The Vaal Classic track stages a low key nine race meeting tomorrow although there are some good horses turning out before the feature season.

The Jackpot has good quality races in all of its legs.

In the first leg, a MR 92 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m, Frederico’s Dream is made the best bet on a tricky card. She showed pace throughout over 1160m last time with first-time blinkers on in the Listed Swallow Strakes. She was out at the weights with some of the best runners in that race but still finished a close second so looks to be potentially well weighted here off a merit rating raised three points to 87. The unlucky horse in the Swallow Stakes was Winter Watch, whose run was blocked at a crucial stage. She has a fine turn of foot and although she has a difficult task with Frederico’s Dream on paper the risk averse should consider her for the exotics, considering this is a fillies and mares handicap. Movie Show has been in fine form and seems to love The Vaal, so can also be included. Ice Art finished like a train in her last two starts after being dropped down in trip to 1000m and must also be considered. Arissa clearly has her problems but ran well after a long layoff on Summer Cup day when finishing second in the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap over 1160m and she has only been raised one point.

The next race is a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1400m and the one to beat here could be Matador Man. He has a good turn of foot and as one who enjoys the tight Greyville track, the drop in trip might be what he is looking for. New Predator is top class and this is his best trip, so he will go close as the joint best-weighted male horse in the race. Kangaroo Jack is another one with a fine turn of foot. He has high cruising speed and is well drawn, so this should his good draw of three will suit his style ideally as he should be able to sit off the pace and then turn it on. Heaps Of Fun is the best weighted horse in the race, so should be considered being a Graded winning sprint-miler.  Captain Aldo can’t be ignored as one who loves this trip.

The third leg of the Jackpot is a MR 88 Handicap over 1600m for three-year-olds and the selection here is the classy Noble Secret. This son of Dynasty was ultra impressive on debut over 1200m when winning by nearly ten lengths. He disappointed next time out over that same trip, but has since been gelded and is now running over a distance which will suit him much better. He has a fine draw and Randall Simons, who partnered him in both of his first two starts, stays aboard. The interesting runner here is Wonderous Climber as he is also by Dynasty and is a half-brother to the like of Silver Mountain, Cloth Of Cloud and Helderberg Blue.

He has his second run after gelding and if recapturing the form of his maiden win, which was over this trip in the May of his two-year-old year, then he can be involved off a merit rating which has dropped from 85 down to 73. Silver God can also be in the shake up as he won going away last time over 1500m and has only been raised two points.  He was beaten by Alshibaa in the Secretariat Stakes over 1800m, but did beat the latter over this trip in the Dingaans. Alshibaa deserves his merit rating, but there are question marks about whether he is as good as some of the others here and he has to give all of them weight except for Noble Secret. The dark horse is Bright Blessed Day, who won impressively over 1200m last time and should enjoy the step up in trip.

The last leg of the Jackpot is a MR 87 Handicap for three-year-old fillies over 1600m and it should be fought out between Dressed To Impress and Maple Syrup. The former was clearly outpaced over 1160m on debut but still won easing up by 2,3 lengths so will relish the step up in trip and looks classy. Maple Syrup was not hard pressed to win over 1400m last time to remain unbeaten in two and off just a 81 merit rating she can progress further over a step up in trip she will appreciate.

The first leg of the Pick 6 has the value bet of the day running Circle Of Latitude, who should relish the step up in trip to 2000m and is well drawn.

The last leg of the Pick 6 should be fought out by Waity Katie and Our Shining Star. The former has come back to her best since joing David Nieuwenhuizen yard and could follow up on her recent win, while the latter is looks full of promise.

Collegiate and Gertjie should be enough to get punters through the first leg of the PA.

By David Thiselton

His best chance is probably on Frozen Tune in the Cupid’s Arrow Maiden Juvenile. The Candice Bass-Robinson colt is one of only four with the considerable advantage of a previous run and he had Sailor Sam four and a half lengths behind when beating all except the more experienced Lucky Dancer here four weeks ago.

