Superstar Mrs Geriatrix triumphs in spectacular fashion and Main Defender is...

Superstar Mrs Geriatrix triumphs in spectacular fashion and Main Defender is untouchable on a thrilling Betway Spring Challenge Day at Turffontein

 

Johannesburg, 7 October 2023

 

Tony Peter’s Main Defender made his shadow loom large on the Highveld season with a commanding Betway Spring Challenge victory, while superstar Mrs Geriatrix had to fight hard to retain her unbeaten record in the Bloodstock SA Sales Cup, as the Betway Spring Series came to an exhilarating close at Turffontein today.

 

The prestigious R400 000 Bloodstock SA Sales Cup for fillies produced a Turffontein thriller when Sean Tarry’s charge, the three-year-old filly Mrs Geriatrix, found a tough adversary in White Pearl from the Mike de Kock yard.  Mrs Geriatrix came into the race on a five-race win streak and was widely expected to continue her winning ways, but she had to work hard for the win.  White Pearl mounted a determined challenge, and the two fillies matched each other stride for stride in the final stages, but jockey Richard Fourie had judged it to perfection to get Mrs Geriatrix’s nose down on the line when it counted.

 

The grand finale of the Highveld Spring Season was filled with family fun and excitement at the picturesque Big T racecourse on Saturday, setting the tone for the summer season as the build-up continues to the prestigious R5 million Betway Summer Cup on Saturday 25 November.

 

The atmosphere at the Big T was electrifying, with the cheers of passionate punters and roars of excitement echoing through the venue on a fantastic Betway Spring Challenge race day.

 

Families enjoyed a day of exceptional entertainment, with activities for children, delicious culinary options, and sensational horse racing ensuring that the Betway Spring Series lived up to its name on a gorgeous sunny day on the Highveld.

 

Another race that kept racegoers on the edge of their seats was the Gr2 Betway Joburg Spring Fillies and Mares Challenge, with the brilliant Feather Boa, steered by Gavin Lerena, emerging victorious in a display that brought racegoers to their feet.

 

The Gr2 Betway Joburg Spring Challenge main race was equally thrilling, with Main Defender, ridden by the talented Soweto-born Kabelo Matsunyane, taking the crown in emphatic fashion to win the R550 000 main race by five lengths. Matsunyane once again demonstrated his remarkable skills for the Tony Peter stable, with Tarry’s Thunderstruck closest in second place - a long way off the impressive winner.  

 

The competition throughout the Betway Spring Series was nothing short of sensational. The level of skill and determination displayed by both horse and jockey in each of the 13 race days in the series again highlighted the calibre of talent within the racing community.

 

Punters and spectators were treated to a Betway Spring Challenge finale filled with nail-biting finishes and heart pounding moments, making it a truly unforgettable experience for a good crowd in attendance at Turffontein.

 

"The Betway Joburg Spring Challenge was a thrilling racing event for the whole family. Betway has been a phenomenal partner for 4Racing and the horseracing community and it was fantastic to see so many people from diverse backgrounds enjoying a day at the races in typically Joburg style. It was a day of high quality, competitive racing for avid punters and also a fun, family day enjoyed by families and social racegoers. As the Betway Spring Series draws to a close, it has been the perfect launchpad in the build to the big one, the R5 million Betway Summer Cup, and we are super excited for what the Highveld summer season has in store for us,” said Fundi Sithebe, 4Racing CEO.

 

The Betway Spring Series has been a wonderful fillip for South African horse racing, showcasing increased stakes, thrilling competition, outstanding horsemanship, and an atmosphere of family-friendly enjoyment.

 

As the Spring season concludes, the Betway Summer Cup is set to raise the stakes even higher, with an impressive R5 Million up for grabs.

 

Next up on the Highveld feature race season is the Allied Steelrode on A Mission Charity Mile, taking place on Saturday 28 October at Turffontein Racecourse, with Betway proud sponsors of the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes on the day.

Horse racing needs champions. These two are up there with CD .

Lets hope we see a few more through the next 12 months

we all love winners

I wasn't there - but from the Press Release it was the best day ever in Gauteng - must have been sold out then :dry: - ok, now I remember it was free attendance - but really 'the picturesque Big T' surely takes the cake - how did it smell - or did the rubbish dump disappear ?

