The Vaal has a nine race meeting today and punters who have done their homework could reap the rewards of some likely handsome exotic dividends.

Gavin Lerena

The second is a Workrider’s maiden over 1200m. The hard-knocking Minnesota ran on well for a good second last time over 1000m behind a well-bred sort and from a good draw should be able to stay the 1200m in this weak field under a good workrider. Chosen Al stayed on bravely over 1400m last time, having been forced on to the wrong side, and should earn here but doesn’t have as good a draw as the first selection. Great White Fleet ran an improved race last time over 1400m and looks likely to enjoy this trip. He has a top rider aboard but is drawn on the wrong side.

The second is a Maiden over 1600m. Masterofthestars has found some betting support in both starts and is interesting with first time blinkers over a suitable trip. Kanonkop has the ability and form to win but makes breathing noises which is a concern. Divar is interesting from a good draw as he did well when sent to the front last time over this trip at Turffontein. Seven League Boots disappointed last time but the form has worked out fairly well and he is drawn on the right side over a suitable course and distance. Coptic Cross has not done badly over shorter and should relish the step up in trip. He has a tough draw but Fortune is up which should help. Mississippi Rising is having his third run after a layoff and has Gavin Lerena up over a trip he should enjoy on pedigree. He also has a tough draw to overcome.

The third is a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1600m and Tricia Dupont is an eyecatching sort who looks the one to side with from a fair draw, having been unlucky over 1400m last time when first fly jumping and then being baulked for a run before running on strongly. The hard-knocking Cosmo Russo will also relish the step up in trip and is drawn on the right side. Gains Tax, Dalley, Shelly, Eyetunes, Aesculus and Cambridge Choir could all earn but the selection for third is the first mentioned due to a combination of form and draw.

The fourth is a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m and Lock Him Up was a bit disappointing over 1400m last Saturday but should enjoy this course and distance and is drawn on the right side. Belenos looks promising and will also enjoy the course and distance but does have a tricky draw. Masnoon has come down to an attractive merit rating and should relish this course and distance from a fair draw. Raise The Red has come down to an attractive mark and Gavin Lerena rides over what should now be a suitable course and distance. Oreo Shake was unlucky last time and could earn with Fortune up. Crevasse can’t be ignored as he hasn’t been disgraced against stronger and has come down the merit ratings but he has a tough draw.

The fifth is a MR 86 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m and Peep Show is the one to beat having not been disgraced in strong fields in her last two starts. She is six points lower than her last winning mark on the sand but goes well on the turf too. Escudo is knocking on the door over this trip and gets a good draw off just a one point higher merit rating than her close miss last time. Cassie O’Malley is drawn on the right side and has been knocking on the door over this trip. Fortitude has a touch of class and over a suitable trip from a fair draw Gavin Lerena is a significant booking. Dover Beach is 1kg worse off with Escudo after beating her by 0,9 lengths and she has a chance again.

Crevasse (Nkosi Hlophe)

The sixth is a MR 69 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m and Nkomo should be running on strongly over a suitable trip, after her usual slow start, as she is well drawn. Allegorical is only one point higher than her last win, which was over course and distance, and she is drawn well. Hatfield Square looks to have promise and she hasn’t been harshly treated by the handicapper considering the form of her maiden win has worked out well, but she does have a tough draw to deal with. Dangerous Diva should stay this trip now and has Delpech up from a good draw. Wensleydale is under sufferance by 1kg but will likely be staying on from a good draw with a low weight. Peg O’ My Heart won her maiden well but this trip might be a touch sharp.

The seventh is a MR 78 Handicap over 1000m and Clean Cut could be the one to side with as long as he breaks better than last time and has more luck in running. Nevada won his maiden cosily and could follow up from a good draw despite a merit rating of 79. Salute The Sun is rated some 30 points higher on sand but from a good draw could be dangerous over a step down in trip which should suit. Gun Fighter is in good form and Lerena is an eyecatching booking from a fair draw, but he has a five point higher merit rating than his win over course and distance last time where he made breathing noises then. Katch has come down to an attractive merit rating and is well drawn.

The eighth is a MR 76 Handicap over 1000m and the well-bred Extreme Dubai brought his good homework to the course last time when stepped down to this trip, despite having to contend with the worst of the draw, and he is now drawn on the right side off a merit rating of a mere 73. Manx Park is in and out sort but has the ability to win this even off a four point high merit rating than his last success, so he has to be included from a good draw. Turbo Tom is reunited with Gavin Lerena, who won on him three runs ago over course and distance, and they are drawn on the right side having just been run out of it last time, although he is now three points higher.