In the opening fillies juvenile maiden Van Niekerk’s mount European Roller heads the market at 33-10 with World Sports Betting but Justin Snaith adopts a cautious approach with his two-year-olds these days and he has yet to win a Cape Town juvenile race this term.

Joey Ramsden, on the other hand, has won three of the nine run so far and at this stage his Var filly Au Revoir, each way at 5-1, makes more appeal. Lucille (7-2) is the only one who has had a run but watch out for anything that is backed.

The Boston Rose is 13-10 favourite to score for Snaith and Van Niekerk in the Horses For Causes Maiden. She has finished second or third in the last four of her five starts and her form reads better than that of 33-10 second favourite Negma whose Durbanville third to Indian Song looked weak at the time and has not been franked.

There is little to choose between Hithimagainchuck, Bwana, Strategic Power and Dayonaut in race four but the first-named is favourite at 28-10, ran well on Met day and drops in class.

Franking (28-10) romped home six lengths clear in her first run out of the maidens and may be able to defy an eight-point increase in the Birthday Bonanza Handicap. Baroness Mary went up seven for her close third in the Listed Jamaica Handicap and is favourite at 2-1 while Dynasty’s Blossom (28-10) went up four for last time’s good run.

Quing on the other hand has come down 15 in just over a year and the 9-2 chance has been nibbled at. However she still hasn’t quite recovered her best form. Blinkers were tried seven months ago without success and are fitted again here.

Adam Marcus has hit form and Gyre (33-10) in race six could be another for Van Niekerk who should also win the last on Red Mars.

There has been little between Star Evolution and Love Of My Life in their last two races and the latter would seem an appropriate choice for the Valentine Victory Maiden. But Star Evolution is rated a kilo superior and has a better draw so Richard Fourie’s mount is preferred.

By Michael Clower

There are varying opinions on the National Horseracing Authorities recent announcement that local merit ratings will be raised by six pounds on March 1. But what ever your opinion, and they are varied, merit ratings do mostly work to punter’s advantage in races such as maiden plates.

The Soccer 6 Maiden at Greyville yesterday was a case in point. None of that field will get their names on jam tins but the two highest rated horses in the race, Mutawaary and Fire Song, hooked up at the two-furlong marker but it was the higher rated Mutawaary, rated seven pounds superior to Fire Song, who drew off to win comfortably with the balance left gasping for air.

Geoff Perkins, “Jeffries Bay” to his friends is nothing if not patient and it paid off with the six-year-old Secret Service finally getting off the mark at his 29^th attempt in the card opener.

“Patience takes on a whole new meaning with this horse but we finally got there. We were very confident. The race was perfectly set up and Warren (Kennedy) delivered.”

In further confirmation that the merit rating system holds some merit, top-rated The Private, in spite of having little obvious form to boast of, ran out and easy winner of the third. Queensbury Rules came in for some inspired market support but failed to deliver a knock-out blow as apprentice Ashton Arries slipped the Michael Roberts-trained The Private up the inside rail and Queensbury Rules arrived too late on the scene to make any difference to the result.

Quakeshake looked to be one of the better best on the card (7-10) and Dean Kannemeyer’s filly duly arrived in the Track & Ball Gaming Qualified Maiden although Sweet Shayna made her work hard in the latter stages.

The call by Mark Dixon to fit blinkers to the filly Parallelogram has paid dividends as she pushed Arries to within two winners of losing his claim. In spite of taking the scenic route in the straight in the Rugby 5 Qualified Maiden, shifting from inside to out, Parallogram was never in danger and won as she liked.

The Greyville poly track can be a tricky surface with horses, who look certain winners with 100m to go, treading water the last bit and being snaffled on the line by something coming from the clouds.

Yaas was a case in point in the Interbet Handicap as she led for every step except at the line as Je Suis Silver arrived with a late flourish. It was a tremendously game effort from the runner-up who had fought off most of the opposition but Anton Marcus is an acknowledged master of the synthetic surface and got Tony Rivalland’s filly up on the line.

By Andrew Harrison

National Trainer’s log leader Justin Snaith is looking forward to a “very exciting” SA Champions Season and will be bringing “the strongest string” he has ever had for the three month feast of top class racing.

