The fields may be on the small side but the form is mostly thin so punters will need to tread warily at the Vaal tomorrow where racing is on the Classic track.

One of the shorter priced runners and a possible exotic bet banker could come in the form of Wordyness in the eighth. Since being tried over a bit of ground and shedding her maiden, Wordyness has been a model of consistency for Lucky Houdalakis and she looks set to snap a sequence of runner-up berths.

Although reported to be over-racing in her last start, she was still running at the eventual winner, finishing just under two lengths back to Nimcha. A repeat of that showing from a good draw should see her right there.

Wordyness was on offer at 12-10 in early market exchanges with Berry Flambeau at 5-1 for Weiho Marwing. Like Wordyness, she has started to show form since being tried over ground and the extra furlong here could see her as the principal threat to the selection.

A recent raid by Paul Peter on Scottsville was rescued by Corrido scoring in the last race of the day but earlier there were high hopes for Big Blue Marble in a handicap sprint. After showing pace, Big Blue Marble blew up over the final furlong, trailing in mid-field some 10 lengths off the winner Ultra Magnus.

It was a warm afternoon and Big Blue Marble had to be hosed down after the race.

Prior to that his Highveld form had been solid, his last win an end-to-end effort over tomorrow’s course and distance.

He does have a big weight to shoulder so you may need insurance in your exotic bet perms. Culture Trip is the ante-post favourite at around 28-10 with Sean Tarry’s gelding yet to finish out of the money in four outings. A lightly raced four-year-old, he finished with a rattle to get up on the line to win his latest start and he gets 1.5kg relief courtesy of apprentice Kabela Matsunyane.

Captain’s Alpha is at the bottom of the handicap and only got off the mark as a late four-year-old. He followed up on that maiden win and was not disgraced when fading late behind the talented but largely disappointing Purple Diamond last time out. He is in receipt of 8kg from Big Blue Marble which should make him competitive.

In the opening leg of the Pick 6, Mazavaroo showed signs of life when staying on for fourth behind Gallic Princess and given her good draw, Muzi Yeni on board and a pedigree that suggests that 1500m should be right up her street, she has a lot in her favour.

In a difficult first leg, Miss Cap Mala and Wiley Kim could be worthy additions to any perms.

The second leg is no easier. Rocky Path got his new season off to a promising start when making marked improvement behind Lighthearted last time out. The handicappers were not impressed with St John Gray’s runner and dropped him a further three points which could be enough to see him home ahead of the eight-year-old Sleepinseattle. Erico Verdonese’s veteran has notched eight victories in 64 starts, six more than any of the other runners barring Kimberley specialist Bishop Of Bombay who is way off form.

Peter will be hoping for a quick double after Big Blue Marble when he saddles Dread The Dragon and Way Of The World in the seventh but it is not a leg to go light in. Dread The Dragon gave the starter a difficult time when breaking through the stalls before his last run and that effort may have taken its toll as he faded late after showing early pace.

Young apprentice Jeff Syster will be aboard with his 4kg claim which may be enough for him to get the better of stable companion and top weight Way Of The World while Fictitious, touched off at his last start, is a must inclusion in all calculations.

In the last race of the day, Miss Tycoon has finally come to hand in blinkers but she also stays well and can follow up on her maiden win. Magic’s First is the only runner for Diane Stenger on the day and she is the early ante-post favourite at 22-10. The filly goes well for Muzi Yeni who has ridden her in all of her recent starts and they were end-to-end victors over the Turffontein 2400m last time out. However, she does have to give Miss Tycoon 6.5kg which may be beyond her capabilities.

