The Vaal has an eight race meeting tomorrow and punters look to have some fair chances.

Gavin Lerena (Supplied)

The first over 1000m is full of intrigue as it sees a number of two-year-olds taking on older horses in a maiden. The first-timer two-year-old from the Johan Janse van Vuuren yard, Radiant Cut, is the only filly in the field but being by Var and a half-sister to the useful Gr 3-winning sprint-miler Brilliant Cut she should have a fine chance from a plum low draw. She only has to carry 54,5kg.

Imperial Past has the advantage of being a three-year-old who only has to give his male two-year-old rivals here 3kg as opposed to the 8,5kg he would have to give them if it were a weight for age race. He showed good pace over 1200m on debut and should have come on from the run. He was over racing early and was reported to have made a breathing noise, so should relish the step down in trip too.

Captain Kangaroo is an interesting two-year-old male here. He was well beaten on debut over 1160m, but he showed excellent early pace in a decent field and should come on from the run. Significantly, Gavin Lerena has stuck with him.

Bravo Zulu wouldn’t be described as a scopey sort, but has some pace and was quite close to Laurent du Var last time and the latter went on to finish second in a Gr 3. The three-year-old Jet Sailor can earn on his best form, while the first-timer Brigtnumberten is speedily bred being by Eightfold Path out of a mare who won by 5,5 lengths on debut over 800m.

The Great Duchess has been chosen as the value bet of the day and she runs in race two, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1000m. She is a big, improved horse who will be staying on strongly from her unfavourable high draw. She is against her own gender here after running well in a mixed maiden field last time.

Sean Tarry (Nkosi Hlophe)

The best bet of the day, Guns And Roses, runs in race three over 1475m. She was slow away on debut over 1160m, but ran on strongly and the form has worked out well. She will enjoy the step up in trip on pedigree and is drawn on the right side in a moderate field. However, Sean Tarry has two first-timers, Miss Evolution and Gypsy Jazz, and considering the exceptional strike rate this yard has with first-timers, any money for them must be respected.

The rest of the races are handicaps, so will be more competitive.

In race five the topweight Whosethebossnow looks to possess class and should start coming into his own now. He is well drawn and should appreciate the step down to 1700m after disappointing over 2000m last time in the Listed Derby Trial. Blue Diamond Road will be a threat as he has a fair draw over a suitable trip and looks to be off an attractive merit rating at present. Those two have been chosen to be enough to get through the Pick 6.

The last race has been chosen as the other leg to go thin in the Pick 6 as three horses, Movie Show, Hashtag Strat and Lay Of The World look to have the speed, class and scope to be potential victors over a suitable 1000m trip.

By David Thiselton

Africa Rising and Copper Force gave early notice for South Africa’s Champion Season after finishing first and second respectively in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk at Greyville yesterday. The race – once called the Rupert Ellis Brown and run at Clairwood and a happy hunting ground for former champion trainer Terrance Millard – is the natural stepping stone into the Gr2 Daisy Guineas.

Africa Rising (Nkosi Hlophe)

Sean Tarry is so far ahead on the current national trainers’ log that he could turn in his licence today and still be crowned champion but he is far from done and added another feature to his already impressive record this term as Africa Rising cruised home under hands and heels from apprentice Lyle Hewitson from Copper Force and Buffalo Soldier with Kenny Trix staying on resolutely for fourth.

From his inside draw, Hewitson tracked the early pace on the heels of Copper Force who was the first to tackle the leaders in the home stretch. However, Anthony Delpech left an inviting opening up the inside fence and Hewitson took full advantage, punching Africa Rising through the gap to win going away.

Justin Snaith was on record as saying Copper Force was not fully primed for this event and Delpech geared him down once his chances had gone. Both Africa Rising and Copper Force look likely to come on from this showing and the Daisy Guineas should provide for a tighter contest between these two.

If Snaith was cautious about the chances of Copper Force he was bullish about Gimme Six in the Gr2 Umzimkhulu Stakes. “This is Gimme Six’s main target and she is properly ready,” he said earlier last week and it was bull’s eye. Delpech had her in the box seat throughout and brought the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight through smoothly to justify Snaith’s confidence.

Final Judgement was game in second but Richard Fourie had his hands full keeping her on a straight course while Sail had every chance. Dawn Calling had a tricky outside draw to overcome but was doing her best work late.

