Brave Pocket superb in the Green Point / Field Event great prospect

03/12/2007 Author : Candice Robinson Brave Pocket superb in the Green Point   Last week saw the running of the Grade 2 Green Point stakes over 1600mts at Kenilworth.  Pocket Power was having his second run back after a very good sprint finishing second in the Merchants. He started a firm favourite and he duly obliged by powering home from a long way back in the straight to win going away.   It was well documented on our website and in the press that if he was ever going to be vulnerable it was going to be in this race with it being his second run back, which was a little close to the first, and he would still have been in need of this mile. Needless to say it was a little heart stopping to see him jump slow away, after having been loaded too early and playing up in the pens, causing him to lose about 2 lengths. To put it simply there were are few "ums" and "ahs" in the Bass box as the pens broke.   He is a big horse and tends to get claustrophobic in the starting stalls. Bernard managed to make up some ground but was still sitting about 10 lengths off the pacemaker, which makes it a very difficult task on the old course with the short run in. He turned for home with many lengths to make up but once Bernard switched him out into daylight, he unwound that big stride of his and made it look very easy. We feel it safe to say that he is definitely worthy of his title as a Champion and Horse Of The Year. He tries his best every time he is on the course as he has not been the soundest but always delivers the goods amongst the best around. Bernard always like to give him a sympathetic ride as he says he always gives of his best and says that he is undoubtedly the bravest horse he has every ridden.   He came back from Durban and had a break before going back into training and since then has been absolutely sound unlike last season when he was often plagued with a niggling injury. We only hope that he will remain this way. He took his run very well and pulled up sound again.   He is not without his quirks, he has to be ridden from the stabling block into the saddling enclosure as he refuses to be led through, Bernard said he cantered down to the start and once he got there he wanted to go down to the bottom of the back straight, so he let him go, once he got there said “ Now what big boy?”,  he then decided he wanted to go back to the start. He has lots of funny quirks but we just go with the flow and let him do what suits him best. We are very honoured to have a horse like him in our yard!         His next run will be the Queens Plate and then all going well onto the Met to have a crack at the double again. Marsh, Arthur and Dan De Wet were all down there to lead him in on Sunday, which is another thing he won’t do (He has never been led into the winners box) they have to have there photo’s taken standing next to him in the parade ring. Arthur and Dan have said after missing a few of his wins they now realise that a horse like this comes around once in a life time and will not be missing another one of his races.   It looks like after Successful Bidders excellent win on Saturday, he will once again be Pockets biggest rival in the Queens Plate and Met. Jagged Ice also ran on very well from a long way back to finish a close second to Pocket and will be one to contend with in the features.   Although there is so much to be written about Pocket Power one can't help but adopt the feeling that you don’t really want to over document or inconceivably ‘rock the boat’ of this momentous ride we are all fortunate enough to witness.   It’s a good 5 weeks until he sets foot in the Queens Plate, so until then.         Field Event great prospect   Field Event delivered a scintillating performance at Kenilworth over 1200m last Saturday to win his first prep run on Cape soil for Owner  Barry Irwin and Anant Singh who was also placed second with the impressive sprinter Miller Time.     The progeny of champion Sire Western Winter was sent down to our Cape yard by Neil Bruss from Kwa-Zulu Natal late last season who nursed the early part of his career before subsequently moving to England to further his profession.   We were initially expecting him to be a 2000m Horse but seems to have thrived and matured physically in the Cape.  He surprisingly showed a fair amount of speed and turn of foot in his sprint on Saturday and appears to be quite a versatile sort who may become a factor over a mile as well.   He was purchased by Barry Irwin from Team Valor at the 2006 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sales for R1.6 million from their elite green page lots. He is by Western Winter out of a Northfields mare Field Princess who was a 5 time winner between 1600m and 2400m. Field Princess has had 12 foals to date, 11 runners and 11 winners including Royal Land a 6 time black type winning gelding by Badger Land.         Neil Bruss was very bullish about the ability of this Horse and that he may have been the best Horse he had trained to date., He really does appear a great prospect and we must thank Neil and Barry Irwin for entrusting us with him for the time that we have him before he eventually races abroad in the future.   His next run be the Grade 2 Selangor Cup over a mile at Kenilworth with his ultimate short term goal being the Group 1 Derby on Met Day