By Andrew Harrison

NOMINEES & WINNERS in bold type

CHAMPION TWO YEAR FILLY (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL)
Gabor ; Miss Florida

CHAMPION TWO YEAR OLD COLT (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL)
Eden Roc ; Got The Greenlight

CHAMPION THREE YEAR OLD FILLY (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL)
Celtic Sea ; Clouds Unfold ; Front and Centre ; Return Flight ; Silvano’s Pride

CHAMPION THREE YEAR OLD COLT (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL)
Chimichuri Run ; Hawwaam ; Soqrat (AUS)

CHAMPION OLDER FILLY/MARE (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL)
Camphoratus ; Oh Susanna (AUS)

CHAMPION OLDER MALE (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL)
Do It Again ; Kasimir ; Pacific Trader ; Rainbow Bridge

CHAMPION SPRINTER (1000-1200 METRES ; AGE/GENDER IMMATERIAL)
Celtic Sea ; Chimichuri Run ; Kasimir ; Pacific Trader

CHAMPION MILER (1400-1600METRES; AGE/GENDER IMMATERIAL)
Celtic Sea; Do It Again ; Soqrat (AUS)

CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE HORSE (1800-2200 METRES;AGE/GENDER IMMATERIAL)
Do It Again ; Hawwaam ; Rainbow Bridge

CHAMPION STAYER (2400 METRES UPWARDS; AGE/GENDER IMMATERIAL)
Dynasty’s Blossom ; Magnificent Seven ; Return Flight ; Samurai Warrior ; Walter Smoothie

CHAMPION BROODMARE
Halfway To Heaven

OUTSTANDING BREEDER
Drakenstein Stud (Nom: Mrs GA Rupert)

CHAMPION STALLION
Silvano

CHAMPION BREEDER
Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
Luke Ferraris

CHAMPION JOCKEY
Lyle Hewitson

CHAMPION TRAINER
Sean Tarry

OWNER OF THE YEAR
Chris van Niekerk

HORSE OF THE YEAR
Do It Again

Glen Kotzen is keeping an open mind about this season’s campaign for his 2018 Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open, winner of the WSB 1900 and fourth in the Vodacom Durban July.

The Woodhill trainer said: “I’m not yet sure what he will do but we are giving him a nice long break and then we will see how we go.”

The Dynasty five-year-old managed only seventh of nine on his final start in the WSB Champions Cup but Kotzen doesn’t believe that this should be written off as just the effects of a tough campaign, reasoning: “He was out at the weights whereas in the July he was handicapped to win but again they went too damn slow. Ideally I would love to have sent him to stud but there are too many horses doing that this time round so we are racing him for a further year.”

Stud is no longer an option for R6 million buy Charles, second in both the Cape Derby and the Track And Ball Derby, because he was gelded on Monday. “We will see how he takes this and then work out a programme for him,” said Brett Crawford who confirmed that the unbeaten Somerset and Cape Nursery winner Armando is in quarantine for Hong Kong. Interestingly he is rated only 102, the same mark as controversially given to maiden winner General Franco.

Ricardo Sobotker, Joey Ramsden’s long-serving assistant, was noticeable by his absence in July and he disclosed why after Howl came good under Ossie Noach in the fillies maiden at Kenilworth yesterday. “I had a bacterial infection and I felt terrible but they said it was a viral infection, not bacterial. I had it for four weeks and then my wife insisted on my going to hospital. I was there for a week and had a further week under homecare. I feel fine again now.”

Howl was reported to have tied up in her shoulder when she was beaten over six lengths on her previous start. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” said Sobotker. “She was beaten by a better horse (Honey Pie) that day but she is still a bit weak and the mile found her out. That said, she has potential.”

By Michael Clower

Liverpool Football Club got off to the best possible start in the British Premier League on the weekend and Liverpool Champ could prove an omen for last year’s runner-up in the BPL.

Gavin van Zyl saddles Liverpool Champ in the fourth on the turf at Hollywoodbets Greyville today and along with Velvet Season, these two could provide for an ‘anchor’ in the exotics.

Gelded and blinkered, Liverpool Champ made an inauspicious start to his racing career, finishing a distant fourth behind Silva’s Fling.

But stretched an extra furlong at his second outing, he made marked improvement, beaten less than a length by Justfortheepenny, coming from well back.