Snaith has been granted 30 boxes at Summerveld by Gold Circle and is due to arrive around Easter. Among his travelling string will be his pair of dual Grade 1 winners Oh Susanna and Snowdance. Snaith has won five of the nine Grade 1 races run to date in South Africa this season.

However, he warned ante-post punters that his Sun Met and Cartier Paddock Stakes-winner Oh Susanna would only have a 5% chance of running in the Vodacom Durban July and his WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and Klawervlei Majorca Stakes-winner Snowdance would not even be nominated.

He does not believe Snowdance will see out the 2200m trip, while Oh Susanna, already merit rated 115, will be asked to carry too much weight for a three-year-old filly.

Snaith has won the July twice before, including with the British-bred filly Dancer’s Daughter, but she was stoutly bred and as a four-year-old in 2008 carried only 53kg.

He mentioned four horses who would be targeting the July, African Night Sky, Do It Again, Platinum Prince and Strathdon.

He said, “African Night Sky was the unlucky-lucky horse in the Met, unlucky to finish sixth, but lucky because he therefore avoided a merit rated raise. He will come into the July with bottom weight.” Do It Again caught the eye with a flying second in the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby and is held in high regard. Snaith said he had laid off Platinum Prince and Strathdon recently with the SA Champions Season in mind.

Platinum Prince won four on the trot from 1600-2000m from May to July last year. In his last run on January 6 he finished third in the Grade 2 Peninsula Handicap, beaten 2,75 lengths by subsequent Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open. He was only running off a 94 merit rating in the Peninsula. However, he is a four-year-old by Silvano, whose progeny get better with age and whom also have a phenomenal record in the July.

Strathdon is also a four-year-old by Silvano and is a half-brother to Cape Guineas winner Tap O’ Noth. He has won his last four races over distance of 1800-2500m, including the Listed Woolavington Handicap over 2400m and the Grade 3 Mahala TV Cape Summer Stayers Handicap over 2500m.

Snaith said he would race his top horses “sparingly” in KZN and would be choosing their targets very carefully.

Oh Susanna might have only one run, in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

He had not finalised a plan for Snowdance, but mentioned the prestigious weight for age mile, the Rising Sun Gold Challenge, as one of her likely targets. In that case it is hoped Legal Eagle’s new connections will bring him down for this race. Snowdance is the one horse in the country with the potential to dethrone Legal Eagle from his cemented position as best miler in the country.

Snaith’s other Grade 1 winner this season is Sergeant Hardy, who won the Betting World Cape Flying Championship on Met day to remain unbeaten in three starts over the Kenilworth 1000m trip. He is targeting only one race for him, the Grade 1 weight for age Mercury Sprint over 1200m at Greyville. He said, “I will have to teach him to run around the turn as he has never cornered well. He will avoid the Tsogo Sun Sprint as he will be weighted out of it.” Sergeant Hardy is merit rated 117.

However, Snaith is earmarking the Tsogo Sun for two horses, Bishop’s Bounty and Kasimir.

Bishop’s Bounty was an impressive two length winner of the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth last time out, despite being considerably under sufferance carrying 59kg off his 101 merit rating. He was duly given the maximum ten point raise to 111.

Kasimir ran a fine half-a-length second to the classy Dutch Phillip in the US$500,000 CTS 1200 on Met day. He is now merit rated 99. Snaith has another trick up his sleeve with this Captain Al colt too and aims to give him a pipe opener in the Grade 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m at Greyville on April 8. ”He is a half-brother to Afrikaburn (a Grade 1-winner over the Greyville 1400m) and I have been waiting quietly for this race for a long time.”

Snaith has not yet finalised his SA Champions Season string and one reason is he is still deciding whether or not to campaign some of his good three-year-olds in the Cape Winter series. A case in point is Cot Campbell, who was third in the Grade 3 Cape Classic and then fourth in both the Cape Guineas and CTS Mile, and he will likely be staying in Cape Town. He said, “We were a bit disappointed in his CTS Mile run, but he is a very nice individual and talented.”

