Icemberg Still Flying
Arlington 26th April: A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m got proceedings underway on Friday and here we saw a very comfortable victory for the favourite ESS EL KAY. Taken straight to the front by Karl Zechner, the son of Var led throughout. He was always clear and won without any anxious moments.
The easiest victory on the card though was undoubtedly that of KINGS EMBLEM in the maiden 1000m. Soon up handy, in what quickly became a strung out field, the National Emblem gelding was always poised to strike. He did so going through the 300m and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by five.
The aptly named non-black type Flying Five topped the bill, and in what proved to be the fastest of the five 1000m events the 6yo ICEMBERG registered his eighth career victory. Allowed to drift right out to 20/1 from 12”s at the track, Justin Snaith’s charge raced in midfield during the early part of the race. He quickened well going through halfway and went on to score with authority after striking the front 200m out.
Titbits
DREAM TO REALITY ran on well from the rear when runner up in the Allowance Plate over 1400m.
Fourth placed KANTAKA didn’t find the clearest of passages before finishing strongly in the MR72 Handicap over 1600m.
The 3yo WIMBLEDON QUEEN won the MR74 Handicap over 1000m going away with some in hand.
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Prepping For Features
Greyville 26th April: All eyes were on the Guineas entrant VERCINGETORIX in the opening graduation plate over 1600m on Friday evening and the son of Silvano didn’t let down his supporters. Sent off favourite in what was a small but very talented field, Mike De Kock’s charge was always travelling well. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m pole and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat his stable companion ROCK COCKTAIL by a length and three quarters.
Three of the evening’s ten events were run over 1400m and the fastest of these was the MR74 affair won by the costly to follow DYNAMIC STAR. Allowed to ease out to 7/1 from 9/2 at the track, Paul Lafferty’s charge was drawn very wide, but despite that he was soon up handy. He ran on well down the short home straight and did well to collar the free striding pacemaker KING’S WILD close home.
The listed In Full Flight Handicap topped the bill and in what not surprisingly was the faster of the two 1000m events, the up and coming CAPE ROYAL registered his sixth success from just ten starts. A winner of the 600m dash last time out, Cape Royal broke well and was soon positioned close to the speed. He took up the running shortly after passing the 300m marker and easily accounted for the very useful sprinter CAP ALRIGHT by two and a quarter. Positioned seventh of the nine, TEVEZ ran on well in this race to take third position.
Titbits
Runner up MODERN SPOT ran on well after losing two lengths at the start of the maiden 1400m and only failed to get up by a neck.
After being slow into stride and
then having to switch out for a run 250m from home, the poorly drawn DAN’S APPROVAL ran on stoutly and won the MR74 Handicap over 1200m going away.
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Tiara Take Two
Turffontein 27th April: The best bet on the card for most on Champions Day at Turffontein on Saturday was CHERRY ON THE TOP in the Gr2 SA Oaks over 2450m and she didn’t let down her supporters. Sent off deep in the red 1/4 in her bid to secure a R1M bonus for winning all three legs of the Triple Tiara, the daughter of Tiger Ridge raced sixth of the ten for most of the journey. She was ridden to lead 300m out by Nooresh Juglall and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat her only serious rival in the betting market DO YOU REMEMBER fair and square by a length and a quarter.
Another to do the business at very cramped odds was the highly regarded YORKER in the opening MR96 Handicap over 1600m. Confidently ridden by Anton Marcus, Geoff Woodruff’s charge raced sixth during the early part of the race. He made his move as they approached the 500m marker and after striking the front 200m later he easily accounted for the running on SELBORNE SUPREMACY by three.
The faster of the two 2000m events on the card was the Gr1 Champions Challenge in which the 40/1 shot HEAVY METAL caused a major upset. One of four runners from the stable of Sean Tarry, the 4yo son of Silvano broke well when the gates opened and was always in touch with the leaders. He ran on stoutly when the race developed into a sprint 400m out and comfortably accounted for the much more fancied KNOCK ON WOOD who also finished very well.
Titbits
The Western Cape raider ICY WINTER AIR ran on well from the rear when third in the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m.
After losing two lengths at the start, and then having to switch right out for a run 200m from home, EASTERN GREETING did very well indeed to get up late when landing the Gr2 Camellia Stakes over 1160m.