The winner is highly rated and with the extra ground unlikely to pose a problem, Liverpool Champ looks a fair bet.

However, Velvet Season has yet to finish out of the money since being fitted with blinkers and was beaten a whisker last time out. His best recent form has been on the ploy track but he has also done well on the turf and looks the most likely ‘Manchester City’ threat to Liverpool Champ’s chances.

Quant Master and Matterhorn have the obvious form to back their claims in the opening leg of the Pick 6, Quant Master possibly the pick of the pair. Robbie and Shannon Hill’s runner was all at sea first time around the Scottsville bend. His race was run as he compounded behind Loosen Your Tie but the latter has franked that form with some forward showings in feature race company. Quant Master putting up some useful sprint form down the straight and although he goes the turn again today, he now has the experience and from the best draw and a top rider in Donovan Dillon aboard, he should be right there.

Matterhorn made a smart debut when weakening late on debut when fourth behind Alibi Guy and third-placed Liberty Hall subsequently finished runner-up in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes.

It is difficult to argue against that form and with the pair drawn alongside each other, tactics will play a big role.

Hill Street Blues may be pick of the balance but these two look set to dominate.

The handicappers have been slow to reduce the rating of Techno Captain, much to the chagrin of Paul Gadsby, but although he shoulders top weight in the fifth, he now looks to be off a competitive mark and can convert his consistency into a fifth win. He has shown consistent form over shorter which has probably been to his detriment as far as the handicapping goes, but does seems better suited to today’s 1800m trip.

This is not easy race however and amongst others, all of Viento, Sea Sponge and Frozen Tune need to be included in the exotics.

The sixth is another tricky event but Simply Russian has some smart juvenile form in good company. The form of her maiden win has panned out and she could prove too classy. Scarlet Chill has won both starts for her new stable but took a five-point penalty for her last win and has a big weight to shoulder but stable companion Roy’s Pony is knocking at the door and is another that can feature.

The seventh is made difficult in that there are a number of runners who are a touch off form but quite capable should they find their best. Of those in form, Master Keys won well last time out and has a touch of class. Petra is another who is more than capable on her best form. She has not been far back in her last two sprints and with the blinkers off she can do better over this longer trip.

Finally, in the last, Captain Demonami won a strong maiden last run and that form has since been franked. From the best of the draw he should again feature prominently.  Someone Exciting is lightly raced and was a beaten favourite last start and although taking on males she stacks as the most likely threat to the selection.

By Andrew Harrison

TAB is taking all possible steps to ensure customers do not suffer any financial prejudice arising from the official result for the last race at Flamingo Park yesterday being changed.

The National Horseracing Authority (NHRA) mistakenly declared a triple dead heat for third place in Race 9 and only corrected the error some 10 minutes after the official result had been posted.

TAB initially paid out according to the original official result and then had to amend the result and payouts in terms of the corrected official result, which was 2 Poster Girl first, 6 Crown Charka second, dead heat for third 3 What A Sarah and 13 Meet The Logans.

The corrected official result obviously caused significant changes to winning combinations and payouts initially declared for the Place, Swinger, Trifecta, Quartet and Place Accumulator pools.

Although in no way to blame for the change to the official result, TAB is taking the following steps to ensure that customers are not disadvantaged:

* The Quartet pool is being refunded to satisfy international commingling partners, but anybody with a winning Quartet ticket can submit a claim and TAB will pay them what the correct official dividend would have been. All losing tickets will be refunded in full.

* Any TAB cash customer who was paid out before the corrected official result and received a lower payout than should have been the case can submit a claim for the difference. This applies to Place, Swinger, Trifecta, Quartet, and Place Accumulator bets.

* TAB account customers’ balances will be adjusted automatically in terms of the above.

* In-store TAB customers who cashed what later proved losing bets can treat their payouts as a windfall. *Gold Circle customers wishing to submit claims must do so at a TAB Gold Outlet and the Supervisor will then email the claim to CSC. Customers can call CSC on 031 314 1901 for more information.