MONDAY 31st OCTOBER- THURSDAY 3rd NOVEMBER 2016
No. 2300
The Australian-bred Sensible Lover returns from a break
FLAMINGO PARK 12:20pm (Monday)
KENILWORTH
12:45pm (Tuesday)
TURFFONTEIN night 5:20pm (Tuesday)
GREYVILLE poly 1:05pm (Wednesday)
VAAL
12:10pm (Thursday)
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PINNACLE STAKES at Turffontein on Tuesday
I
The first of the final quartet of Turffontein night meetings for 2016 takes place on Tuesday evening. It is interesting to reflect on the shaky beginnings of a popular facility that is seven years old this month.
t really feels like only yesterday that an emotional Larry Wainstein thanked Phumelela and warned detractors that ‘the lights would stay on’. A quality R125 000 Fillies and Mares Pinnacle Stakes heads the well patronised eight-race programme that kicks off at 17h20 and, all going well, will be all over shortly after 21h00. Tuesday summer evenings under the lights have become an institution for many Joburg racegoes and the popularity is in sharp contrast to the lukewarm switch on in November
2009. This followed years of acrimony and debate over the need and practicality – from the impact on the horses stabled there to the crime in the surrounding areas.
Tensions
The sale of Germiston and Newmarket (the original J’oburg night racing venue) had not generated much public favour for the racing operator and Wainstein’s statement after the inaugural race was run, sums up the tensions at the time. “All I can say is this the start and if this
is what’s to come, I think it’s been a battle that’s gone over for years and I thank the Phumelela Board for almost insisting that the lights go up. There are a lot of detractors, all I can say is those people who are detracted in this racing game, we don’t need them they don’t have to come. If they don’t want to race under lights, don’t race under lights....but don’t stop the sport, the sport has to go on...,” he said.
Tricky Race
The 1400m Pinnacle Stakes is a minefield slap bang in
the middle of the Pick 6 and the temptation to go narrow in exotics unravels on closer inspection. The quality Australianbred mare Sensible Lover has been rested 13 weeks and must come into it if she bounces back fresh. This daughter of Good Journey has been frustrating to follow as she has produced her best efforts in stakes company, often arriving too late. She is much better than a three-time winner though and would only need to produce close to her best to challenge.
Giantkiller
Sean Tarry-trained Tahini has drawn wide out at 11, but stamped her class last time with a giantkilling run after a break – beating Gr1 winners Querari Falcon and Juxtapose, as well as the Gr3 winner, Negroamaro. Fit and well, Tahini will be in the mix – although some may be wary of the secondrun-after-a-rest syndrome. Mike Azzie has a coupling of the disappointing Frosted Honey and recent winner Penny Serenade. Cont. p.2
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