Olympian, so often the bridesmaid, can come up the aisle in front in the Supabets Pinnacle Stakes at Durbanville tomorrow.

The Vaughan Marshall seven-year-old has finished in the frame in all his five most recent starts, four of them Pinnacles, and he might have been bit closer last time had his rider not dropped his whip 100m out. Even so he has the beating of 11-2 stable companion Vincente on that run and he has already been backed from 15-4 to 28-10 favouritism.

Vaughan Marshall

If you ignore 33-10 shot Tevez, who has not been running up to his rating on his last two starts, there is only 3.5kg between the best in (Fifty Cents) and the worst (Cuban Emerald and Rock Of Africa). It is just possible that the country course will rejuvenate Tevez but that is not something you would want to stake much on.

Fifty Cents (33-10) ran well in a 1 000m Pinnacle in June but he is more of a 1 400m/mile horse while 17-2 chance Rock Of Africa is suited by this trip and has been running well in Durban.

Horizon, who needs further and has been off for seven months, has understandably drifted from 7-1 to 11-1 while stable companion Bernie, disappointing over a mile last time, looks too short at 5-1.

Trippi’s Express divided the highly rated Pleasedtomeetyou and last Saturday’s impressive winner Trip To The Sky in that hot Kenilworth maiden four weeks ago and looks nailed on for the opener. Unfortunately the bookies take the same view and World Sports Betting has already shortened him from 15-20 to 6-10.

Green Jacket was fourth in that Kenilworth race, only three-quarters of a length behind Trip To The Sky despite losing ground at the start. The 7-2 chance looks best in race two, or at least he would but for being drawn one from the outside.

That is normally the kiss of death over 1 400m on this course but, curiously, all the other major form fancies have also been hit with bad draws – notably All In Line, Run To Denmark and Nao Faz Mal. Just about the only one with some sort of form chance who is drawn well is 7-1 shot St Vladimir.

Nastergal stands out in the Tabonline Maiden. True, she is drawn 11 but that shouldn’t be a problem with Anton Marcus on her back. Marcus has only one other ride and it’s not a Ridgemont horse. Mike Stewart has obviously been at his most persuasive but it could pay to go for Icon King in the Betting World Handicap, particularly at 13-2.

• Michael Clower’s selections at the last 11 Cape Town meetings are showing a profit of R223.60 to a R10 level stake.

By Michael Clower