 12: (13) Shingwedzi 89
Turffontein (sat)
Race 1: (1) Portrait 16
Race 2: (1) Earl Of Derby 67
Race 3: (1) Jay Boy 36
Race 4: (4) Desert Destiny 11
Race 5: (4) Smart Call 68 (NAP*)
Race 6: (12) Chilli Chocolate 66
Race 7: (5) One Cool Cat 81
Race 8: (3) Louis The King 96
Race 9: (14) Ciao Ciao 57
Race 10: (9) Tiger’s Legacy 42
Scottsville
Race 1: (3) Cotswold 56
Race 2: (3) Destined For Dawn 24
Race 3: (5) King Jay 28
Race 4: (13) Taking Chances 22
Race 5: (9) Royal Roy 49
Race 6: (10) Here We Are 51
Race 7: (4) Emperor Niarchos 73
Race 8: (3) Your Worship 28
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Top rated winners last week included
Up In Lights won 12/1
Captain’s Diva won 6/1
Crystal’s Revenge won 5/1
Duck Dodger won 9/2
Playing The Enemy won 9/2
Saint Sophia won 9/2
Cool Fantasy won 5/2
Elen Luyddog won 15/10
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Notebook:-
Isosha (R Magner, Gauteng)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Kenilworth (new) 21st January
Penetrometer 22 – Going Good
1000m (1) Western Force 59,69
1200m (1) Elen Luyddog 74,96
1400m (1) Tiger Rider 89,77
1600m (3) Deputy Ryder 102,42
1800m (1) Bad News Meeuws 114,23
2500m (1) Big Ed 158,62
Vaal (sand) 22nd January
Going Standard
1000m (2) Benbow 58,48
1200m (2) Forest View 72,05
1450m (3) Royal Trip 89,50
1600m (2) All The Bids 100,07
Fairview 23rd January
Penetrometer
1000m (3) Pachinko 57,47*
1200m (3) Path To Travel 67,52
1600m (3) Divine Invitation 98,18
Greyville (poly) 23rd January
Going
1000m (1) Al Ciberano 58,42
1200m (1) Princess Stephanie 72,60
1400m (1) Uncle Tommy 83,47
1600m (1) Vitruvian Man 97,35
2000m (4) Ahlaam 122,21
