Spring Spree Stakes this Saturday
THE postponed Grade 3 Spring Spree Stakes has been moved in its entirety to the Turffontein meeting to be held this Saturday and the NonBlack Type Ladies Stakes, which was reopened for entries yesterday, will also be run on Saturday so Highveld racegoers can look forward to more races than usual this weekend.
Meanwhile, the first entries for the G-Bets Summer Cup will take place on September 25.
Both the Spring Spree Stakes and the Ladies Stakes fell victim to a leaking water pipe at Saturday’s meeting, which was called off after the running of the fourth race.
The main supply pipe which feeds the sprinklers was leaking and a section of ground at the 650m mark became waterlogged.
Such a problem is only known about when the water seeps to the surface.
Basel
However, the good news is there is no long-term damage and the Phumelela Racing Executive Clyde Basel said they could have raced the next day. However, a plan to continue the meeting on the Sunday had to be shelved after an attempt to fit it into the existing local and international schedule failed.The racing could not be moved to the Standside track as the latter is being scarified in preparation for the Summer Cup, which will be run on December 1.
Phumelela recently announced a new sponsor for the Summer Cup in G-Bets.
There is sure to be a classy entry list on September 25.
The four races run on Saturday still produced some interesting results.
The former Grade 1 J&B Met winner River Jetez, a full-sister to the great Pocket Power, had her second runner and her second debut winner.
In Saturday's first racea Maiden for fillies over 1600m, her daughter Jetorio by Oratorio cam from last with a good rattle to win by half-a-length from the 50/1 outsider Miss Patriot with the favourite Sweet Red third.
Frankel
The R4 million Frankel filly Frankly over raced from another tough draw so did well to finish fourth.
She is better than her record suggests and will win soon, especially if landing a draw for a change. Jetorio was bred and is owned by Mr and Mrs CA Amm and Avontuur Stud.
The Amms were the part-owners of River Jetez when she was racing.
Jetorio is trained by Sean Tarry and was ridden by S'Manga Khumalo.
Tarry later made it a double when Africa Rising followed up on his recent 1160m win with victory over 1450m under 2,5kg claimer Luke Ferraris.
This five-year-old Visionaire gelding has always been talented and looks to have come into his own so it will be interesting to see where Tarry races him next.