Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Hurricane Force needs to adapt to Vaal sand

Chad Cooke
It’s back to the sand at the Vaal on Thursday afternoon where the eight race card has pitfalls but also some potential ‘good things’, if things go right.
The main event of the afternoon is the fifth, a Conditions Plate over 1 200m on the turn for a stake of R95 000.
Twelve speedsters will contest this sprint and it looks set to be hotly contested.
Trainer Charles Laird saddles two runners, Hurricane Force and Deep Water, and he must be confident of taking home the lion’s share of the stake money on offer.
Hurricane Force gets the vote to take the honours here but he is no good thing. The four-year-old gelding brings good recent form into this contest, but that form is on the turf. He has run some top sorts to the wire in recent runs and if he can translate those efforts to the sand, he looks set to be first past the winning post. Laird’s charge has won on the sand before but he has also run some indifferent races here so will need to be at his best.
Deep Water has done well over the course and distance and has shown better recent form, giving him a chance at a cheque.
The two main dangers to the Laird runners are the Roy Magner-trained Phunyuka and the three-year-old son of Kahal, Boy Oh Boy. Phunyuka has shown a distinct liking for the sand and has won four of six outings over the course and distance including the Emerald Cupfrom a wide draw. He is obviously something of a specialist on the sand but he has drawn wide again which is a distinct disadvantage over this sprint trip. Boy Oh Boy has been in good recent form, having won four of his last eight outings, two of those wins being in his last two runs. The youngster has been at the top of his game of late and his form over the course and distance is exemplary, with three wins from three starts.
He appears to be getting better all the time and even though he has the worst of draws to overcome here, he is sure to be right there when it counts.

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