Apprentice Ashton Arries is four shy of losing his 4kg claim and is doing it in a hurry as he booted home a brace of winner for Paul Lafferty to take his total to 16. Sniper Shot benefitted from Arries’s claim to get the better of the first timer Procal Harem with favourite Sit Frenchie in third and Arries followed up on the Lafferty first timer Dark Moon Rising to relegate the luckless Indian Tractor to another runner-up berth.

Tiger Hill gave notice that he is a lively candidate for the big staying races over the next three months and even a crack at the Vodacom Durban July with an impressive performance in the KVN Shipping Handicap. In a race run at a cracking pace, Glen Kotzen’s runner kept plugging home under top weight with lightly weighted favourite Mr O’Neill caught way out of his ground and under the pump coming up the hill into the final bend.

By Andrew Harrison

Joey Ramsden is to give Brutal Force his final race before the Computaform Sprint in the 1 000m Pinnacle at Turffontein on Saturday.

Brutal Force (Liesl King)

He said: “Brutal Force is doing very well. I saw him when I was up there last weekend and he looked fantastic. Both he and Pillar Of Hercules are likely to run.”

Brutal Force, beaten a head by Gulf Storm in last year’s Cape Flying Championship, would have gone on to the Computaform but for suffering an attack of colic so serious that he had to have an emergency operation. He returned to winning form in the Vasco Food Trucks Pinnacle at Kenilworth in February.

Vaughan Marshall confirms last year’s Gold Medallion winner Always In Charge on course and in good shape for the 1 100m Pinnacle at Scottsville on Sunday. This is a prep for the Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville on May 27, but stable companions Exelero and Elusive Path will miss next Sunday’s race.

Search Party will represent Brett Crawford in the Scottsville Pinnacle. The Philippi trainer recently returned from the big Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney where he bought fillies by So You Think and Foxwedge for the Ridgemont Stud operation.

Jonathan Snaith reports that the now world-famous two-year-old Fake News will not make his debut until June or July.

By Michael Clower

Cot Campbell seemingly remains the real deal despite managing only sixth of nine when odds-on for his debut at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Greg Cheyne (Liesl King)

Chris Snaith warned this paper that the R3.3 million colt would need the run and he ambled out of the pens with about as much urgency as a pensioner going to the post office. In no time he was six lengths last and, although he made up the leeway, he was a spent force by the time he met with interference almost on the line. Even so he was less than three lengths off Pen-Chan, trained by Eric Sands for one-time Sporting Post columnist Rose Leheup.

“You can put a line through that,” said Jonathan Snaith. “This is a horse to follow and you can expect major improvement next time.”

Kingston Passage, on whom Greg Cheyne completed a double, was already in many punters’ notebooks even before making all in the Kieswetter brothers’ Whisky Baron colours in the 1 000m handicap.

“He is a sprinter with a hell of a lot of gate speed and he has his races won at halfway,” said Brett Crawford. “He will stay in Cape Town as the Durban programme doesn’t really suit sprinting three-year-olds.”

The recent Ramsden two-year-old dominance continues with Lily Theresa benefitting from Donovan Dillon’s subtle change of tactics (“I decided to put her behind something and it made all the difference”) to take the stable’s tally to 50% of the last 14 Cape Town juvenile races.

The stipes have instructed Riaan van Reenen to ensure that he continues to race Mistico’s Secret with blinkers after the almost formless filly served up a 16-1 shock under Grant van Niekerk in the Racing Association Maiden.

Van Reenan explained: “She developed a low-grade airwave disease and couldn’t finish her races. I managed to fix this problem but it was still in her mind so I put blinkers on her here and that worked.”

The Warm White Night filly is a half-sister to Gold Medallion winner Seventh Plain but, related the trainer, she is so small that he was able to buy her for Mike Wall for only R100 000.

Craig Bantam and his 4kg claim (worth four lengths over a mile) are becoming an increasingly valuable commodity and his all-the-way success on Benjan for Candice Bass-Robinson in the finale means that he has now had a winner at six of the last seven Kenilworth meetings.

There were some unusual starting prices returned on Saturday, notably on the Aldo Domeyer double – 72-10 for Call Me Darling and 61-10 for Step Out. Nobody seemed to know why.

‘Now wait for the rain’ was the message from Vaughan Marshall after MJ Byleveld led over 100m out for a convincing win on the Truters’ Tiger Warrior in the mile handicap. “He will be much better when there is a cut in the ground – and I’m sure he will win again,” said the Milnerton trainer.

