We preview South African horse racing taking place from Monday 18th to Thursday 21st February 2019. There are 5 meetings taking place at Flamingo Park, Vaal (Tues & Thurs) as well as a double header on Wednesday with Scottsville and Turffontein. We provide Winning Form's Best Bets for each meeting, as well as comments on our Hollywood Syndicate runners.
A Big, Big Week Ahead
After a drought of racing last week, the weekend delivered some very entertaining action with the Tommy Hotspur Handicap at Turffontein on Sunday producing a thrilling finish – albeit an upset result.
The handicap conditions and the give in the ground after days of rain was always a cocktail for a big result and Mike and Adam Azzie duly delivered the knock-out blow in the form of the Judpot gelding,
Down To Zero, who won a gutsy race – his first stakes feature.
But that’s history now as we face another bumper week of bread and butter racing starting at 12h20 today with a ten-race programme on the
Flamingo sand.
Our best bet of the day is in the Kimberley 1400m, the afternoon’s feature, where the ever reliable
TIMKAT takes on his very capable stablemate
BRIGHT FLAME.
Bright Flame got the better of Timkat when they last met over 200m shorter, but is now a kilo worse off and there should be absolutely nothing to choose between the two of them. An exciting duel to look forward to!
Cliffie Miller also saddles the Hollywood Syndicate’s
HONEST PRINCE who has his first run in the Diamond City when he lines up in the final race. The former KZN based galloper’s full pre-race comments are shown below - and if he brings his homework to the racecourse, he could just about win this.
We are on the
Vaal Classic track on Tuesday where an extended eleven-race programme is hosted.
Diane Stenger’s
MAGIC'S FIRST has improved smartly since being stepped up in ground and she could be the business in the second race, the Bipot opener. The daughter of Master Of My Fate ran on nicely over 600m shorter last time and if only half as good as her ten time winning Mum, should dispose of this lot.
There are eight races rescheduled from Sundays
Scottsville inside track meeting on
Wednesday - and a jockey strike highlights our best bet of the day.
Anton Marcus takes the reins on the Shane Humby trained MR FITZ, who ran a very good course and distance second at the end of last month. He was beaten 1.75 lengths by Last Of The Legend - and the latter franked the form at Scottsville last Wednesday when following up with a good post maiden victory.
In the final race of the day the Ashaawes mare
BARINOIS is well drawn and has shown flickers of a form return in her recent starts. She looks to be a fair prospect as a roving banker together with
NETANYA who has never run a bad race in five starts. Both are well drawn and we suggest you add as many as possible into the mix, as an upset looks to be on the cards.
A newly supplemented
Turffontein meeting comprising eight races will run alongside Scottsville on
Wednesday in a rare midweek double.
JULEP and
PALACE CHAPEL could be the opening double to set up a good day.
Alec Laird’s Julep ran on really smartly over shorter last time and the 1800m looks the perfect stage to give her the chance to depart the maidens.
Palace Chapel had excellent home form before travelling to Kenilworth for the CTS 1200, where he was hardly disgraced when bringing home a small slice of the bacon and running fourth. His stablemate Rebel’s Champ showed on Sunday that the Paul Peter runners are well and don’t need a race to settle in.
We round the mid-week action off at the
Vaal on Thursday where Gokhan Terzi and Craig Zackey team up in the Bipot opener with the Twice Over filly
IT TAKES TWO. Her two course and distance efforts suggest that she is ready to win and was unlucky last time when she was bumped repeatedly in the latter stages.
While apprentice handicaps are probably not the ideal platform to look for a banker, Paul Peter’s
CHE BELLA looks a fair bet in the ninth.
The daughter of Sail From Seattle ran on well last time over the 1200m and apprentice Yuzae Ramzan does the honours and takes the weight off her back.
We look forward to the coming weekend where the curtain comes down on a sizzling Cape Summer Season at Kenilworth. More about that on Thursday.
Wishing you a great week of winning – and with five meetings in four days, we certainly have plenty of opportunity!
Till next time.
Monday 18th February 2019
Flamingo Park
Race 10 – 16:55
1000m – MR 56 Handicap
8 – Honest Prince
Trainer: Cliffie Miller
Jockey: Collen Story
Wgt: 54.5kg
Draw: 15(17)
Current Betting: 6/1
He seems to be a horse that can do so much better than he has done on the course. His work on the sand back home is that of a horse that is rated 20 points higher than he is and it is based on that conclusion, that we have decided to send him to the only sand course in the country, Flamingo Park. He comes into this weak handicap with a nice galloping weight and we give him a good each way chance on his local debut.
