MONDAY 8th - THURSDAY 11th FEBRUARY 2016
No. 2224 ISSN 1023 / 6996
The Mike de Kocktrained Moofeed is out to clinch the double
FAIRVIEW POLY 12:50pm (Monday) p.3 KENILWORTH 2:00pm (Tuesday) p.10
TURFFONTEIN NIGHT 5:55pm (Tuesday) p.15
JC PHOTOS
GREYVILLE POLY 12:15pm (Wednesday) p.25 VAAL 12:15pm (Thursday) p.33
Gr3 TOMMY HOTSPUR HANDICAP at Turffontein on Tuesday
T
If reminiscing about great horses and the good old days grabs your fancy, the news that champion sprinter Tommy Hotspur turned 24 recently will have you feeling your age. The speed demon son of Harry Hotspur is honoured with the running of the R250 000 Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap at Turffontein on Tuesday evening.
he powerful chestnut bullet out of the Brer Rabbit mare Tabitha Twitchett, was a Ferrari on four legs and demolished his opposition with his lightning toe. Trained for the larger part of his career by Gary Alexander, and then by David Ferraris, he won his first 8 starts in a row, and 10 races in total, including the Gr1 Computaform Sprint. A dazzling sprinter that entertained us so royally, he was plagued with unsoundness
during his career. He is enjoying a well deserved retirement on the sprawling Shearwood Farm - where he still goes for the occasional outride, under the guidance of his doting ‘Mom’, Ashleigh Hughes, who is also an assistant to Justin Snaith.
Double Bid
There is nothing close to the brilliance of Tommy Hotspur in Tuesday’s ten horse field, but Mike de Kock’s Moofeed is out to register the Hotspur double after staying on smartly
to beat One Man’s Dream in the 2015 renewal. A rare sprinting son of Duke Of Marmalade, Moofeed won his last start over the course and distance beating Mod Barley by 1,30 lengths.
Tough Duo
Dollar Dazzler and Splendid Garden look the two most likely to stretch Moofeed. The 5yo Var gelding Dollar Dazzler showed plenty of toe when running a 0,40 length second to Brutal Force in the Joburg Merchants – it is a stretch of collateral, but Brutal Force’s storming effort in last Saturday’s wfa Gr1
Highlands has another super draft of Yearlings on the
Cape Flying Championship is fresh in the mind. Dollar Dazzler’s run in the Merchants was given added credibility as his saddle slipped. He runs fresh off a ten week break and Andrew Fortune will get the best out of him.
Temperamental
The temperamental Splendid Garden has come good, winning 4 of his 6 most recent starts. He beat Moofeed over the 1160m last time by 1,25 lengths, but is a half kilo worse off and should definitely not be troubled by the minimum trip. Aurum Pot was beaten 3,25
lengths there by Splendid Garden after showing good speed and is also a half kilo better off. He won his penultimate run giving Splendid Garden 1,50 kgs and a 2,10 lengths beating, so is very capable of a bold performance. Cont. p.2
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SPORTING POST • MONDAY 8th - THURSDAY 11th FEBRUARY 2016 Top Rated Last week ’sS winners incl. G N TI SPEED RA
A review of the week's best SPEEDRATINGS
with Steve Furnish
Winning In Style
Come On You Reds
Fairview 29th January There were a number of easy victories on Friday’s turf card, but none more so than that of WESTERN WU in the not so lucky last, a MR72 Handicap. Freely available at 6/1 in what proved to be the faster of the afternoon’s two 1600m events, the son of Dynasty raced in midfield early on. He was hampered when looking to start his run 400m out, but once seeing daylight he cut through the field like a knife. He struck the front 150m from home, and cruised clear in the closing stages of the race to score by three and a quarter. Another to win going away by that distance was ETERNAL WINTER in the maiden plate for the girls over 1400m. The best bet on the card for many, Gavin Smith’s charge also came from midfield, and ridden to lead 100m out, won going away. There were three races run over 1400m in total and the fastest of these was the conditions plate won by the very well weighted SUNSET TRIPP. Soon up handy in what was a ridiculously strung out field, Justin Snaith’s charge struck the front 250m out and won very cosily from the running on WITCHERY. TITBITS
Greyville 29th January They raced on the poly track on Friday evening Dennis Drier’s charge ran on best of all at the where four of the eight races were staged over business end of the race and won going away by 1400m, and surprisingly the fastest of these three and a half. A MR80 Handicap over 1400m topped the (some would have you believe otherwise) was the lowly MR65 Handicap won by NOTTINGHAM bill and in what proved to be the slowest of the evening’s 1400m races, the 3yo ROYAL FOREST. Nibbled at on course into 12/1 from 20’s, ARMOUR completed a hat-trick. Sent off a wellthe not so reliable son of A P Arrow was always supported second favourite, the progressive son handy. He ran on stoutly in the straight and just of Jay Peg was soon positioned close to the got the better of the running on MASTER OF speed. He put his head in front shortly after passing MISCHIEF by a half. The uneasy favourite GROOVY NEWS didn’t the 300m marker and although the wellfind the clearest of passages when running on supported favourite DO BE SNAPPY challenged strongly in the closing stages of the race, he did from the rear to fill fourth position in this race. A maiden plate over 1200m had gotten have that one held by a half at the wire. proceedings underway and here we saw a very TITBITS comfortable victory for the favourite RICOCHET After losing two lengths at the start, ROY ROYALE FLYER. ran on well from the rear when winning the One of six in a line going through the 300m, MR66 Handicap over 1400m.
