The Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap, run over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday 05/01/2013, looked a wide open affair but Hill Fifty Four (SAF) stood out as the most consistent runner in the field and he overcame a poor draw to take the honours in fine style. Punta Arenas (SAF) was a creditable second ahead of Black Wing (SAF) and Jet Explorer (SAF).

Posted 2013-01-05 20:40:41  
HILL FIFTY FOUR NOTCHES UP ANOTHER FEATURE IN PENINSULA HANDICAP

The Gr 2 Peninsula Handicap, run over 1800m at Kenilworth on Saturday, looked a wide open affair but Hill Fifty Four (SAF) stood out                                                                 as the most consistent runner in the field and he overcame a poor draw to take the honours in fine style. Punta Arenas (SAF) was a creditable second ahead of Black Wing (SAF) and Jet Explorer (SAF).

Queen’s Command was soon in front as M J Byleveld committed Hill Fifty Four to tack across from his wide draw and race up in second, just ahead of Hammie’s Dynasty. Taipan and Cash Register were next best, ahead of Brown Penny and Punta Arenas. Jet Explorer was further back with Black Wing sitting near the rear, only Cask and Nysean Bolt behind him.

Hammie’s Dynasty took over the lead soon after entering the straight but Hill Fifty Four was quickly onto him and surged past as they reached the 200m pole. Punta Arenas put up a spirited chase from midfield but as well as he finished, he never looked like getting to the winner, who got home comfortably enough in the end, with just over a length to spare.

There was a sense of deja vu at the finish as Hill Fifty Four had also had to hold off a late run from Punta Arenas when winning the Algoa Cup last time out. Vaughan Marshall’s charge has now won six of his 11 starts and doesn’t seem to know how to run a bad race. He is among the entries for the J & B Met and while he will need to raise his game even further to have any chance of troubling the big guns there, his connections can bank on him running another honest race and not disgracing himself.

Punta Arenas is holding form well since his Winter Derby victory in June. He has now been the bridesmaid in three successive features and deserves a change of luck. 

Black Wing was one of the better-performed runners in the line-up but he had the weight to show for it. This was a creditable effort as he ran on from well back under his welter burden of 60kg.

Jet Explorer ran well enough in the circumstances, although it was a surprise to see him go off favourite here. He’s also proving to be pretty consistent and this was a reasonable effort, as he had three very capable horses in front of him at the line.

4 b g Captain Al (SAF) – Sports Dance (SAF) by Sportsworld (USA)
Owners: Mrs I Jooste & Mr M J Jooste 
Bred by Klawervlei Stud
Winning trainer: Vaughan Marshall

Race 7 – R300K – PENINSULA HANDICAP (Grade 2)
Merit Rated Handicap – 1800m
No Horse Jockey Al/Bl Kg Dr Fin Dist Time OP SP
6 HILL FIFTY FOUR M J Byleveld A 57.0 13 1 0.00 110.44 7/1 6/1
10 PUNTA ARENAS Aldo Domeyer A 55.0 6 2 1.25 110.67 7/1 22/1
2 BLACK WING Karis Teetan A 60.0 5 3 3.00 111.00 12/1 8/1
11 JET EXPLORER Felix Coetzee A 54.0 4 4 3.10 111.02 7/1 4/1
15 CASH REGISTER Grant Van Niekerk A 52.5 11 5 3.20 111.04 16/1 9/1
13 HAMMIE’S DYNASTY Glen Hatt A B 53.0 12 6 3.60 111.12 4/1 7/1
7 BROWN PENNY Andrew Nienaber A 57.0 2 7 3.70 111.14 20/1 25/1
5 CASK Gerrit Schlechter A 58.0 14 8 4.45 111.28 33/1 40/1
1 TAIPAN Karl Neisius A 60.0 1 9 4.75 111.34 5/1 8/1
14 POLITICAL PLAYBOY (AUS) Gareth Wright A 52.5 8 10 5.15 111.41 14/1 50/1
9 QUEEN’S COMMAND (AUS) Robert Khathi A 56.5 9 11 5.90 111.55 25/1 50/1
8 LION IN WINTER Sean Cormack A B 57.0 10 12 8.40 112.03 20/1 16/1
3 ICE MACHINE Bernard Fayd’Herbe A 59.5 3 13 10.65 112.47 5/1 15/2
12 NYSEAN BOLT Grant Behr A B 54.0 7 14 13.40 113.00 14/1 16/1
16 ICE DIAMOND Scratched
4 IN A RUSH Scratched

fonte: SAH