We seldom cover racing from Kimberley which takes place most Monday afternoon’s on the red dirt of Flamingo Park. Having different surfaces and varying strengths of competition provides useful alternatives for horses unable to shape in the major centres on turf or Poly, so Kimberley acts as a convenient outlet. Admittedly, some very weak
Andre Nel runs a sharp training set up for Sabine Plattner and they unveiled a very promising Querari colt, Pleasedtomeetyou at Kenilworth on Saturday. He stretched clear with a good closing burst to record a monster speed figure of 100 on debut – a rare accomplishment. To put the performance in perspective, Pleasedtomeetyou’s closing
Grade 1’s galore boosted excitement at Greyville on Saturday with Return Flight (s/s 96) Soqrat (s/s 95) Will Pays (s/s 98 +) and Captain America (s/s 110) being honoured. 20K bargain Pomodoro filly Return Flight made a race-winning early move under Anton Marcus to lift the Thekwini Stakes for juvenile fillies, then Soqrat proved
Consistent Gimmethgreenlight filly Beataboutthebush (speed score 98) is a proven winner, having scored in close to half her 19 starts and she added the Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes to her resume. It was a close run thing, however as she just got the better of Smokey Affair (s/s 98). The two-time winning runner
Sprinters were the main focus of attention this past weekend with some good performances being noted. Sniper Shot (speed figure 105) won the Grade 2 Post Merchants, producing a well-timed finish to get past Black Cat Back (s/s 104) who is one of the most reliable, pace-pressing horses around. Sniper Shot is a real
Cynics may decry playing the horses as a “mugs game,” which is a fair assessment for the majority of recreational players who treat it as a form of entertainment that comes at a cost. Winning horseplayers do exist, however – they’re in a small, elite minority and even the best of them humbly acknowledge
Most favourites and well bet horses that win are simply much the best. There are not many angles or special factors behind their predictable victories. They’re just faster than their rivals when racing under optimal circumstances. Long shot victors are different, however. It requires more creative delving into the past performances to anticipate these
Odds-on favourites generate a special fascination among bettors, carrying the hopes of many, yet with a serious downside should they get rolled. This applies both in the fixed odds market and on exotic tickets, where they are commonly used as bankers, and raises the question -Is it possible to make proper money backing at
Four Grade 1 sprints were held at Scottsville on Saturday, attracting the best thoroughbreds from around the country, leading to excellent performances. The top speed figure of 111 was earned by a son of Bold Silvano, Bold Respect, when he galloped his rivals into submission in the Tsogo Sun. He’d run a 110 down
Two Grade 1’s took place at Greyville on Saturday with Oh Susanna (speed score 100+) and Surcharge (s/s 108) proving best in the Woolavington and Daily News respectively. Oh Susanna seemingly towered above the opposition, having scored 113 in the Met, but was unsettled early in a slow run affair. She took the whole