Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Crowd treated to fine racing

David Thiselton
Clairwood yesterday saw a nice crowd attending the nine-event meeting and they enjoyed some good racing.
Two well-bred first-timers won the first two races.
In the first, a Maiden over 1 200m, the Joey Ramsden-trained Australian-bred Galileo colt, Il Saggiatore, won well from a probably favourable standside draw.
Anthony Delpech was aboard and the colt was clear when hanging in in the latter stages.
The hard-knocking Des Egdes-trained Federer ran yet another place, while the Sean Tarry-trained Drum Score, a full-brother to the useful Drumbold, finished third on debut as a four-year-old.
In the second, the Mike de Kock-trained Argentinian-bred Hennessy colt, Empenoso Henn, was well backed from 7-2 into 12-10.
His supporters groaned when he was squeezed out at the start, but he slowly made up the ground and finished like a train to oust the Yogas Govender-trained Alan’s Pride with the second favourite, the Charles Laird-trained Manonthecatwalk next best. Another first-timer, the Neil Bruss-trained Iron Grey, who is by Western Winter and a half-brother to the useful Jive Talking, was backed from 9-2 into 2-1 favourite in the third, a maiden over 1600m.
However, he was a bit keen in the running and ran out of steam late on to finish unplaced.
The Craig Eudey-trained second favourite, Chill, sat in a handy position from a wide draw under Felix Coetzee and was very game in the straight, holding off a number of challengers.
The Herman Brown-trained Mogok gelding Sugarformyhoney improved on his debut effort to run second ahead of the de Kock-trained first-time Australian-bred by Encosta De Lago, Recuso.
There was an impressive winner in the fourth, a maiden over 1 450m, when the Qui Danzig filly Carey's Qui won full of running by six lengths under Andrew Fortune.
The owner, JQ Lowe, chose this Gary Player Stud-bred horse for himself and secured it for a mere R10 000. She took her stakes earnings to R59 000 from just four starts with this win.
Ramsden completed a double when his former Grade 1 Champions Cup-winning stalwart, Ivory Trail, won the fifth, a Mr 100 handicap over 1 450m under Stuart Randolph.
The Herman Brown-trained Directorate confirmed his recent good form to run second.
In the sixth, a Graduation Plate over 1 600m, the Glen Puller-trained Askari, ridden by Chase Maujean, caused a 25-1 upset, but a quick look at the form made him very good value as he had finished second in the Listed KZN Breeders to one of Port Elizabeth’s best horses, D J Detzky, in his penultimate start over this course and distance.
In his following start he was drawn in the widest stall of all over the same course and distance, while yesterday he had a good draw again.
The Bass-trained Lancelin was just run out of it late by Askari in a gallant effort to lead from start to finish.
The three-year-old Paul Lafferty-trained Old Mac Donald ran a cracker to finish third in this strong field.
The favourite, the Charles Laird-trained three-year-old Draconian, who had won one of the strongest recent maidens over 1 200m with ease, was next best.
The seventh saw Glen Puller claim a double as the six-year-old mare Pocket A Pound found a late rattle under Athandiwe Mgudlwa to beat La Pucelle and St. Francis Court.
In the eighth, the Wendy Whitehead-trained seven-year-old Good Thing won for the second time in succession over the Clairwood 1 200m, running on late to beat Blue Voyager and Jet Command.
He was ridden by Sherman Brown this time.
Jet Command unfortunately ruined his chances by pulling for much of the first half of the race.
In the last, a MR78 Handicap over 1 200m, the favourite Red Bridge refused to jump and the Gavin Van Zyl-trained Catcha Call, ridden by Raymond Danielson, won at 12-1 odds to ensure a handsome Pick 6 payout.

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