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Lady Africa
Scottsville 28th April: Favourite backers got off to a nice start in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday when DAZZLE did the business in the opening maiden event over 1200m. Backed into 14/10 from 2/1 at the track, Glen Kotzen’s charge was soon positioned close to the speed. She took up the running at the 400m marker and drew clear easily from there onwards to beat the running on RAMP DIVA by four.
The easiest victory on the ten card program though was undoubtedly that of EUROPE TO AFRICA who came home smoking in the non-black type Scarlet Lady Handicap over 1800m. Always top of the boards, the Rock Of Gibraltar filly was asked to take up the running going through the 300m and cruised clear at the business end of the race to score by seven.
Four of the afternoon’s ten races were run over 1200m and the fastest of these was the Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes won by Europe To Africa’s stable companion ALL IS SECRET. She got away well when the gates opened and soon up handy raced prominent throughout. She struck the front passing the 300m pole and although the fancied MISS OCTOBER threw down a determined challenge at that point she went on to win with authority by a length and a half.
Titbits
JET EXPLORER was running on very strongly late when only failing to get to TRIBAL DANCE by the narrowest of margins in the listed Sledgehammer Handicap over 1800m.
Baulked for a run between the 400m and 200m poles, PRINCESS JULIETTA was gaining quickly at the finish when only beaten half a length in the Gr2 Debutante.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park Race 1: (9) La Flamme 12 Race 2: (4) General Custer 10 Race 3: (2) Elkanah 7 Race 4: (3) Sky Marshal 75 Race 5: (1) Campo De Santana 55 Race 6: (3) Run Rorkus Run 56 Race 7: (6) Bezrins Babe 20 Race 8: (9) Burnt Amber 12 Race 9: (2) Foreign Gal 39 Vaal (tues) Race 1: (3) Ninja Warrior 19 Race 2: (10) Sioux She 18 Race 3: (1) Gems A Plenty 21 (NAP*) Race 4: (1) Snowdon 95 Race 5: (3) Exceptional Dreams 54 Race 6: (1) Zemfira 43 Race 7: (7) Penny Fare 38 Race 8: (3) Aim Of The Game 32 Race 9: (1) Greystone 21 Race 10: (14) Soleil Royal 38 (EW) Scottsville Race 1: (1) Acapulco 31 Race 2: (2) Angie 15 Race 3: (1) Champagne Showers 8 Race 4: (1) Miss Tiger Eyes 15 Race 5: (1) Java Moon 15 Race 6: (9) Bluroute 54 Race 7: (5) Caviar 59 (NAP*) Race 8: (6) Island Fiesta 65 Race 9: (5) Warwickadale 49 Vaal (thur) Race 1: No Qualifiers Race 2: (5) Where Eagles Dare 2 Race 3: (7) Chazak 27 Race 4: (9) Hallowed 76 Race 5: (14) Rulesofengagement 42 Race 6: (8) Legal Action 82 Race 7: (5) Berrymiller 51 Race 8: (14) Sparkling Saphir 49 .
Top rated winners last week included
Spectroscope won 50/1 Told You So won 11/2 Yukon Gold won 28/10 Little Pearl won 2/1 Vercingetorix won 18/10 Tacit Tiger won 12/10 Secret Magok won 8/10 Richard’s Grace won 13/20 .
Notebook:-
Cape Royal (D Kannemeyer, KZN) Cherry On The Top (O Ferraris, Gauteng) Vercingetorix (M De Kock, KZN) .
FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets *Denotes – Times taken by ClockwatcherArlington 26th April Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (5) Icemberg 56,11 1400m (2) Little Pearl 83,18 1600m (2) Crown Hill 95,20 .
Greyville 26th April Penetrometer 25 – Going G/Soft 1000m (2) Cape Royal 59,02 1200m (1) Dan’s Approval 73,10 1400m (3) Dynamic Star 85,52 1600m (2) Vercingetorix 97,07 1900m (1) Blue Berry 119,43 2000m (1) Miss Diana 126,01 .
Turffontein 27th April Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (1) What A Winter 55,67 1160m (3) Willow Magic 65,97 1600m (1) Yorker 96,54 2000m (2) Heavy Metal 123,56 2450m (2) Wylie Hall 156,01 3200m (1) Canterbury Tale 209,92 .
Scottsville 28th April Penetrometer 21 – Going Good 1000m (1) Kochka 57,65 1200m (4) All Is Secret 68,64 1600m (3) Vienna Wood 98,33 1800m (2) Tribal Dance 108,92