Tipping Corner

03/12/2007 Author : Tammi Eastland   Tipping Corner:    Proudly brought to you by BETVIC - Mike Bass Racing's official Horse Racing and Sports Betting Sponsor.   Our SMS Tipping highlights for November:     Kenilworth 1 Dec Pick 6 Returned R 2032.30 Kenilworth 1 Dec Best Bet (Royal Racer) Paid R 2.40 Kenilworth 1 Dec Best Bet (Swinger) Paid R 2.10 Turffontein 1 Dec PA Returned R 745.20 Arlington 30 Nov Pick 6 Returned R 2440.90 Arlington 30 Nov Best Bet (Penfold Park) Paid R 2.80 Turffontein 29 Nov Best Bet (Kingdom Come) Paid R 1.50 Kenilworth 27 Nov Best Bet (Robust Rooney) Paid R 1.60 Arlington 26 Nov PA Returned R 1267.20 Kenilworth 25 Nov Jackpot Returned R 942.70 Kenilworth 25 Nov Best Bet (Pocket Power) Paid R 1.50 Kenilworth 25 Nov Best Bet (Joan Of Arc) Paid R 1.30 Greyville 24 Nov Pick 6 Returned R 3832.00 Turffontein 24 Nov PA Returned R 2922.00 Turffontein 24 Nov Best Bet (Seventh Rock) Paid R 1.60 Vaal 22 Nov Pick 6 Returned R 1386.00 Vaal 22 Nov PA Returned R 892.80 Vaal 22 Nov Best Bet (Albizia) Paid R 1.60 Kenilworth 20 Nov Best Bet (Thundering Jet) Paid R 1.70 Scottsville 18 Nov Value Bet (Light Spectrum) Paid R 4.40 Kenilworth 17 Nov Value Bet (Field Event) Paid R 2.00 Kenilworth 17 Nov Best Bet (Blue Tiger) Paid R 2.00 Turffontein 17 Nov Value Bet (Coastalone) Paid R 4.30 Turffontein 17 Nov Jackpot Returned R 577.80 Vaal 15 Nov Value Bet (Flash Harry) Paid R 4.70 Vaal 15 Nov Best Bet (Scarlet Letter) Paid R 1.60 Scottsville 14 Nov Value Bet (Modern Monet) Paid R 3.40 Kenilworth 13 Nov Jackpot Returned R 2497.20 Kenilworth 13 Nov Value Bet (Allibar) Paid R 5.60 Kenilworth 13 Nov Best Bet (Meteor Shower) Paid R 2.90 Turffontein 11 Nov Jackpot Returned R 1623.60 Turffontein 11 Nov PA Returned R 1008.00 Kenilworth 10 Nov Jackpot Returned R 861.20 Kenilworth 10 Nov Value Bet (Frankie De Wheels) Paid R 3.20 Kenilworth 10 November PA Returned R 426.00 Greyville 10 Nov Best Bet (Zidane's Gold) Paid R 1.60 Kenilworth 6 Nov PA Returned R 577.60 Kenilworth 6 Nov Best Bet (The Happy Heart) Paid R 3.00 Kenilworth 6 Nov Best Bet (Watson) Paid R 1.90 Scottsville 4 Nov Best Bet (National Appeal) Paid R 3.70 Greyville 3 Nov Best Bet (Street Cat) Paid R 2.00 Fairview 2 Nov Pick 6 Returned R 210 564.00 Fairview 2 Nov Value Bet (Gold Capital) Paid R 7.40 Fairview 2 Nov Jackpot Returned R 4060.70 . Subscribe for SMS tipping by purchasing 20 race meetings for R350.00 and the tips will be sent directly to your phone. For more information click here   SMS CAPE, KZN, PE, , or GAUTENG to 42003

Joke of the Month

03/12/2007 Author : Tammi Eastland Joke of the Month: Modern Day Chick