Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Lahak to open his account

Chad Cooke
Tomorrow’s turf meeting at the Vaal is much like the meeting held at the same venue yesterday, littered with potholes.
The only saving grace is that the turf surface is in use which might offer a little more consistency in the form of the eight races.
The card is littered with lowly rated handicaps and maiden plates in which a number of horses could win, simply by having a little luck in running.
As much as one would like to believe that form will prevail, there is very little of it that aides one in many races, adding to the difficulty of this card. The bet to catch tomorrow is the Pick 6 which seems sure to provide for a big return on investment.
The first leg of the exotic is a ‘Maiden Qualified Handicap’ over 1 800m in which merit ratings are used to determine what the horses shoulder - a little tough when a horse has to give weight but has never won a race!
If the handicappers are correct then the top two in the weights, Classic Al and Lahak, could be the horses to beat. However, they will be the first to tell you that because it is a handicap every horse has a chance barring a possible few at the bottom ends of the table.
The second leg is a 66 MR Handicap over 1 800m, one of the few headliners on the card. Upper Case and Coldkentuckyrain could suffice here with Victory Belt appearing to be the main danger, but the likes of Rambling Boy, Impresario and Whistlevent would not be shock winners.
The third leg is another 66 MR Handicap but over 1 400m this time, is a little more tricky. Band Of Brothers and Ace Of Hearts are the choices here but cases can be made for Polo and Advance Call while the betting should be watched because anything else in the race that finds solid support could run out the winner. The sixth race is a 62 MR Handicap and is another tough race. Dangerfield, Last Touch, Lady Wolf and Lapland Palace are the shortlist for this contest, but again the betting should be watched.
The second last leg of the exotic is yet another “riveting” 66 MR Handicap, this time over the minimum trip of 1 000m. Greek Lover could come up trumps but Little Tich, Focus On Fashion and Caesour’s Heights are not out of it. However, unlike many of the previous legs of the exotic bet, these four horses might suffice. The last leg of the bet is a fillies and mares 62 MR Handicap over 1 000m in which just two horses might be enough - Kaska and Sarah Smillie.
One has to wonder what makes the racing authorities programme a card of this nature. While there is an obvious need for races of this kind - where the majority of horses ply their trade - punters would be better enticed to have a wager if just one or two ‘better’ quality races were added to the day’s events to offer a little bit of class and a possible banker.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this card will be the size of the Pick 6 pool tomorrow!

\| All information on these pages are (©) Copyright Gold Circle Pty (Ltd) 2002 \| site map
(This site is best viewed at 1024 X 768)