The Vaal Outside track tends to favour high draws and there could be one or two opportunities for punters in the eight race card today.
It is a low key meeting and three MR 72 Handicaps are the joint highest rated races.
Sam Mosia
The first of these is the fifth over 1600m and Plum British goes for a hattrick over the trip. This four-year-old gelding by Great Britain used his naturally decent cruising speed to go the front from a favourable standside draw over the course and distance last time out. His relaxed disposition together with his suitability to the trip was proven by the extra he found and in the end he won cosily by 2,5 lengths. He was given a five point raise but looks capable of further improvement and he has a draw of nine in the 14 horse field which will give him a chance of repeating the tactic. Nephrite won the last time he ran over this trip and has been staying on strongly in his last two starts, both over 1400m, so will relish the step back up to 1600m. He has a tricky draw by trends, but being capable of a strong finish can afford to be dropped out in a race which should be run at a fair gallop. Devil’s Peak is a full brother to Dancewiththedevil, who won multiple Gr 1s from 1600-2000m, and he should relish the step up in trip after winning his maiden in good style from a difficult draw over 1400m. The form of that race has been franked, but he enters handicaps off a tough 81 merit rating, which is never an easy mark to win off for a young three-year-old. Furthermore, he has another unfavourable draw. Blue Diamond Road was not disgraced in a MR 80 handicap over course and distance last time and a repeat will see him involved here. However, a low draw is against him. Rain Shadow was never in the latter mentioned race after having to be reloaded, but he has dropped to a mark just one point higher than his last win, which was in January over 1700m, and he has a plum draw so should be staying on strongly.
Mphumelelo Mjoka (Nkosi Hophe)
The seventh race, a MR 72 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m, looks to be the toughest race on the card, but fortunately there are only eight horses involved so it will be possible for punters to include the whole field in the exotics. The selection to win is the bottom weight Modjaji, who jumps from the plum standside draw and has a useful 1,5kg claimer in Mpumelelo Mjoka aboard. This horse has won his last two starts, both over 1000m on the Flamingo Park sand. However, his turf merit rating was unaffected, so he has obvious claims. He has won over the course and distance before so the trip will not be a problem. Embrasiatic looks course and distance suited and has a favourable draw. Claremorris ran on well to win going away over 1000m first time out the maidens, so should enjoy the step up in trip. Nitrogen is interesting with blinkers on as he has shown good ability on occasion. Bally Swiss is in good form and is likely to be prominent in the betting. However, all of Burundi Bush, Secret Vision and Waity Katie are capable of winning too.
The last race is an open MR 72 Handicap over 1000m and Tiger’s Legacy looks to be a possible banker. He has good cruising speed coupled with a kick and will likely relish the step down to 1000m after hitting the front over 1200m last time and being run out of it. In his previous race over this trip he ran on strongly and only just failed. Gun Fighter has a plum draw and is capable of a strong finish, so looks to be the chief threat. They could be enough to get punters through the exotics, although Roman Evening looks to be a horse who is capable of doing better than his form suggests and has Weichong Marwing up from a favourable draw.
The meeting opens with a workrider’s maiden over 1000m and one of the only horses with any kind of form, Royal Standard, is ridden by the Champion workrider Sam Mosia from a favourable draw, so he can get punters off to a good start.
The best bet of the meeting comes in the second, a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1200m. The Mike de Kock Dynasty filly Holiday Romance caught the eye showing good pace over 1160m before staying on well to finish 4,5 lengths behind the fair sort Twelve Oaks. She finished just half-a-length behind second placed Brave Mary, who went on to win the Grade 1 Allan Robertson. With expected improvement Holiday Romance will be hard to beat from a fair draw and coming from the De Kock yard should be fit enough after a 117 day layoff. The first-timer Tamarina is interesting from a good draw, being a full-sister to the Grade 1 winner Forest Indigo. The big filly Orinoco Rock has plenty of scope and showed pace in Cape Town, so from a good draw on her Highveld debut could finish in the money.
By David Thiselton
