Flying Newcomers
Fairview 18th July: A maiden juvenile plate over 1000m got proceedings underway in Port Elizabeth on Friday, and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to the newcomer DREW. Allowed to drift as if victory was out of the question at the track (14/1 out to 50/1), Jacque Strydom’s charge raced in the rear early on. She ran on stoutly in the short home straight and got up in the very last stride to deny the much more fancied FUTURE LEADER. The third placed runner WADI RAMI (a newcomer- beaten 0,85 lengths) also finished very well from the rear.
At the other end of the scale the easiest victory on the card was recorded by the former KZN campaigner CAN-CAN INN when opening her account in the maiden 2200m. Allowed to ease considerably during the afternoon although still retaining her position at the top of the boards (7/10 out to 14/10), the Greys Inn mare was always handy. She was ridden to lead early in the home straight and drew clear easily over the final 400m to score by three and a quarter.
Another to win well in the maiden ranks on this card was CARELESS LOVE in the boy’s 1600m event. Having her first outing in the Eastern Cape, Glen Kotzen’s charge was always in touch with the leaders. She made her move early in the straight and with some in hand won well by two and a quarter after striking the front 250m out.
A pinnacle stakes over 1000m topped the bill and here victory went to the deposed favourite YOSHIE. Freely available at 4/1 on the off (op 2/1), the daughter of Antonius Pius raced third for most of the journey. She took up the running going through the 100m and kept on strongly below the distance to beat the running on SWIFT WONDER by a neck.
Titbits
SISTER SYBIL cut through the field like a knife when running on well from the rear to win the girl’s division of the maiden 1600m.
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Star Performance
Turffontein 19th July: They raced on the old stand side track on Saturday where we saw a smart performance in the opening workrider’s maiden event over 2000m from the 5/2 favourite REBEL FLAME. He lost two lengths at the start and as a result raced in midfield. Once given rein though he quickly cut through the field and cruised clear to score by three and three quarters after striking the front 150m from home.
The easiest victory on the card though was undoubtedly that of RED STAR in the maiden 1400m. Backed throughout the day into 17/10 favourite from 4/1, Michael Azzie’s charge also came from midfield. She struck the front 200m out and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to score by six and a quarter.
Four of the afternoon’s ten races were run over 2000m and the fastest of these was the second division of the MR88 Handicap in which HENRY HIGGINS was first past the post. Always handy, Paul Peter’s charge took up the running shortly after passing the 300m marker and just held on from the running on favourite JUDICIAL. On the grounds of interference in the latter stages though, one of the stipendiary stewards lodged an objection and as a result the placing’s of these two horses were reversed.
The first division of the MR88 handicap was won by LUCKY GAMBLER. Freely available at 8/1 on the off, the lightly weighted Silvano mare was content to amble along in the rear for most of the journey. The field was always tightly bunched though and when asked to make a move she soon began to make headway. She was ridden to lead going through the 300m and comfortably accounted for the former Cape Town campaigner SHOWDOWN by a length and three quarters.
Titbits
After racing in midfield GUN FIGHTER cruised clear 350m out when winning the MR68 Handicap going away by three and three quarters.
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Smart Mitraad
Scottsville 20th July: In terms of distance the easiest victory in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday was recorded by JET ON FIRE in the MR86 Handicap over 1200m. Taken straight to the front by Anthony Delpech, the 8/1 shot led throughout. He quickened well when the well supported 7/10 favourite MUSCATT attempted to get on terms and went on to score in good style by four.
Another to win particularly well in the hands of jockey Delpech (four winners on the afternoon) was the heavily supported newcomer MITRAAD (5/1 into 16/10) in the opening maiden juvenile plate over 1200m. On leaving the stalls it was the form horse SCUDETTO who elected to make the running whilst Mike De Kock’s charge raced close up in second. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 400m pole and drew clear easily in the closing stages of the race to win by three and three quarters. Interestingly, this race was run in a time only six one hundredth’s of a second slower than that of Jet On Fire.