By Michael Clower

There is a low key meeting on the Turffontein Inside track tomorrow and Rumbavar should give punters a good start.

This Var filly caught the eye in a couple of sprint starts in Cape Town and in her Turffontein debut she led from the off over 1400m and was only cut down late by the smart Aurelia Cotta. The latter has remained unbeaten after two starts. Rumbavar now has a good draw of two and should also have benefitted from her previous outing.

Weiho Marwing

The only winner in the field, Desert Rhythm, jumps from pole position and on pedigree should handle the step up in trip. She won her penultimate start over 1200m and ran an unthreatening fourth in the Gr 3 Pretty Polly Stakes over 1100m last time out. She was beaten a length by Celestina in the latter race, although she was giving away 3kg, and Rumbavar beat Celestina by a length over 1000m down in Cape Town. Rumbavar will also be receiving 3kg from Desert Rhythm tomorrow and that should swing it in her favour.

In the second race Seventh Of June looked outpaced over 1000m last time and should relish the step up to this trip, so can win from a good draw. Soldat doesn’t come out too well on formlines here as he was beaten by Valado the last time they met over course and distance, but a lot of use was made of him that day and from this better draw can go close. Seventh Of June and Soldat are the fancies for the Bipot.

There looks to be a fair opportunity for punters in the third, over 2600m, with Frikkie. He is from the yard of Weiho Marwing, who is known as an outstanding trainer of stayers. The top class veteran Weichong Marwing is aboard, a further plus. Frikkie doesn’t have much luck with draws and jumps from out wide again but his style should make him tailor made for the Turffontein Inside track. He has an instant turn of foot, but has been seen to be out-lasted by other stayers over the long Standside track straight. On recent form he has the measure of his possible main danger here, Fortune Fella. The latter beat the up and coming stayer King Of Blues narrowly over 2400m in February and if weight for age changes are taken into account he is only 0,5kg worse so there is nothing between them.

In race 5 over 1000m Royal Variety kept up with a furious pace in a maiden down the straight over this trip last time out before sprinting into the lead and winning easing up. He has a chance of following up off a reasonable 70 merit rating from a good draw. However, Approval Mode is unbeaten in two starts over course and distance and has dropped to a competitive merit rating, so will be a danger.

The sixth is an interesting Graduation Plate over 1450m. The beautifully bred Di Mazzio, by the three-time Gr 1-winning middle distance horse Bernardini out of a half-sister to the European and Australian champion sprinter Starspangledbanner, drifted alarmingly in the betting on debut over 1160m but still won in courageous style. The drift was probably on the grounds he needed more ground so he can’t be ignored here despite a wide draw.

In the second of the Graduation Plates State Star is selected as she impressed on debut and should relish the step up in trip, while being from the Alec Laird yard she should come on from the run too.

She could be going places and so could Oh My Darling, a robust filly who impressed in her maiden last time out. The Western Winter filly can follow up in her first handicap start in the eighth from draw three over a suitable 1600m.

By David Thiselton

Although a model of consistency since joining the Laird yard, Monte Christo still gives the impression of being something of an under achiever but the poly could see the best in him the Hollywood Bets Handicap that heads the Greyville card tonight.

After a relatively quiet spell with stable runners few and far between in recent months, Charles Laird has returned with a vengeance and his runners dominate the race – in numbers at least.

Charles Laird (Nkosi Hlophe)

Laird saddles three runners, all at the bottom of the handicap, the best of the trio possibly Monte Christo. The Trippi gelding has been a beaten favourite at his last two outings but the switch to poly over his optimum trip could make him the horse to beat.

Further in his favour is a pole position draw and Serino Moodley’s claim sees him jump with only 51kg on his back.

But he does face a competitive field and the likes of Celtic Captain, Sea Fever and Never Settle will be lively threats.

Never Settle showed some promise when in KZN last winter and although winless in two starts during the Cape summer, he was a close-up second in a handicap sprint where he carried 61.5kg. However, the Kannemeyer yard suffered from a low grade virus all through the summer so it may prove prudent to ignore that form.

Kannemeyer runners generally go well on the synthetic surface and Never Settle could be a major threat to the chances on Monte Christo.

So too Celtic Captain and Sea Fever. Celtic Captain’s best recent form has been over ground but he has been effective over Friday’s trip but Sea Fever is in cracking form and has gone well on the poly. He also finished ahead of Monte Christo when last they met but is 3.5kg worse off in the weights which will make his task difficult.

