National champion trainer Sean Tarry will be looking at Before Noon at the Vaal Classic track tomorrow to break a rare drought for the yard which has seen them send out close to 50 runners without a winner since Big Bear won the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup.

Fittingly, Before Noon, who runs in a Workrider’s Maiden Plate over 2400m in tomorrow’s first race, is like Big Bear a son of Await The Dawn, who is proving to be a big loss to local breeding after his untimely passing in 2014. Before Noon is in the usual mold of his sire as a big galloping horse and last time out when stepped up to 2000m in his just his third career start he simply ran out of track when chasing Orson as he certainly wasn’t stopping at the line. His sire won over this 2400m trip and his dam was a four-time winner from 1800m to 2000m, so everything points to him being hard to beat in the day’s opener. Pocohontas Girl and Michael are both moderate sorts but have at least proved they stay this trip so could be the biggest dangers.

Celestina runs at the Vaal tomorrow.

In the second the flying Mike de Kock yard can kick off where they left off on the weekend, having sent out four winners at the Vaal on Saturday. In this Graduation Plate over 1200m for three-year-old fillies they have the superbly bred speedster Shufoog, who made a winning debut over 1160m on Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile day. The handicappers credited her with an 87 merit rating for that impressive win and she is easily the best weighted horse in tomorrow’s race on official ratings. De Kock could score the trifecta in this race as he also has Only To Win, who drops back to the trip of her best win, and Awaafy, who flew up for third in an 1160m sprint on Thursday night at Turffontein.

The third is tricky due to the number of first-timers, none of whom make particular appeal, but the hard knocking Amajory should lead home those to have raced. The back-ups could be Forgimme and Delphine.

The fourth over 1800m sees the hard-knocking Angelic stepping up another 100m in trip, which she should handle and she can beat Whiteout. However, Let’s Twist and Rendezvous have shown ability and return from rests and One Dollar Massage is improving.

The fifth over 1800m pits battle hardened handicappers against promising youngsters returning from layoffs. The former are favoured and Shogun is chosen to get it right ahead of Hieronymus, although the youngsters Royal Crusade, Wheel Of Time and Bush Pilot can’t be ignored.

Excalibur’s Return can win first time out the maidens in the sixth over 2000m as he has been given a reasonable merit rating. Sultry could make it a De Kock one-two as he has dropped to an attractive merit rating.

In the seventh over 1000m Manx Park is rated the day’s value bet, having dropped to an attractive merit rating ad still retaining his ability.

In race eight over 1000m Brigtnumberten might prove hard to beat having run way above his merit rating in a Graduation Plate last time.

By David Thiselton

Picture Credit: Candiese Marnewick