Main Defender something of a freak imo - yes he got weight, but the fact that he beat fellow 3yr-old Ready To Charge (no slouch himself) by 8.5 lengths .... :ohmy:

Frodo wrote:

I wasn't there - but from the Press Release it was the best day ever in Gauteng - must have been sold out then :dry: - ok, now I remember it was free attendance - but really 'the picturesque Big T' surely takes the cake - how did it smell - or did the rubbish dump disappear ?

Main Defender something of a freak imo - yes he got weight, but the fact that he beat fellow 3yr-old Ready To Charge (no slouch himself) by 8.5 lengths .... :ohmy:

Very impressive buy might not even be the best 3yo around.

Mount Pleasant won this race as a 3yo very easily but never turn out to be anything good. Main Defender could be different though.

Mount Pleasant was given a rating of 127 after winning the race...seemed crazy at the time and subsequently never reached those heights...

Its a pity there are no Sectional Timing on offer for this I meeting to see how good a performance it really was. I see that Turffontein and FAIRVIEW do have Sectional timing up when they RACE...where can 1 get a hold of that? Or is that for 4RACING only????

Awhile back when I did those ST forthe GREYVILLE races....MAIN D put in numbers that was on par with SANDRINGHAM SUMMIT.....Actually a bit better than him in fact. Thought he would beat SS in that 1600m RACE although on times....As I said in that post...both are SUPERSTARS in the making. I think we are in for exciting times and personally cannot wait.

@ Heinrich

I personally do not look at times due to how the course was running and various other factors unless you a full time analyst and can watch every race and make notes.

Main Defender winning time is 86.82 carrying 50.5kgs

Eye Of The Prophet has a winning time of 86.48 carrying 54.5kgs over the same course and distance.

What will you make of that?

Main Defender was visually impressive. No doubt the weight played a factor and the better rated horses was returning from a layoff and given prep runs. You never see horses in the UK and many other countries getting prep runs.

The age old Conundrum....Comparing 2 races from diffrent days!!!

Firstly,you hit the nail on the head, comparing times from 1 day to another is pretty darn useless because of all the variables u mentioned above,but its not impossible(even without the 'MAIN INGREDIENT')

Overall Times....are all but useless!!! This i know for a fact!!!!

A HK Story.....

At HAPPY VALLEY last season on a few Occasions..Class 5 horses ran 'GROUP RACE' times!!!! im talking about horses rated BELOW 40!!!! running super fast times!!! HOW? becoz of a fast track and a Heavy Tailwind. There were 5 days(last season) on which the times ran(on the day) were just ridiculously fast. Over the last 3 seasons it happened on more than 16+ occasions where the tracks were very fast and well below average horses ran VERY FAST TIMES!!!!

So that renders overall times = pretty useless(98% of the time)

P.S. it happens in SA aswell.

MAIN INGREDIENTS....

There are 2 FACTORS...yes only 2(They account for about 95% of criteria imho)!!!!
....which determine 90% of the time the outcome of the races!!!!!

#1 TRACK CONDITIONS

Let me just state that I WILL NOT be discussing #2 on here, ever...period😜😁

It amuses me when punters tipsters study the card and go 'Horse A beat Horse B by blah blah and the swing in the weights ect' and than after a few weeks u get 'those form reversals!!!!' which every1 cries about....lmklaaaaa

Yesterday at Turffies....and Today at Greyville...precisely the same thing happened...

FRONTRUNNERS/UP WITH THE PACE runners had an distinct advantage. For the serious guys...they wouldve known that well before Race 1.(by use of track and wind conditions)

Seriously bias days like in the day of the old 'Vaal inside or outside' so on these days...if u know ur story...sakke vol ek se jou...SAKKE VOL💰💰💰💰💰

EYE OF THE PROPHET vs MAIN DEFENDER...

Both had almost exactly the same Track AND Weather Conditions!!!!

Yesterday the TRACK was FAST/SLOW...meaning that the track was running fast and FAVOURING THOSE INFRONT but THE TRACK was RUNNING SLOW.

While on 18 JUNE it was FAST/FAST...meaning the track was FAVOURING THOSE INFRONT and THE TRACK was RUNNING FAST!!!!!

So its no suprise that EYE OF THE PROPHET ran a faster time than MD did today becoz he had a faster track on the day.

BUT....fear not,I have a solution to this(for the serious guys as it takes up time!)

As you mentioned...'unless you keep daily notes of all meetings'

i keep very indepth details of all meetings and through the years have found a way to compare 1 race to another race on diffrent days.

