The Vaal Classic track stages a nine race meeting on Thursday and there look to be a few opportunities for punters.

Resolute Captain in race 6 over 1700m looks to be a Pick 6 banker. This big, galloping sort only just failed to catch the winner last week over course and distance when drawn four. However, the lack of pace appeared to be his undoing. This time Captain Coyote could set a better pace or otherwise Resolute Captain could go to the front  himself from a plum draw of two. Trainer Alec Laird is in the middle of a purple patch and Gunther Wrogemann is an accomplished jockey. Resolute Captain was raised one point for last week’s effort, but it will not affect his weight here, so he is effectively half-a-kilogram well in.

Alec Laird

Copper Pot is due to improve in this race having been given another five point merit rating drop and he could be worth including in a swinger with Resolute Captain. Off an 18 point lower merit rating than his highest mark, he could bounce back to form if repeating the promising form of his penultimate run, which was over 1400m at the Vaal. In his three-year-old year he showed a good turn of foot on occasion so was probably ridden too handily last time over 1600m in a night race at Turffontein. That was a poor run, which is a concern, but Piere Strydom takes the ride again and he is once again drawn in pole position.

The first leg of the PA sees another galloping sort, Circle Of Latitude, having her first run out of the maidens. She looks to have talent and can rise above a merit rating of 77. She will relish the step up to 1700m as she was not stopping at the line in her maiden win over 1500m. The one drawback is her draw of seven in a nine horse field. Costa Da Sol is in good form and Gavin Lerena has jumped ship from Snowdonia to ride her. Snowdonia beat Costa Da Sol last time by 0,25 lengths, but is now 1,5kg worse off.

In the next race over 1500m the highly regarded Pietro Mascagni reappears. He jumped off at 11/2 in the prestigious Grade 2 Investec Dingaans last time and now runs in his first handicap off a mere 79 merit rating. The Dingaans was a postponed meeting, which can be the undoing of horses prepared to the minute for a big race, especially one who had to travel to the racecourse. The Silvano colt does have a wide draw of ten and still has a lot to prove. However, champion jockey Delpech is aboard again and if anything like as good as he is said to be Pietro Mascagni is the one to beat. Greek Fire is equally promising, but has to give Pietro Mascagni 5,5kg and is returning from a layoff. The consistent Tommy Waterdevil could be the main threat from the older horses over a likely ideal trip.

In race seven over 1700m Volcanic Sunset has his first run out of the maidens. However, he had some fine form against some good sorts before getting off the mark and appears to be improving with gelding too. He is the one to beat off an attractive opening handicap mark of 75 from a plum draw of two.

In the next race some were surprised last time to see Vicomte running in blinkers as he has run on well from off the pace over sprints. His finishing speed was duly blunted in that race after being handy throughout and he faded. The blinkers are now off, so he should be running on strongly in this MR 80 Handicap off an 82 merit rating. However, Marmook looks progressive and was undone by a tardy start last time. There are a number of other talented runners in this race, including Rebel’s Champ, Borya, Pillaroftheearth, Sir Spencer and the inconsistent Le Tigre.

In the last race over 1000m Jazalaah should be too good, although Melinda’s Garden is a striking looking horse and her breathing issue didn’t bother her last time so she could be dangerous over an ideal trip with first-time blinkers on.

By David Thiselton

The five-year-old finished down the field in last season’s race but has won his last two starts.

Snaith, successful with Gimmethegreenlight in 2012, has so far declared African Night Sky (Bernard Fayd’Herbe), Copper Force (Lyle Hewitson) and It Is Written (Brandon May) for Saturday week’s star feature.

Justin Snaith

Billy Prestage has supplemented his 22-1 Premier Trophy winner Milton for the Peninsula Handicap on the same card. Horizon, only seventh in the Premier, is 3-1 favourite with World Sports Betting who have shortened Legal Eagle to 7-10 for the Queen’s Plate. Nother Russia heads the Cartier Paddock Stakes market at 28-10 while Like A Panther is 4-1 favourite for the Politician and Strathdon 15-10 to make the Chairman’s Cup his fifth consecutive win.

Sergeant Hardy, who made all under Bernard Fayd’Herbe in last Saturday’s Southeaster Sprint, will take in the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes on 13 January en route to a possible challenge for the Cape Flying Championship.

Snaith said: “The Diadem will be tougher at the weights but Sergeant Hardy is such a game horse. He has quite a lot of races on top of each other so I didn’t gallop him before the Merchants. I knew he had a few lengths to come on that run and he was perfect on Saturday.”

Cape Thoroughbred Sales will sell three mares by multiple champion sire Galileo at its breeding stock sale at the conclusion of the Premier Yearling Sale in the Convention Centre on 21 January. The Galileo trio have been scanned in foal to Silvano, Rafeef and Gimmethegreenlight.

By Michael Clower

Rockin Russian, most disappointing on her two previous Cape Town starts, can take advantage of a significant drop in class to bounce back in the Betting World Progress Plate at Kenilworth today.

The Sean Tarry filly was considered good enough to be ridden by Piere Strydom in the Fillies Guineas but she raced wide on the bend, suffered interference and finished stone last. Prior to that she was second last when the only filly in the Cape Classic.

Desert Rythym

Her previous Durban form is good and, although that now has more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese, she is well in at the weights and appeals at 28-10. World Sports Betting has Elusive Heart favourite on 22-10. The Glen Kotzen filly was seventh in the Fillies Guineas, is ridden by on-fire Richard Fourie (five winners here on Saturday) but has to concede 3kg to the selection.

