Speedy Bells
Vaal 17th February: Thursday’s action took place on the sand where victory in the opening maiden event over 1450m went to the easy to back TROMPSBURG (17). Freely available at 16/1 on the off, Stuart Pettigrew’s charge was always in touch with the leaders. He ran on stoutly at the business end of the race, and in what proved to be a real thriller he got up in the very last stride to deny the 33/1 shot NATONAL NETWORK.
Race four on the card was a MR83 Handicap over 1200m and here we saw a much improved performance from the Diane Stenger trained PRISMATIC FIRE (62). Allowed to ease right out to 13/2 from 4/1 at the track, the daughter of Spectrum raced in the rear during the early part of the race. The well supported favourite SWAN NECK (11/10 into 15/20) was the first to make a move and when that one struck the front 450m out, she looked to have done everything right. Finishing by far the best though, Prismatic Fire picked her off with ease in the closing stages of the race and after striking the front at the distance, she easily drew clear. Prismatic Fire won well and is clearly on the upgrade.
The non black type Summer Speedsters over 1000m topped the bill and here victory went to the Parade Leader filly BLINGLE BELLS. Content to sit at the back of the six for most of the journey, Blingle Bells made her move shortly after passing halfway. She quickly worked her way through the field and won comfortably after striking the front 100m from home.
Titbits
TYPICAL MAN ran on strongly to take third from a very wide draw in the maiden event over 1450m.
Very Last Stride
Arlington 18th February: A Maiden Plate over 1000m was first up in Port Elizabeth on Friday and here we saw a comfortable victory for the Dupont filly DUVET. Soon up handy, Alan Greeff’s charge raced prominent throughout. She was ridden to lead shortly after passing the 300m marker and kept on strongly in the closing stages of the race to beat the running on SHEE’S GONE WEST by a length.
Race four on the card was a MR71 Handicap over 1600m and here it was nice to see the consistent COLATERAL FORM register his third career victory. Content to amble along towards the rear for most of the journey, Colateral form made his move early in the short home straight. He struck the front 180m from home and went on to score comfortably by three quarters from the Casey Tibbs gelding HEAVEN.
The non black type Breeders Guineas Plate over 1400m topped the bill and here the stable of Gavin Smith were on the mark when SAMMY JO landed the spoils. A winner of just one of her previous ten starts, the daughter of Dynasty sat in midfield during the early part of the race. Her more fancied stable companion SHORT LIST was the first to make a move in the straight and when she struck the front under a determined ride from Warren Kennedy 150m out, she looked to have done everything right. Sammy Jo found another gear below the distance though and in what proved to be a real thriller, she got up to beat Shortlist in the very last stride.
Titbits
Well supported second favourite DANCING LEE ran on well after being outpaced early and did very well to get within two lengths of the winner in the MR72 Handicap over 1000m.
FOREST FASHION was finishing strongly after being baulked for a run 300m out in the MR74 affair over 1000m.
4 From 6
Turffontein 19th February: They raced on the inner track on Saturday where the opening maiden event over 1800m went to the well supported ELDORADO. Confidently ridden by champion jockey Anton Marcus, Eldorado sat in midfield for most of the journey. He quickened well when given rein coming off the strip and after quickly getting to the front, he went on to score very easily by three.
Race four on the card was a Pinnacle Stakes over 1800m and here we saw a smart performance from the well supported DARK WIND (5/1 into 7/2). Up considerably in class in this his first start in Gauteng, Mike De Kock’s charge was always handy. He ran on strongly in the short home straight and did very well indeed in the latter stages of the race to get the better of the useful SMANJEMANJE. Returning from a three month break here, Dark Wind has now won four of his six career starts to date and is clearly still improving.
Also worthy of note on this card was the performance of RAPID FLOW in winning the afternoon’s feature event, the non black type Allez France Handicap over 2200m. Another winner on the card for Anton Marcus, Rapid Flow sat towards the rear for most of the journey, and still had some five lengths to make up coming off the strip. When the field began to concertina early in the straight though, Rapid Flow was soon thrust into contention and under well judged ride he got up late.
Titbits
FULL COLOUR was in the rear some seven lengths behind the eventual winner turning for home in the maiden event over 1800m and did very well indeed to get up for third.
After racing in the rear in the MR88 Handicap over 1450m, the runner up SMART GIRL was gaining on the winner quickly over the final 100m.