Race nine is a MR 86 handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m and Seattle Lady has been in fine form, losing narrowly to two promising sorts in her last two starts, and she can go one better here from a reasonable draw with blinkers on. Drifting Dusk is a decent sort who is drawn on the right side with Lerena up and her best recent form has been over this trip. Cataluga is drawn on the right side over a suitable course and distance and should be thereabouts.

By David Thiselton

Tannaaf has returned to Dubai after dead-heating in the Qatar Derby and Mike de Kock has entered him for Thursday night’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum District One Handicap over 2435m at Meydan, a different ball-game following the Derby’s 2000m at Al Rayyan, but there is enough confidence in the camp to suggest that the colt has a fair chance of a follow-up win.
De Kock, who flew in to Cape Town on Tuesday for this week’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale, said: “We don’t foresee a problem with the trip, Tannaaf will stay. It’s a competitive line-up, however and if there are to be any concerns they will be that he had to spend time in quarantine coming back and that this will be his second run following a lay-off.

“Tannaaf looks the part though and his work is good. We’ll see how the Qatar form works out at Meydan but of course he has good UK form to back him up. He is possibly still under-rated and should be a big runner.”

Stable jock Christophe Soumillon will be taking the reins from Wayne Smith on Tannaaf, he will also be partnering Sanshaawes in the District One Trophy over 2000m on turf, a race in which Whistle Stop (Paul Hanagan) will also come under starter’s orders.

De Kock gave Sanshaawes a slight preference and said: “He impressed us with a good third when Star Empire won, he was staying on late off a good pace and he has been doing well at home since, he can fight it out.

“Whistle Stop needed it over 1400m last time out and he was plugging away late, we’re expecting lots of improvement over the longer distance.”

The evening’s topliner is the Al Fahidi Fort, a Gr2 feature De Kock has won six times since 2003. He regards this as an average renewal of the contest, yet believes it won’t be easy to win with any of the stable’s runners Royal Ridge (Richard Mullen), Mastermind (Smith) Tellina (Sam Hitchcott) and Anaerobio (Soumillon).

“Royal Ridge is out at the ratings, he ran well on dirt last time and reverts to turf, we’ll be looking for a fair run and some more improvement, but not expecting him to challenge for top honours. Mastermind is a nice horse with good form, he ran very well at last year’s Carnival, won over the course and distance and was Listed placed, but he takes a massive step up in class. Time will tell if he’s up to it.

“Tellina will be having his first run for us and his first in Dubai. We’re happy with him, he seems to have settled in well but this is a trip too short. We have other races in mind for him this season and he hasn’t shown us much in work so far, but he has class. I have a feeling he is the type of horse who reserves his best for race days and we’re looking forward to seeing what he has to offer.

“As far Anaerobio, he’s a game old soldier, eight years old and still going strong. He and Christophe won this race in 2014 so he is capable. If he can produce near his best at this stage of his career he will be in with a chance.”

Banaadeer seems much better than his recent form and Mike agrees that the four-year-old has been disappointing. He’ll go to post in the District One over 1000m on turf and De Kock commented: “Banaadeer didn’t try a yard last time. We’ll be fitting him with blinkers so he can show more early interest. He certainly has the ability and we’re expecting better.”
– Mikedekockracing.com

Picture: Christophe Soumillion rides Tannaaf at Meydan tomorrow evening

National Horseracing Authority (NHA) judges posted the incorrect result for Race 5 at Borrowdale Racecourse last Sunday and as a gesture of goodwill to customers, TAB will add R31,686 – the value of the total net Win pool on the race – to the Win pool on Race 5 at the next Borrowdale race meeting.

TAB paid out all winning bets on the race as per the official result of 1-4-3-7-5 declared by the NHA judges, but it later emerged that the judges had made a mistake and that, in fact, No 4 Print The Pounds won the race from No 1 Eurakilon.

Corporate bookmaking chain Betting World is paying out all win bets on both No 1 Eurakilon and No 4 Print The Pounds, also as a gesture of goodwill.

The NHA has completed an investigation into the result of the race and has amended the result for statistical purposes to 4-1-3-7-5.

