In our weekly column Time Is Money, we again look at some of the past weekend’s highlights, commencing with Saturday’s racing action at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
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. Enjoy!
There was plenty of action on track at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Hollywoodbets Greyville 24 May
Track Condition
Going: Good
Penetrometer: 23
Rain: Last 24 hours Nil – Last 7 days 10mm
Irrigation: Last 24 hours Nil – Last 7 days 15mm
False Rail: 2,5m
Wind: 13-33km/h North, North Easterly head wind
Course Variant: 1,3s slow
Gr1 Daily News 2000m
Trainer Justin Snaith saddled four of the six runners in the top liner and with the lessor fancied of these Makazole being taken straight to the front it was clear that a good pace would be assured. Indeed, his very talented stable companion EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN (4/10) soon found himself detached by some four lengths at the rear. Makazole did his job well, whilst Eight on Eighteen, still at the back, crept up to within five lengths of the leader going through the 700m.
Richard Fourie cleverly began to circle runners at this point and whilst the remainer were sat ready to ambush the frontrunner coming off the bend, the son of Lancaster Bomber had already moved up a couple of gears. He struck the front shortly after passing the 400m marker and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by three and three quarters. As with last week’s top liner, the Daily News was comparatively the fastest race on the card.
Tote Woolavington 2000
Run in a time over 2 seconds slower than the Daily News, Hat’s Off reluctantly made the early running in the first 400m of the Woolavington, and this is where the two seconds were lost. Indian Ocean then injected some pace and they actually rounded the turn quicker than the Daily News. The heavily supported LITTLE SUZIE (16/1 into 11/2) meanwhile was always positioned close to the speed and quickened well when the leaders all began to fade early in the straight. She struck the front going through the 300m and running on strongly under a determined ride from Sean Veale she landed the gamble by a length.
Lonsdale Stirrup Cup (L) 2400m
The first of the afternoons’ three feature races to be run was the listed Lonsdale Stirrup Cup and in what proved to be a very false paced affair victory went to the nibbled at FIELD MARSHAL (9/2 into 7/2). One of three runners from the stable of Frank Robinson, the lightly weighted son of Lancaster Bomber raced fourth some four lengths off the sedate pace set by the heavily burdened Future Swing (63,5). He took closer order coming off the bend and as the race developed into a sprint, he quickly struck the front. He ran on strongly under his featherweight of just 52,5kg and won comfortably from the gallant Future Swing by a length and a half.
Five 1200m Races
Five of the afternoons’ ten races were staged over 1200m and amazingly just 9/100th of a second separated the winners of the three quickest of these. The Independent Media Class 4 event was the fastest and here another gamble was landed when BUTTERCUP BABY (lost 1 length at start) scored a facile victory.
Positioned in midfield for most of the journey, the 3yo daughter of What A Winter ran on strongly in the straight and under a well-judged ride from Richard Fourie she struck the front 100m from home. When interviewed after the race, Richard said that he would like to stick with this one.
Two maiden juvenile plates over 1200m had opened up proceedings. Neither were fast run with the second division open to the boys being marginally the faster. All the money was for the Gr3 Protea Stakes runner up Vanakkam and the newcomer Golden Operator. Both raced handy and in turn struck the front over the final 200m. Running on stoutly from off the pace though, Mike Miller’s newcomer SOLDIER BOY ran on best of all and in a thrilling finish he got up 20m from home.
This Royal Mo gelding covered the final 400m in 23,14 seconds which was the second fastest 400m to finish time of the afternoon. Both the winner (Tristan Godden) and the runner-up dislodged their jockeys shortly after crossing the line as a result of the heavily supported runner-up Golden Operator (Craig Zackey) ducking in sharply away from the shadow cast by the grandstand.
Quickies
Fairly flying at the finish, the aptly named WHO BLINKED recorded the fastest 400m to finish time of the afternoon when third in the E-Editions Class 4 event over 1200m.
Fastest Times:
1200m (5) Buttercup Baby
2000m (2) Eight On Eighteen
400-finish Who Blinked
Hollywoodbets Kenilworth (Winter course) 25 May
Track Condition
Going: Soft (both tracks)
Penetrometer: 27 (both tracks)
Rain: Last 24 hours Nil – Last 7 days 39mm
Irrigation: Last 7 days Nil
False Rail: Original position back straight with a 3,5m spur at 450m mark
Wind: 7-14km/h North Westerly tail wind
Course Variant: 0,75s fast (straight) – 1,7s fast (bend)
Pocket Power Stakes (L) 1950m
As was the case in the Gr1 Daily News at Greyville a day earlier, the lessor fancied of Justin Snaith’s runners ensured a decent pace. Taken straight to the front by Musi Yeni, Call To Unite led by four for most of the journey. The always handy OTTO LUYKEN was the first to make a move and struck the front 300m out. He was then headed by the 13/10 favourite Garrix 150m from home but fought back gamely below the distance to get the verdict by a short head.
Stormsvlei Stakes (L) 1800m
The supporting act was the listed Stormsvlei Stakes and here we saw a gutsy performance from the Justin Snaith trained 3yo BEWARE THE BOMB. With nobody interested in making the running on leaving the stalls, the very hard held Lancaster Bomber filly gained a soft lead. She began to quicken the gallop going through the 1400m, and strung the field out rounding the turn. She kept on strongly under a determined ride from Richard Fourie and had the rest held by a length at the wire.
Three 1400m Races
The Hollywoodbets Bright Future Class 4 event was comfortably the fastest of the three 1400m races on the card and in what proved to be a real thriller, the lightly raced THOMAS JENKINS recorded his second career victory. Dalmeny Factor ensured a good pace and rounding the turn quickest of the seven races to negotiate that segment, he had the field well strung out. Indeed, coming off the bend the winner was easily nine lengths adrift. Undeterred though, Andrew Fortune (four winners on the afternoon) steadily guided the Buffalo Bill Cody gelding through the field and with just half a length separating the first four home, they got up in the dying strides.
Quickies
There was officially no time taken in Race 9, the C Stakes over 1000m. We recorded the time as 58,45 and significantly the runner up Bluff On Bluff recorded a 400m to finish time of 22,37 on our clock. This was the fastest for that segment on the afternoon.
Fastest Times:
1000m (2) Flying Finley 58,45
1400m (3) Thomas Jenkins 85,45
1800m (2) Beware The Bomb 110,08
400-finish Bluff On Bluff 22,37
