With an avalanche of racing over the weekend, a few early winners can fill the wallet for what will be a lengthy session. Today’s Greyville card is littered with weak maidens and difficult handicaps but Prince Ponti could finally get things right for the soon to retire veteran Charles Laird.

Runner-up in his last three starts, Laird has stepped Prince Ponti up to a mile again and the gelding will never get a better chance of shedding his maiden. He has almost everything in his favour, draw, form and an affinity for the poly track, all except maybe the improving Fire Song.

Charles Laird

Duncan Howells and owner Dave MacLean, fresh from a trifecta last Sunday, has seen Fire Song improving with every race and finished up a beaten favourite behind Hit And Run last time out when making his poly debut.

Sherman Brown takes over from Met-bound Anton Marcus and the lightly raced Fire Song looks the most likely threat to Prince Ponti.

Laird could strike earlier when he sends out Vine Street Star in the second. The daughter of Trippi has not been out since July last year but has some excellent form on the poly. As mentioned before, with Laird handing in his brief next month, he will be aiming to go out with a bang and Vine Street Star is likely to be fully tuned over her preferred course and distance.

Queen Of Alamo has taken to the poly and has been against some useful opposition since arriving in KZN. With claiming apprentice Craig Bantam up, she looks a likely threat along with the consistent Miss Varlicious who appears to have dropped to a more competitive merit rating.

With Kenilworth and the Sun Met meeting running into the twilight, tomorrow’s Greyville meeting has been given further impetus with Sun Sibya coming on board to support their Cape Town sibling and there are a host of lucky draw prizes to be won apart from some smart racing action.

The Sun Met forms part of the Pick 6 and other exotics and all the Met action will be shown on the two big screens at Greyville.

The meeting gets under way five minutes after 4pm and Camphoratus, narrowly beaten over course and distance last time out, could oblige although Rocking Ruby, Stunning Seed and Eternal Words are others to consider.

The regally bred River Of January may well prefer a touch further but given that he returns from a rest the 1200m of the Sibaya iZulu Theatre Maiden could well suit at this time of his career with Bravo Zulu, from the very much in form Louise Goosen stable, a must inclusion in all bets.

Daniel Muscutt, soon headed back to the UK where snow rather than sunshine has been the order of the day, has still to land a winner before he heads back north but Miss Carrera could see him on his way. Brett Crawford’s runner has come good in two starts on the poly and should be right there.

By Andrew Harrison