Surprisingly the fastest of the afternoon’s three 1600m races was the maiden plate won by EMBLEM ROYALE. Freely available at 7/1 on the off, the well exposed son of National Emblem raced in midfield for most of the journey. He moved through to take up the running going through the 200m and kept on strongly late to fend off a determined challenge from the running on 2yo MACKDESI.
The highest purse on the card was that of the listed Off To Stud Handicap over 1600m which was won by LUNA DE VICTORIA. Always handy in what comparatively was a slowly run affair, Brett Crawford’s charge took up the running 200m out and went on to win very comfortably by two and three quarters.
Titbits
ROYAL COLOURS ran on well from the rear when winning the maiden 2400m very comfortably by two and a quarter.
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Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Fairview
Race 1: (11) Koldona 5
Race 2: (1) I’m A Rock Star 21
Race 3: (1) Destiny Driven 21
Race 4: (7) Foreign Sovereign 73
Race 5: (15) Super Seven 55
Race 6: (2) Careful Hiker 69 (NAP*)
Race 7: (1) Murmering Sky 52
Race 8: (16) Testing The Wind 51
Greyville
Race 1: (3) Money Doesnt Count 62
Race 2: (1) Countess Of Rhynie 45
Race 3: (1) The Royal Rhumba 28
Race 4: (8) Gold Bank 56
Race 5: (4) Carry On Alice 70
Race 6: (1) Afrikaburn 45 (NAP*)
Race 7: (14) Ash Cloud 103
Race 8: (9) Astro News 104
Race 9: (2) Jet Belle 81
Race 10: (7) Captain’s Lullaby 87
Race 11: (5) Night Trip 82 (EW)
Race 12: (2) Dirtydealin Mamma 48
Kenilworth
Race 1: (1) Exotic Jet 14
Race 2: (12) King’s Kitten 5
Race 3: (9) Master’s Eye 22
Race 4: (3) Waterways 19
Race 5: (1) Wise Choice 41
Race 6: (1) Cap Alright 83
Race 7: (1) Jet Supreme 74
Race 8: (1) M’lords Throat 75
Race 9: (2) Caseys Raine 14
Race 10: (3) Princess Salme 51
Turffontein
Race 1: (1) Tiger Sight 20
Race 2: (12) Viking Castle 14
Race 3: (4) Future Fantastic 8
Race 4: (5) Elusive De Lage 9
Race 5: (3) Paschal Moon 57
Race 6: (8) Fighting Force 46
Race 7: (5) Tell My Star 68
Race 8: (17) Classy Looker 49
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Top rated winners last week included
Danilo Gallinari won 14/1Distiller won 13/1
Emblem Royale won 7/1
Land Of Meadows won 7/1
Trip Tease won 5/2
Royal Colours won 18/10
Dayla won 11/10
Jet Jamboree won 1/1 .
Notebook:-
Gun Fighter (P Peter, Gauteng)
Mitraad (M De Kock, KZN)
Red Star (M Azzie, Gauteng)
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FASTEST TIMES
The number of races run over each distance is shown in brackets
*Denotes – Times taken by Clockwatcher
Fairview (poly) 18th July
Going Standard
1000m (2) Yoshie 56,73
1200m (1) Distiller 70,00
1300m (1) Land Of Meadows 75,62
1600m (2) Careless Love 97,35
1800m (1) Crimson Fire 110,63
2200m (1) Can-Can Inn 137,61
Turffontein (old) 19th July
Penetrometer 20 – Going Good
1000m (3) Rambo 57,32
1160m (1) Gun Fighter 67,92
1400m (2) Brad’s Surge 85,91
2000m (4) Henry Higgins 125,81
Scottsville (old) 20th July
Penetrometer 21 – Going Good
1200m (3) Jet On Fire 70,68
1600m (3) Emblem Royale 100,32
1800m (2) True Master 109,90
2400m (2) Roc ‘n Rose 156,95