Professional Treble
Turffontein They raced on the inside track on Saturday where the fastest of the four 1600m races, a NIGHT FALL and STONE TOWN both ran on well MR86 Handicap, was won by HAWAIIAN from off the pace when 2nd & 3rd respectively in SUN. the MR66 Handicap over 2000m. Easy to back at 7/1 on the off, Sean Tarry’s charge was content to sit at the back of the seven for most of the journey. He quickened well when the race developed into a sprint 400m out, (The number of races run in each category shown in brackets) and with the rest comfortably beaten he got the (*Denotes - Times taken by Clockwatcher) (P = Polytrack) better of CAYMEN SUNSET (didn’t find the FAIRVIEW (TURF) 29TH JANUARY clearest of passages) by a half. Penetrometer 22 – Going Good The faster of the two 1200m handicaps was 1200m (1) Vauclair 66,84 the MR88 affair won by the lightly raced 3yo 1400m (3) Sunset Tripp 83,16 SPRING WONDER. 1600m (2) Western Wu 96,16 She got away well when the gates opened and 2000m (2) Jam Tart 124,47 taken straight to the front by Callan Murray led
FASTEST TIMES
2400m (1) Taketotask
153,30
GREYVILLE (POLY) 29 JANUARY Going Standard 1200m (2) Ricochet Flyer 1400m (4) Nottingham Forest 1600m (1) Juds Express 1900m (1) Canigao
TURFFONTEIN (INSIDE) 30TH JANUARY Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1000m (1) Cat’s Whiskers 58,41 1200m (2) Spring Wonder 72,64 1600m (4) Hawaiian Sun 96,95 2000m (2) Pyramus 125,22 KENILWORTH (NEW) 30TH JANUARY Penetrometer 23 – Going Good 1000m (3) Gulf Storm 58,92 1200m (2) Captain Swarovski 72,21 1400m (1) Qing 87,48 1600m (3) Mr Wise Guy 99,63 2000m (2) Smart Call 123,17 2800m (1) Ovidio 181,73
The odds on favourites in the first three races, CAT’S WHISKERS, SPAN DIE SEILE and SCHILLACI all won their respective maiden events with authority.
Very Smart Filly
TH
70,42 83,49 97,78 115,77
30th January throughout. She was always in command and won well by a length from the easy to back FINDING ALICE. There was also two races run over 2000m and quickest home here was PYRAMUS in the MR67 Handicap. On leaving the stalls it was NOTORIOUS who elected to make the running whilst the son of Brave Tin Soldier raced close up in second. He was ridden to lead going through the 400m and won fair and square from the much more fancied BANKABLE TEDDY. TITBITS
Kenilworth 30th January The Queen’s Plate winner LEGAL EAGLE was sent off a strong favourite to win the prestigious Gr1 J&B Met on Saturday, but on the day he found one better. Soon nicely positioned in second in what not surprisingly proved to be the faster of the afternoon’s two 2000m races, Sean Tarry’s charge looked to have done everything right on striking the front 400m out. The only female in the race though SMART CALL tracked him throughout, and when she in turn put her head in front 250m from home, he couldn’t go with her. The fastest of the afternoon’s three 1000m races was the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship and in what proved to be a real thriller victory here went to GULF STORM. Always handy, Brett Crawford’s charge quickened very nicely
late and in a blanket finish he only got the verdict by the narrowest of margins over the running on BRUTAL FORCE. There was also three races run over 1600m and the fastest of these was the MR80 Handicap won by MR WISE GUY. The seventh of eight winners on the card for trainer Justin Snaith, the Visionaire gelding was content to sit in the backend of midfield early on. He was ridden to lead as they approached the 100m pole and kept on strongly late to beat the running on VILAKAZI by a length and three quarters. TITBITS
