The Vaal stages a low key eight race meeting on the Inside track tomorrow and by trends low draws will be favourable in all races.
The draw will be the only concerns for the stand out fancy of the day, Matador Man, who runs in race three, a Maiden Plate over 1200m.
This Sean Tarry-trained Toreador gelding is out of a decent race mare called Sahara, who won her first three starts from 1200-1450m for Dennis Drier. His slow starting antics might be seen by some as another concern, but on this occasion it could work in his favour as he can then drop in behind horses on the favourable side. He is coming off a 2,45 length third in a Maiden over 1200m at the Vaal.
Sean Tarry
He started at 9/10 that day, so some would also view that as a negative. However, the winner and runner up of that race were none other than Al Fahad and Doosra, who are among the leading lights to date of the Highveld male three-year-old crop. Furthermore, the rest of the field were beaten close to nine lengths by Matador Man. He faces an uninspiring field tomorrow. Fearless Fred has some decent form over this sort of trip and the blinkers are now on. However, he also has a high draw, which won’t make it easy. Storm Ruler makes most appeal of the first-timers being by Silvano and a half-brother to Gr 1-winning miler Smart Banker.
Punters should be a given a good start by Artifico in race one, a Workrider’s Maiden over 1700m. It is a weak race and this A P Answer gelding improved when stepped up to 1800m last time, going close. He now has a plum draw of two with the same rider aboard. The rest of the field are uninspiring. Fortysecond Street went close over 1450m last time. He is by Visionaire out of a Coastal dam, which should mean he will relish the trip.
However, the dam has produced mainly speedsters to date, so there must be a question mark over the trip. The first-timer Happy Pills is of interest, being by champion sire Trippi out of an Al Mufti mare, who has produced three winners to date. The latter has a good rider aboard in Francis Semela, but has to overcome the widest draw of all, which doesn’t augur well for his debut.
There is another possible good bet in the second, a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1000m, in Lady Of The World. She is by the promising sire Great Britain, whose progeny generally have a lot of speed. She ran a cracker on Grand Heritage day from the worst draw of one. She now has another tricky draw here but could overcome it with her pace. She looks to be improving too.
In race 6, a MR 85 Handicap over 1400m, Seventh Heart is the only female in the race and it is never easy against the boys. She had the impossible number one draw on Grand Heritage day, so acquitted herself well to be just 4,3 lengths behind Prince of Orange. She now has a plum draw and, considering she finished just 1,9 lengths behind Trophy Wife over this trip when 2,5kg under sufferance off an 84 merit rating, her new 77 merit rating is attractive. Beyond her it is wide open. However, Tora Tora is off on an attractive mark over a suitable trip and has a fair draw, so has been selected as the main danger.
In the fifth race, a fillies and mares MR 76 Handicap over 2000m, B Twenty One looks to have everything except a wide draw of 15 in her favour. She is a four-year-old by Silvano, meaning she will be coming into her own. Furthermore, she not surprisingly relished the step up to this trip last time out. She proved capable of coming from off the pace there too, so can afford to be dropped out from the draw. Muzi Yeni knows her well and remains aboard.
By David Thiselton