Monte Christo (Nkosi Hlophe)

Just Ask Me, Mr Roy and Rikitikitana are also not without hope but Monte Christo has a lot in his favour.

The World Sports Betting Middle Stakes has attracted a competitive field of sophomore fillies and with the Cape raiders already having made their presence felt one may need to tread cautiously.

However, Duncan Howells saddles Accidental Tourist who made good improvement in blinkers last time out and she has run some cracking races in stronger company. She has the benefit of pole position draw which is always a bonus over this course and distance.

Silver Willow has been in good form for Glen Kotzen and has yet to run a bad race. She was a beaten favourite over the Kenilworth ‘mile’ last time out and can make amends even though this will be her poly debut. She has also drawn alongside Accidental Tourist so Anthony Delpech and Keagan de Melo will be watching each other’s every move.

By Andrew Harrison

The future stars are beginning to emerge in the two-year-old races. On Tuesday it was the turn of R6 million purchase Silver Coin and in the first at Kenilworth tomorrow keep a close eye on Cot Campbell.

This R3.3 million Trippi colt is the first foal of Ebony Flyer who won the Cape Fillies Guineas, Majorca and South African Fillies Sprint for Justin Snaith and much is expected of him.

“We rate him and he is going to be a top horse,” says Chris Snaith but seemingly, for tomorrow at any rate, this is one to put in the notebook rather than back. “He is going to need it here. Bernard Fayd’Herbe rode him on Tuesday and said he wasn’t ready.”

Justin Snaith (Nkosi Hlophe)

Joey Ramsden, who has won half the last 12 Cape Town two-year-old races, introduces Rommel. This Var colt is out of the Cape Fillies Guineas third Joshua’s Mistress but apparently he is also not expected to make a winning debut – “He will run well but he is no star at the moment,” says his trainer.

Unless there is a real market move for any of the other newcomers – What A Summer cost R850 000 and is a half-brother to the 2015 Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa while Brett Crawford introduces the Captain Al colt Dollar Tractor – the finish looks like being fought out between Pen-Chan and Royal Marine. There was only three-quarters of a length between them when they both made their second starts here a fortnight ago and Greg Cheyne’s mount gets only fractional preference.

It’s a different story 40 minutes later when the Ramsden-trained Lily Theresa is likely to start odds-on and is well-nigh impossible to oppose. She was second to Regal Ruby in a field of 18 nine days ago – prominent throughout and kept on well – and has mostly newcomers to beat.

Kingston Passage is on a hat-trick in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap and looks smart enough to go in again despite not having raced for almost two months. He has only had three runs and was a close second in the first of them. He went up 2.5kg for scoring on his first time out of the maidens but still receives weight from all except Mount Keith.

Ovar and Starflash are obvious dangers. They are close on their running over this trip here at the end of February and Ovar then finished second in a hot pinnacle over the same distance, avoiding a penalty in the process.

By Michael Clower

The Robbie Hill pair Red Chesnut Road and Kilmokea were travelling down from Johannesburg to their home base at Summerveld yesterday (Wednesday) ahead of their Graded race engagements on Sunday.

Red Chestnut Road (Nkosi Hlophe)

Shannon Hill said both horses were laid back types, so he expected them to travel well. He was looking forward to good respective runs in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk and Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes, both over 1400m on the Greyville turf. Red Chesnut Road ran a decent fourth with topweight in the Gr 3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein last Saturday.

The best fillies had a big weight advantage in that race and duly finished first and second. Shannon said Red Chesnut Road had only been doing “good, solid work” for about five weeks before the Man O’ War. He admitted the preparation had not been ideal, but was not concerned about the second run after a rest syndrome and believed last Saturday’s race would have been the equivalent of a good gallop.

He said on pedigree Red Chesnut Road would comfortably stay Sunday’s 1400m trip and further. He revealed Gavin Lerena, who rode him on Saturday, had got off and told him he wanted to stick with this horse right through the season. His wide draw is a concern, but Shannon concluded, “He’s top class.”

Shannon rates Kilmokea a “smart filly” and expected a “very big run” from her over a trip she would like. He said her penultimate start could be ignored as she had dropped almost to her knees just before the jump and had returned “full of pharyngitis”. She had needed her last run too, when a close second in a 1200m handicap.

By David Thiselton