Tarry’s other runner Desert Rhythm (9-2) has not raced since finishing fourth in the Thekwini, a length and a half behind Rockin Russian who is a whopping 6kg better. Freedom Charter (28-10) has been upped 2kg for winning a handicap over this trip last time, Salimah (5-1) finished last of seven when favourite for her last race and 16-1 shot Kenna looks out of it.

Vice Versa was my original choice for the TAB Telebet Handicap despite carrying a first-time-out-of-the-maidens red warning flag as she was so impressive when winning an admittedly modest maiden that she looked as if she could prove the exception to the golden rule. However she has gone lame on her near fore.

Via Sacra, put up 2kg for winning over the trip after leading nearly 400m out, is now favourite at 16-10 and gets the vote. Also fancied at 2-1 is Best Kept Secret who was only raised a kilo for last time’s win and for whom Mike de Kock has snapped up Fourie.

Pata Pata has losses to recover in the opening ItsARush Maiden after being beaten at 1-2 last time when she went to the front before halfway and was run out of it in the last 100m. Her previous run was good but it is a little disconcerting that Brett Crawford’s stable jockey Corne Orffer is now on newcomer Pacific Trader. The latter opened at 2-1 while Pata-Pata (ridden for the first time by Greg Cheyne) is again odds-on at 7-10.

In race three Pearl Jam (22-10 favourite) only has half a length in hand over 11-1 chance Eternal Night on last time’s running while 7-2 shot Spam Alert is badly drawn. The once-raced Prairie Sky is suggested each way at 14-1.

By Michael Clower

Roy Had Enough has always struck as a smart colt and he confirmed that opinion at Greyville yesterday. Coming from the tail end of the field, the Australian import matched strides briefly with favourite Legend but soon left his rival for dead and apprentice Lyle Hewitson wagging a finger at the large Boxing Day crowd as he skated home in the Listed Christmas Handicap.

Roy Had Enough (Candiese Marnewick)

Frank Robertson thought enough of his charge to try his luck in the Dingaans at Turffontein last month but his colt pulled a coffin draw and was only beaten just under four lengths by KZN counterpart Monks Hood. With a better gate he may have finished closer in what was a seriously competitive Dingaans and a race that often turns out to be one of the defining races of the season.

Legend, back to his best last time out, took off from the back of the field alongside Roy Had Enough but could not match his younger rival and finished runner-up with pacemaker Redcarpet Captain staying on gamely for third.

Pick 6 punters took a body-blow first up as rank outsider Celestial Gold, paying R45 a win on the tote, finished like an express train to land the Secona Freight Logistics Handicap. Although a surprise winner according to the betting, the race lacked depth and those punters who chose to go wide were rewarded.

A recent article in the Parade magazine documenting the trials and tribulations of small stables attracted scathing criticism from some quarters but for those trainers who are prepared to stick it out and enjoy what they do, a win is handsome reward no matter the starting price.

Lola Crawford and daughters, Tarryn and Hailey, put in the hard work at Ashburton and although Celestial Gold was not a popular result with most punters, nor would Swakopmund’s victory – R15 a win on the tote – in the following race have given much cheer and Dennis Drier boasts one of the biggest stings in KZN. But horses are horse, no matter how big or small the stable.

Ante-post favourite Captain’s Girl, a drifter before the start before late money for Rodney displaced her at the top of the boards, made a tardy start which may well have been the difference between winning and losing. Stable companion Effortless Reward stretched the field early but Swakopmund stuck to his guns and went on with it as the leader fell away. Captain’s Girl got going late from well off the pace but the hare had already bolted.

Louis Goosen may have been disappointed with Captain’s Girl but the gloom quickly lifted as Winter Blues made it onto the scoreboard, taking advantage of favourite Constantine missing the break and having to hunt for a clear passage when it counted.

Constantine only managed third but Winter Blues, having only his fourth outing, was produced with a telling late run by Gunther Wrogemann to snaffle Captain Ellio and win going away.

By Andrew Harrison

…this despite Absa’s High Court bid on Friday to put the company into liquidation and freeze the assets being postponed until 29 January.

Mayfair’s racing manager Derek Brugman said yesterday: “I couldn’t say anything before this because my hands were tied but we have now made an agreement with the financiers that we can continue racing and continue selling the horses.”

Edict Of Nantes

Brugman said that “long term” the plan is to sell all the horses and added: “We have been given time by the financiers to sell them in a structured manner over a period of time. We are not in a fire-sale situation.”

Brugman also said that dual Grade 1 winner Edict of Nantes had been sold to Hong Kong last month. The four-year-old is second favourite for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate on Saturday week and for the Sun Met on 27 January but has drifted in the market for the latter as doubts grow about him running in the R5 million spectacular. He may have to go into quarantine before this date and Betting World, the country’s biggest bookmaker, has suspended betting on the race.

Asked whether Edict Of Nantes was likely to run, Brugman would only say: “That is something for the new owners to comment on.”

According to the Daily Dispatch the price paid for the four-year-old was just under R10 million while numerous press reports have stated that the price paid by Tekkie Town owner Braam van Huyssteen and his partners for Jooste’s best horse Legal Eagle was a much more reasonable R3.2 million.

Yearlings have sold for more and struggled to win. Legal Eagle is six but he still has the rest of this season and all the next one before his powers really start to decline. He is officially the best in the country and is 11-10 favourite  to collect R937 000 in the Queen’s Plate. He is also favourite for the Met whose first prize is nearly R3 million. Even if, as in the last two seasons, he comes up against a rival who stays the trip better than he does second place still pays R1 million.

It has been suggested that overseas-stipulated quarantine restrictions could be relaxed in time for him to compete for even more valuable prizes abroad but there are too many doubts about that happening for it to have influenced the price. However there is still the rich Highveld season to come, let alone next season as well.

By Michael Clower