N 14/1 ............ WO /1 .. D O O W IA ON 8 ACAC .............. W .. L L A C T R ON 7/1 SMA N............. W U S N A II A HAW WON 5/1 Y .............. U G E IS W MR WON 28/10 ................ K S A T O T E TAK WON 11/10 ................ .. T N A H C R ON 13/20 MA TER ........ W IN W L A N R ETE WON 9/20 ERS ......... K IS H W ’S CAT
Notebook
Horses worth following at their next few starts... SMART CALL (A Laird, W-Cape) STAR EXPRESS (J Snaith, W-Cape) WESTERN WU (A Greeff, E-Cape)
TOP SPEED RATINGS for this MID-WEEK (Ratings shown have already been adjusted to allocated weights)
FAIRVIEW (MON) Race 1: (2) Sportstrader 14 (NAP*) Race 2: (4) Petite Paramor 10 Race 3: (3) La Myst 2 Race 4: (9) Bolt Of Light 75 Race 5: (14) Sky Full Of Stars 49 Race 6: (7) Dynamite 42 Race 7: (7) Pataudi 56 Race 8: (1) Bella Spumante 49 KENILWORTH (TUES) Race 1: (6) On The Right Path 8 Race 2: (5) Eighth Wonder 57 Race 3: (9) Jingle Belle 11 Race 4: (6) Preoccupation 37 Race 5: (7) Boomtown Belter 40 Race 6: (9) Midnite Zone 82 (EW) Race 7: (5) No Resistance 57 TURFFONTEIN (TUES) Race 1: (2) Rivarine 24 Race 2: (6) Fursa 22 Race 3: (5) Captain Chips 25 Race 4: (1) Truly 15 Race 5: (1) Trophy Wife 72 (NAP**) Race 6: (4) Amsterdam 106 Race 7: (1) Dollar Dazzler 91 Race 8: (8) Delighted 38 GREYVILLE (WED) Race 1: (2) Glimmer Of Silver 7 Race 2: (13) Whirl Away Lad 11 Race 3: (1) L’attitude 8 Race 4: (2) Destined For Dawn 25 Race 5: (5) Killarney House 15 Race 6: (6) Dellavera 14 Race 7: (6) Lady Ming 83 Race 8: (3) Ho’oponopono 50 (NAP*) Race 9: (8) Ostentation 43 VAAL (THUR) Race 1: (1) Topography 15 Race 2: (4) Miss December 72 Race 3: (1) Vee Man 10 Race 4: (1) De Lujo 15 Race 5: (12) Shine Bright 18 Race 6: (7) Duke Nukem 73 Race 7: (7) Charanga 60 Race 8: (1) Abashiri 60 (NAP**) Race 9: (12) Tip Of The Glacier 34 (nb)
The 3yo STAR EXPRESS came from the rear when winning the MR87 Handicap over 2000m going away by three and three quarters.
NAP BETS * Fancied ** Strongly fancied *** Very strongly fancied
Tribute To Tommy Gr3 TOMMY HOTSPUR HANDICAP at Turffontein on Tuesday
Louis Goosen’s Doing It For Dan was runner-up in this race last year and will be keen to exact revenge on Moofeed. He certainly comes into it on their last meeting , where giving away 4kgs, he was beaten 2,55 lengths by the De Kock speedster. One Man’s Dream is thus
3,50 kgs better off here and a massive threat over a track and trip that he relishes.
Outpaced
Moofeed’s stablemate Tiger Territory is consistent, but tends to get there too late off the early rush. Former PE campaigner Mod Barley is very quick and
meets Moofeed on 1,50kgs better terms after beaten 1,30 lengths last time. That surely brings him into the reckoning and his fourth career win looks long overdue. Viking Hero was beautifully ridden by Karl Zechner to win the Gr3 Lebelo Sprint over Tuesday evening’s course and distance
Cont. from front
at his penultimate start. He then ran below that in a handicap over the Vaal 1200m and it may well be that he is more effective over the 1000m. Jarryd Penny takes the reins under a galloping 52,5kgs. Lumya is the only filly in the race and has good form against her own sex. She
was not disgraced against the boys when beaten 2,30 lengths by Moofeed last time and certainly has a place chance Jade Bay has only had one run in a year and pulled up lame when 7,45 lengths behind Moofeed. He appears past his best and has his issues.
The Pick
Moofeed is our selection to narrowly get the better of Dollar Dazzler and Doing It For Dan. If Splendid Garden behaves himself, he could prove a major threat, with Aurum Pot one for the back end of quartets.
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SPORTING POST • MonDAY 8th - THURSDAY 11th FEBRUARY 2016