Snaith said he would bring a couple of precocious Captain Al two-year-olds, who are owned by KZN-based clients.

A boon for the yard is that they have been put under no pressure to send horses overseas under the current quarantine requirements. “My owners know how much the arduous journey overseas takes out of a horse and they love racing in South Africa, so I am under no pressure to go that route.” However, if the protocols change, as they have been threatening to do, he said some of his best horses would “definitely” head overseas.

By David Thiselton

Champion Mustaaqeem makes his long-awaited reappearance at the Vaal tomorrow and will provide punters with a ready-made Pick 6 banker.

He runs in the second leg of the Pick 6 in a Progress Plate over 1200m and is comfortably the best treated horse at the weights, so should remain unbeaten despite returning from a nine month layoff. Mustaaqeem followed his impressive debut with a four-length destruction of the field in the Grade 1 SA Nursery and he showed all the hallmarks of being top class in that race. Romi’s Boy has a lot of pace and the ability to stay on, so could be the main danger, despite being 5,5kg under sufferance with Mustaaqeem on official merit ratings. Africa Rising has a touch of class and won the Grade 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m at Greyville. He should have come on from his reappearance in the Merchants over 1160m, where he wasn’t disgraced. He finished a short-head behind Romi’s Boy in that race and is half-a-kilogram better off, so there should not be much between them.

In race 1 The Pink Panther should make amends for his debut in which he was backed into 18/10 but could not get to the winner Marcus Attilius. He raced green and looks to have plenty of scope for improvement, so can score yet another two-year-old victory for Corné Spies.

In the second race Dancing Queen was unconsidered at 18/1 on debut but did well to finish a three length second after a slow start. She was running out of steam late in that 1000m race, so is not as confident a choice as The Pink Panther. Sean Tarry had an incredible strike rate with two-year-old first-timers last season and introduces the Trippi filly Riptide in this race. She would not have to be any great shakes to win this race.

The PA starts in the next race and the Tarry-trained Imperial Quest should be enough to get punters through. He has been staying on for second in both of his starts over 1160m and 1200m respectively and should ru in the first three. For the risk averse Til Dawn and Pantsula could be added as they have also shown enough ability to earn here.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 over 1200m, Nautic Spririt looked to have the race won over 1160m last time when showing good cruising speed and a kick at juts after the halfway mark. However, he began treading water close to home and was caught. That was his first outing for over two months and he should have benefitted from it, so can make amends. However, Get Your Grove On and Shiloh are also worth including. The first as always struck as having ability and gets blinkers on now, while Shiloh was staying on well over 1000m last time and now has her third run after a layoff over a more suitable trip.

In the sixth race Last Chirp mixed with some good sorts early in her career and has now dropped to an attractive merit rating of 69. She takes a big drop in class here and looks capable of carrying 60,5kg to victory. However, it is a typically open fillies and mares sprint handicap. Lady Negra should be involved as she moved up well in her previous start over 1400m with first-time blinkers on so will be interesting over this drop in trip. Nightmare ran well first time out the maidens and remains on the same merit rating. Burundi Bush is capable of popping up as she did two runs ago, albeit off a five point lower mark. Espleratore makes some appeal dropping down in trip as she won her debut well over 1000m and has dropped 14 points from her initial mark of 80.

The next leg will be contested by some fair sorts over 1200m. Vicomte has a good turn of foot and might have been undone by a tough draw last time. Keanan’s Rock was not disgraced in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion over this trip and his two other 1200m runs has a win and a close second to his name so he will go close off a mere 70 merit rating. Lauren Of Rochelle has always struck as one with ability and has come into his own. He now goes for his third win in his last five starts and must be included.

The last leg of the Jackpot is open and cases can be made for Little Magician, Lake Kinneret and Premier Show, and Like Astair and Dorman also make some appeal.

The last leg of the Pick 6 should be fought out by Nordic Rebel and Witch King who are both progressive four-year-olds and are ideally suited to this 1400m distance.

By David Thiselton