With most of the Highveld under water and a couple of wash-outs, one hopes that tomorrow’s Vaal meeting holds up. But we toil on in faith and one puzzle punters will need to solve is whether Basadi Faith is fit or good enough to get the better of Chimichuri Run.

These two look the principal contenders in an otherwise competitive sprint that makes up the fourth race. In Chimichuri’s favour is that Sean Tarry has given him two starts so far this season, beaten less than a length in his seasonal debut over 1450m at Turffontein and then finding Hawwaam a little too classy in a Pinnacle Stakes sprint.

Against him is that he may find the five-furlong short cut on the sharp side and with 62 kg to shoulder he is set to give the filly 10.5kg which is a lot of pudding in anyone’s form book.

Basadi Faith on the other hand, has not been out since finishing down the field in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship and slapped with an automatic three-month suspension after she bled. Paul Matchett extended that break to six months so Basadi Faith’s lengthy lay-off is of some concern.

She was due to have her first race of the season at The Vaal last Saturday but the meeting fell victim to the weather. Given that she won four on the bounce last season, including the Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery, the break may not be much of an issue over the minimum trip and a light weight could swing it in her favour.

Track & Ball have priced the pair up as joint 2-1 favourites with Rebel’s Champ, who had excuses for his last showing, on offer at 5-1.

Tobefair and Raqaaby, the only two with any decent form to boast about, should fight out the second, first leg of the PA.

Not so easy is the first leg of the Pick 6. Path To The Stars was one-paced on debut but did find some market support and is sure to come on from that effort. Not much was expected of Malvern on debut as she started at long. She was, however, was doing her best work late and can also make the required improvement. Anne Boleyn is another that featured prominently on debut and like the above two is likely to make good improvement.

With eight of the nine runners priced up at 10-1 and shorter, it goes without saying that the fifth will be a tricky contest. Solar Flare has her third run after a break and should strip close to her peak. She showed good pace before fading late last time out and could go all the way over this shorter trip. Arikel has been in good form over the minimum trip and Strydom stays aboard.

The sixth is another difficult race but Pidgeon Rock is in mustard form as is his rider and they should at least contest the finish. Tokolosh at 12-1 looks fair value as the gelding is quick and has been racing in fair company since shedding his maiden. With a light weight he could pinch it. Bockscar along with Pidgeon Rock give Tarry a strong hand in the race. He tends to get going late but under Gavin Lerena he should be closing late. Fitzwilliam has come good for his new stable and cannot be overlooked with any confidence.

The unbeaten Querari Ferrari, in spite of being something of a tricky customer, does have plenty of talent and won well first up out of the maidens Gallic Princess has her third run after a break and has been finishing off her races well. She will be a major contender along with Wild ‘N Grey that won well at second time of asking and will enjoy the extra.

The last is another wide-open affair where Ashbaal has his third run after being gelded and showed signs of life at his last outing when tried in blinkers. Waqaas has won over course and distance and is in very good form. A handy weight should see him staying on.

By Andrew Harrison

Hawwaam, odds-on for Saturday’s World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes yesterday morning, will miss the clash with his half-brother Rainbow Bridge and dual Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again. Instead he will begin his Kenilworth campaign in the 1 800m Premier Trophy a week later and he sets off from Johannesburg today.

Mike de Kock scratched his stable star at lunchtime yesterday and told the Sporting Post: “He was supposed to run at Turffontein last Thursday. We cut back on his work and then the rains came. He is extremely fresh and, given his temperament, I have to consider all the best options – and I don’t believe it is best that he runs on Saturday.

“It’s not ideal but it’s the prudent best course of action right now and on the positive side it gives us a chance to give him a breeze on the left-handed Kenilworth track in advance of raceday. And we are on course for the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate (January 11).”

The Green Point sponsors responded by cutting Do It Again from 33-10 to 15-10 and halving Rainbow Bridge’s odds to 5-2. Other prices are 9-2 One World, Vardy, 10-1 Undercover Agent, 14-1 Head Honcho, 28-1 Pack Leader and 35-1 La Favourari.

By Michael Clower

According to the handicappers the local hopes won’t get a look in when it comes to Saturday’s World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas. The Johannesburg-based Magnolia winner True To Life is rated seven points clear of the next best, Cockney Pride, who is also trained at the Vaal.

“They say that every year,” says Glen Kotzen dismissively. “What I say is let them come.” The Woodhill trainer, successful with Princess Victoria eight years ago, trains a quarter of the 16 runners including Third Runway who won the Western Cape Fillies Championship (often the best trial) in some style and was many people’s idea of the likely winner until the draws came out. But on Saturday she will line up with only two outside her and confidence considerably diminished.

“I am not going to moan because Brett Crawford has two wider than me,” Kotzen says philosophically. “She is really well and absolutely flying at home but obviously we are going to have to get lucky. She needs to get out and be handy but that’s never easy in a Group 1 when a lot of them are going to chase.

“The good news is that she has beaten a lot of the Cape Town fillies and our other three are also really smart. Castellano only ran four lengths off them in the Group 1 Thekwini and put up a magnificent gallop the other day. I think she is a big runner. Dynastic Light is working exceptionally well and all Follow The Star has been waiting for is the summer course. She is flying at the moment.”