Sudden Impact
Kenilworth 19th February: With the first two favourites representing some very strong form in opening juveniles events in Cape Town on Saturday they were always going to take some beating and so it proved to be.
The Fillies Juvenile Plate over 1200m was first up and here we saw a very easy victory for the Neil Bruss trained COMTESSE DUBOIS. Always deep in the red, this daughter of Count Dubois got away well when the gates opened and was soon up handy. She was ridden to lead as they approached the 200m marker and with a ton in hand she easily accounted for the hard ridden PRINCESS ALBERTA.
It was a similar story in the Juvenile Plate over 1000m where CHIEFTAN did the business. Nicely positioned in third when the race began in earnest, Vaughan Marshall’s charge struck the front shortly after passing the 400m marker and only having to ridden hands and heels in the closing stages of the race, he won going away.
The Gr3 Riverworld Prix Du Cap over 1400m topped the bill and here it was nice to see the Yogis Govender trained WINTER BURST post her first graded success. Confidently ridden by Aldo Domeyer, Winter Burst was content to amble along in the rear for most of the journey. Once in the long new course straight though, she quickened best of all and in what proved to be a real thriller she got up in the dying strides to deny the 3yo IN LIKE FLYNN. Winter Burst has now won four of her eight starts over 1400m.
Titbits
Positioned some four lengths off the pace in fifth going through the 400m, the MR100 Handicap runner up SPLASH GOLD ran on very nicely in the closing stages of the race and looks to have plenty of improvement still to come.
Top speedratings for this weekend include:-
Flamingo Park
Race 1: No Qualifiers
Race 2: No Qualifiers
Race 3: No Qualifiers
Race 4: (1) Comedy Caravan 69
Race 5: (14) Celtics Clash 34
Race 6: (13) Hidden Nest 32
Race 7: (15) The Citadel 40
Race 8: (9) Richinstyle 46
Race 9: (6) African Vision 81
Turffontein
Race 1: (6) Jumbo 4
Race 2: (4) Maggie Thatch 10 (NAP*)
Race 3: (4) Super Boy 25
Race 4: (1) Desert Warrior 19
Race 5: (1) Bearing Strait 13
Race 6: (5) Hot Tip 49
Race 7: (11) Gladius 80
Race 8: (13) Majestic Circle 60
Scottsville
Race 1: (2) Georgia On My Mind 5
Race 2: (2 ) Suncat 13
Race 3: (7) Streaker 12
Race 4: (2) Sparkle 20
Race 5: (2) Winterwonderland 67
Race 6: (2) Eloise 37
Race 7: (2) South Ranger 54
Race 8: (9) Nadal 51
Race 9: (14) Scatcat 56
Durbanville
Race 1: (1) Rainbow Man 16
Race 2: (3) Fire Burning 6
Race 3: (1) Prompter 23 (NAP*)
Race 4: (4) Una Aura 3
Race 5: (4) Louisiana Dandy 35
Race 6: (10) Royal Magic 59
Race 7: (6) Naughty Girl 74
Race 8: (7) Wing And A Prayer 2
Vaal
Race 1: (5) National Fleet 22
Race 2: (2) Quickalookie 10
Race 3: (6) Wild Swan 52
Race 4: (12) Pokerface 73
Race 5: (14) Danger Point 71
Race 6: (2) Apple Princess 78
Race 7: (5) Gold Game 78
Race 8: (13) Polo 71
Top rated winners last week included:-
Go Me Gal won 10/1
La Negrita won 15/2
Catview won 4/1
Almavira won 18/10
Strike Master won 17/10
Kwaaihoek won 7/10
Novello won 11/20
Allocation won 5/10
Notebook:-
Comtesse Dubois (N Bruss, Natal)
Dark Wind (M De Kock, Gauteng)
Splash Gold (D Kannemeyer, W-Cape)
FASTEST TIMES
(Shown in brackets is the number of races run in each category)
Vaal 17th February
Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (5) Blingle Bells
Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (4) Wood Be
Fastest Long 1900-3600 (0) No Qualifiers
Arlington 18th February
Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (4) Ballando
Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (4) Dancing Kiwi
Fastest Long 1900-3600 (0) No Qualifiers
Turffontein 19th February
Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (1) Sacred Feminine
Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (8) Knock And Announce
Fastest Long 1900-3600 (1) Rapid Flow
Kenilworth 19th February
Fastest Sprint 1000-1300 (4) August Rush
Fastest Middle 1400-1800 (4) Winter Burst
Fastest Long 1900-3600 (1) Tottenham