AVERAGE TIME reverted to km/h. compared to that of all races on the day.

Today....MD's RA(race average) stood out well above everyone else's. was also the only race with a poaitive average...whixh was brilliant in itself.

EOTP only had the 2nd best RA on the day and all of the other races were fairly close to his on the day.

So in conclusion...MD imho...ran a far better race than that off EOTP.

what i explained above,about averages and comparing...and track conditions is worth much more than gold. Hopefully some of you are serious enough to do some research on the matter...it definitely will be of serious help in analyzing races.

Now...lets move to the ...

'MAIN INGREDIENT'

The best and Easiest way to compare races from diffrent says are,ofcoz, by using sectional times. Simon Rowlands and some smart guys invented a formula...and by using that it puts a horse's performance into a % and that percentage can be used to compare 1 to another on any day...month or conditions. Its a lot of work...ALOT of work but its very very VERY HELPFUL indeed. I can say as far as sectional timing goes,Most of us are clueless....The bookies are clueless aswell(otherwise WINCHESTER MANSION/SANDRINGHAM SUMMIT/BOMBER GIRL and quite a few others) would never had gone off at the prices they did in the main races they won.

I was thinking i could do it with write ups on here,But i am still compiling STANDARD SECTIONAL TIMES for SA Racing. Once i have that...It will be much easier to use the sectional times on offer. They mean so much more than they get credit for. Hopefully those that provide them will shed some serious light into How to use them properly as than im pretty sure more people will and can win more.We all need more punters in this dying industry👍

Anyways...i hope this is of some help Naresh and answers your question.

Also,let me state...of what i mentioned above....i can make 100's of examples(in the past or in the future) of what i say is without a doubt so. It comes down to 1 basic fact...

TO EACH HIS OWN....and what we dont understand....surely it cant be true...

lol.

Horses to follow from Todays Meeting(apart from the obvious)

MY SOUL MATE
THUNEE PLAYA
ZINOVI
EMIRATE GINA
MARIGOLD HOTEL
ANFIELDS ROCKET
BINGWA

I would go to the 3yo series with MY LADY SOUL....Wouldve loved to have the sectionals of her race...but ill say that she is defnitely better than average!!!!! She might turn out pretty darn good. had the 3rd fastest average on the day and ran over a longer distance than MD....Too soon to say thou(unless u had sectional times of her race)

heinrich wrote:

Horses to follow from Todays Meeting(apart from the obvious)

MY SOUL MATE
THUNEE PLAYA
ZINOVI
EMIRATE GINA
MARIGOLD HOTEL
ANFIELDS ROCKET
BINGWA

I would go to the 3yo series with MY LADY SOUL....Wouldve loved to have the sectionals of her race...but ill say that she is defnitely better than average!!!!! She might turn out pretty darn good. had the 3rd fastest average on the day and ran over a longer distance than MD....Too soon to say thou(unless u had sectional times of her race)

Time to see what MY LADY SOUL is made of....meets a top field and WHITE PEARL almost beat MISS G lot...although I think MISS G will be a better sprinter....WP ran a blinder!!!!! Let's see if MLS is as good as I hope....LETS GO NOW was just behind MLS so can be there as an improving sort

heinrich wrote:

heinrich wrote:

Horses to follow from Todays Meeting(apart from the obvious)

MY SOUL MATE
THUNEE PLAYA
ZINOVI
EMIRATE GINA
MARIGOLD HOTEL
ANFIELDS ROCKET
BINGWA

I would go to the 3yo series with MY LADY SOUL....Wouldve loved to have the sectionals of her race...but ill say that she is defnitely better than average!!!!! She might turn out pretty darn good. had the 3rd fastest average on the day and ran over a longer distance than MD....Too soon to say thou(unless u had sectional times of her race)

Time to see what MY LADY SOUL is made of....meets a top field and WHITE PEARL almost beat MISS G lot...although I think MISS G will be a better sprinter....WP ran a blinder!!!!! Let's see if MLS is as good as I hope....LETS GO NOW was just behind MLS so can be there as an improving sort

Extremely competitive race.
My Soul Mate 12-1 for a win and 13-10 top 4 is tempting.
Egyptian Mau is going to love the standside track. Go and check the replay of the Mrs Geriatrix race. She now has a draw. Zackey will give it his all. For the win I will go with Egyptian Mau.
My Soul Mate at least top 4.