Winning Form Comment: Ex-KZN resident. Capable, watch closely.
Wednesday 20th February 2019
Scottsville Racecourse
Race 1 – 12:50
1100m – Maiden Juvenile Plate
2 – Chief Officer
Trainer: Alyson Wright
Jockey:
Wgt: 60.0kg
Draw: 9(9)
He put up a nice Barrier Trial just over two weeks ago, kicking on nicely in the latter stages. The 800m would’ve been far too short for him on that occasion, so he will enjoy the extra 300m and we’ll be expecting a solid first run from him. The Paul Peter trained “Ring Of Fire” has been scratched from the race and would’ve been the clear horse to beat in the race, as such it has a wide open look about it now and he should fare relatively well. Our one concern would be that he may just need this first run, before we can follow him with any certainty.
Thursday 21 February 2019
Vaal Turf
Race 3 – 13:15
1200m – Maiden Plate
4 – Setablaze
Trainer: Clinton Binda
Jockey: Kabelo Matsunyane (-2.5kg)
Wgt: 60.0kg
Draw: 7(20)
Predicted Betting: 25/1
His best runs have come from when he is left alone throughout the race and is allowed to run at the leaders late on. That was again evident in his latest outing, where he made up a lot of ground late on in a big field, to finish a credible 6.15 lengths off the winner. He has come on from that run and once again gets the services of Kabelo, with the 2.5kg claim which will certainly help. We give him a fair place chance and if natural progression is bought into the equation, then he could have a nice outside win chance as well. There are a few runners in the race, with further scope for improvement as well, so it may be wise to play with caution here.
Winning Form Comment: Caught the eye late in improved last start and should have more to offer.
Race 10 – 17:20
1000m – MR 66 Handicap
5 – Seventh Son
Trainer: Clinton Binda
Jockey: Randall Simons
Wgt: 57.5kg
Draw: 5(20)
Predicted Betting: 20/1
After two solid victories in a row, it appears that the handicapper has his measure as his last three performances have been disappointing. He reverts back to the 6 furlong trip, where two of his three career wins have transpired. He gets the services of Randall Simons this time around, as well as a set of blinkers and hopefully this will have the desired effect of sharpening him up. However, the feeling is that he may need to drop a few points before he has a decent chance of adding to his winning tally. We give him an outside place chance in this big competitive field.
Winning Form Comment: Below par recent form, but tries the headgear.
12 – Alphamikefoxtrot
Trainer: Clinton Binda
Jockey: Khanya Sakayi (-1.5kg)
Wgt: 55.5kg
Draw: 3(20)
Predicted Betting: 25/1
His last attempt offered small improvement to his handicap debut run before that and he comes into this race a fresh horse. He may still need a few more points shaved off his Merit Rating before he can be considered a big runner, but he is racing fit and he is doing well so we can expect an honest run from him. He may just be out gunned this time around.
Winning Form Comment: Some improvement last time, could have more to offer.
Read More Here
Winning Form
Magic Tips Best Bets
Flamingo Park (18/02)
Race 2 – LAPTOP WIZARD (1)
Jockey: Nathan KLINK - Trainer: Bill HUMAN
The former Highveld resident LAPTOP WIZARD had solid credentials back home and has joined up with a top local yard.
Vaal Classic (19/02)
Race 2 – BUILDING BRIDGES (5)
Jockey: Warren KENNEDY - Trainer: Erico VERDONESE
BUILDING BRIDGES may have just needed her smart comeback run over this c & d where she finished more than four lengths clear of the next placed entrant.
Greyville (20/02)
Race 8 – ROY'S PHYSCO (6)
Jockey: Anton MARCUS - Trainer: Alyson WRIGHT
ROY'S PHYSCHO expectedly enjoyed the test of stamina as he produced his career-best run when adopting frontrunning tactics in the capital ten days ago and the imported gelding should build on that effort.
Turffontein (20/02)
Race 1 – JULEP (1)
Jockey: Gavin LERENA - Trainer: Alec LAIRD
JULEP quickly returned to form with a strong finish for a close fourth over a mile recently and will relish this extra furlong.
Vaal (21/02)
Race 3 – PALACE ASSEMBLY (1)
Jockey: Luke J FERRARIS - Trainer: Mike/Adam AZZIE
PALACE ASSEMBLY bounced right back to his best form despite traffic issues as he ran on smartly for second behind the highly regarded Sacred Castle (ran in race 8) at Turffontein last month.
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