The provisions of NHA rule 65.8 will be applied: “Should it be proved after the ALL CLEAR has been announced that there was an error in the placings declared by the judge, the result shall stand save for the fact that the error shall be corrected for statistical purposes.  Where such correction affects stake money such money shall be returned to the RACING OPERATOR for re-distribution.”

The NHA said in a media release that the error was regretted and that an internal inquiry has been opened into the matter.

The National Horseracing Authority has taken a decision to downgrade four races from Grade 1 to Grade 2. The races to be downgraded in 2016 are:

• Golden Horseshoe
• Golden Slipper
• S A Oaks
• Gold Cup

The downgrading of these races followed a recommendation from the Graded Races Committee.

The Graded Races Committee had received a letter from the Asian Pattern Committee expressing concern that the number of Grade 1 races in South Africa was excessive compared to other countries.

The Asian Pattern Committee has in fact suggested that ideally South Africa should have no more than 25 Grade 1 races and against this background, the Graded Races Committee has agreed to aggressively review all of South Africa’s Grade 1 races over the next few years. The down grading of the aforementioned races is the first phase of this process.

In 2011 South Africa agreed to comply with the Ground Rules of the Asian Pattern Committee. In terms of the Ground Rules all races must justify their grading by the quality of its runners. The quality of the field is assessed primarily by the annual race ratings of the first four placed horses over a three year period.

The Asian Pattern Committee also expressed concern that a number of South African Grade 1 races did not measure up to the international standards.

In recommending that the Golden Horseshoe and the Golden Slipper be downgraded, the Graded Races Committee was of the view that the number of Grade 1 races for 2-year-olds was excessive. These races had also not measured up to the international standards over the past years.

The S A Oaks and the Gold Cup also fell short of the international requirements for Grade 1 races. Notwithstanding that these are of the best races in their category, the overall quality of staying horses in South Africa unfortunately does not compare with other countries in Part 1 of the International Cataloguing Standards.

Justin Snaith made a clean sweep of the first three two-year-old races of the Cape season and he can strike again with Soweto Moon in the opening Maiden Juvenile Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.

This Australian-bred colt was cheaply bought by Hassen Adams for AUS$17 000 at last year’s Magic Million Sale and Snaith says: “He has only been on the grass once and out of the pens once but he is a powerful horse and he could be interesting.”

The former champion trainer, who has had just two reverses on the two-year-old front this term (they were second and fourth), also introduces Gimme Green in the Adams colours but riding arrangements point to the stable companion who opened at 8-10 with World Sports Betting on Monday. Gimme Green was 7-1. By yesterday afternoon, though, the firm had removed the race from its betting list.

Dancer, bought by owner Martin Wickens for R275 000, is out of a mare that won twice at 1 400m and is Joey Ramsden’’s first juvenile runner of the season. He opened at 7-2.

Paul Reeves has been busy with his two-year-olds and his pair have both run once and shown promise. They are obviously capable of improvement.  Moulina was the shorter-priced  at 33-10.  Stable companion Navarone, who started favourite on debut and was reported striding short behind when disappointing last week, has gone lame and been scratched.

Andre Nel is making a big success of his new role as Sabine Plattner’s private trainer. He has a strike rate of virtually 20% at Kenilworth (12 wins from 61 runners) and he can land a double with Weskus Klong and Leisure Trip.

The former would have finished closer to second-placed Castlewood on debut three weeks ago had he not thrown away valuable ground at the start. Castlewood was due to oppose again in the Racing.It’s A Rush Maiden but has unfortunately fallen victim to the cough and, as a result, Weskus Klong is now a prohibitive 3-10.

“Leisure Trip has done pretty well and has improved,” says Nel. “However I would like the form of her debut second to have worked out better.”

He is referring to Oli Miranda and My Cherry, third and fourth when Leisure Trip was second, managing only fifth and sixth behind Hilaria in the first last Saturday. That certainly casts a slight doubt and is probably why Leisure Trip opened at evens rather than odds-on for race four. She has since been backed to 8-10. Vaughan Marshall’s Queen At War (15-4) looks the alternative.

Boomtown Belter receives weight all round in race two and can justify 2-1 favouritism. “I am bringing her back from 1 200m and she will like that,” says Adam Marcus who is hoping that the gallop will be a strong one. “She likes a good pace and to chase them.”

By Michael Clower