Stormy weather up North curtailed the racing program over the weekend, with both the Turffontein and Scottsville meetings not quite making it through to completion. Ultra consistent six year old gelding, Silver Rose kept on to win the Highland Night Cup from favoured, Strathdon, then Miyabi Gold forged ahead to land the Scarlet Lady in slushy going from a late running, Sabina’s Dynasty.  

Whilst diligently compiled speed figures are usually a very accurate method to peg thoroughbred merit, they are devilishly difficult to calculate on days when rain is falling, making a chopped- up course progressively worse. It stands to reason that the variant is getting slower, but by how much? Gauging proper track variants under such deteriorating conditions is guess-work. In the Stars (s/s 87) won Race 4 nicely but the rest of the Scottsville meeting over varying distances was too tough to rate with any assurance. 

La Bella Mia (speed score 97) won a neat sprint at Turffontein under topweight at only her second start this year. This Gimmethegreenlight filly has won four of sixteen outings and can win more races. What a Winner recorded a similar figure of 97 when landing a handicap at Durbanville from his Bass – Robinson stable mate, Bernie. This was also a fourth career win for the son of What A Winter – a solid mid -level handicapper. 

Quinlan (s/s 100) is hard to follow but talented when all parts are in working order. He won the Flying Five at Fairview from Sir Frenchie to sustain a fine record over 1000m at that track. Later, Madonna (s/s 98) won the Oaks just staving off a determined, Snapscan’s (s/s 98) lunge at the wire. The winner, who earned the desired Black Type, will truck up to Durban for feature races during Winter, though she will need to keep improving to compete against more formidable rivals.

 

 

 

 

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