Morne Winnaar, who has formed a supremely effective partnership with Kotzen in recent months, is the man faced with the task of getting Third Runway across. “I will need a bit of luck because the guys that are drawn well are not going to give up their positions,” he concedes. “But she was well away last time, she is a straightforward ride and you can put her anywhere.”

Third Runway is 15-2 and True To Life is favourite at 7-2 but many people’s idea of the winner is 13-2 shot Kelpie. You couldn’t fancy her on her rating, 9kg behind the favourite, but she has won her last four and she was most impressive on the most recent of them, coming right away in the final furlong to win by over four lengths and with ease. She will be ridden by Anton Marcus who has won two of the last three runnings and is trained by Brett Crawford who has won this twice before.

“I think she is the improver of the race,” says the Philippi trainer with masterly understatement. He also runs two others, both badly drawn. “The one thing in Flame Tree’s favour is that we are back on the summer course with it’s longer straight. We will be able to ride her giving her a little bit of a chance. This is something we are probably going to be forced to do from her 16 draw and I think we have to do the same with Pretty Young Thing (drawn 17).”

Driving Miss Daisy and Larentina were fourth and fifth in the Western Cape Fillies and there are grounds for believing that they will at least finish closer, particularly as Larentina did not get an entirely clear run. “Driving Miss Daisy had an even worse run and they were both drawn wide,” points out Eric Sands who won this with Perfect Promise in 2002. “This time they have good draws (one and three) so we will see how good they are but from the point of view of wellbeing and prep everything has gone 100%.”

Roll In The Hay was two and a half lengths third in the Western Cape Fillies and apparently not too much notice need be taken of her failure in a sprint handicap 11 days ago. “She didn’t want to go through a gap,” says Candice Bass-Robinson. “There is a question mark about the mile but she has a good draw and she has a money chance.”

Robert Khathi rides, Piere Strydom flies down for the mount on Drama Queen and Aldo Domeyer, successful on Silver Mountain four years ago, partners Sailing Ship. “I don’t think you can ignore Drama Queen. She was drawn badly in the Western Cape Fillies and got into a lot of trouble but she didn’t finish too far back. Sailing Ship also didn’t get a great run in that race and, although she is not drawn well at 12, I think she will go well.”

By Michael Clower

Do It Again goes into what could be a history-making season as second favourite for the World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday. But the trainer of the dual Vodacom Durban July winner would appear to rate the horse’s chance rather less than the sponsors’ 33-10.

“He has been on the grass twice, both were nice gallops and he is 80% ready but several of the others are much more ready than that,” says Justin Snaith whose only previous Green Point win was with Legislate five years ago. “What worries me is that we are going straight into a mile against the strongest horses in South Africa. Your comeback run shouldn’t be against horses like these but in Cape Town we don’t have a choice.

“On paper it’s an impossible task and no horse should be able to do it. But most horses aren’t Do It Again – and he looks amazing and I am very happy with his work at home. We will ride him to give him a chance but, realistically, I am just looking for a positive run that will bring him on for his next start.”

Snaith is responsible for almost a third of the field in the R2.5 million CTS Ready To Run Stakes but original favourite Rio Querari has gone out to 13-2 following Invidia’s way-above-rating run 17 days ago. He still reckons Rio Querari is the pick of his five but he fears that the decision to put the race back three weeks is going to cost him dear.

“I understand why they decided to delay the race – those who were entered had been guaranteed a run – but, while I still expect a good performance, I am not as bullish as I was then. A number of the Jo’burg horses have managed to get a run in the meantime whereas for us in Cape Town it has been a long time between races – and I personally galloped ours for nothing.” 

The Green Point has gone to Jo’burg in each of the last three years – via Sean Tarry and Legal Eagle – and Hawwaam has been backed from 21-20 last week to 17-20 to make it four for the visitors, despite not being able to travel before today when the AHS travel ban is due to be lifted.

His half-brother Rainbow Bridge is now a 5-1 chance and he will not be as ready as he was 12 months ago when he started favourite and was fourth in that famous four-way photo.

“This time last year we were concerned that he needed to qualify for the Sun Met so we had to race him and give him two runs (in the Matchem and the Cape Mile – he won both of them) before the Green Point,” recalls Eric Sands. “Obviously he was fitter then than he is now but he is not at his peak and nor do I want him to be at this stage. However he has had two gallops, Gavin Lerena has been down to ride him, I am happy where he is and I’m expecting a top run.”

Undercover Agent finished fractionally in front of both Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge when beaten a short head 12 months ago and he goes into the race having had a run. At 14-1 he looks a big price.

“You couldn’t find a more competitive field if you tried – it’s a Queen’s Plate in December – and it looks like being a real spectacle,” says Brett Crawford who was successful with Captain America in 2015. “The others are going to be hard to beat but I can only worry about my horse and what I can tell you is that he is fit, well and in great form.”

Crawford brings back last season’s Cape Fillies Guineas winner Front And Centre in the 1 400m Pinnacle. She is opposed by her KRA Fillies Guineas conqueror Santa Clara and the Sean Tarry-trained Celtic Sea who beat them both in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province and also won the SA Fillies Sprint.

There are some tempting prices on offer about many of the runners on Saturday – the day when the Cape Summer Season truly comes to life – but punters should bear in mind that Windguru is forecasting 5mm of rain during the afternoon. That just might make a difference with some horses.

By Michael Clower