3 minute read
Preview and form for the meeting at Vaal on Thursday. Selections by David Thiselton.
The Vaal Inside Track meeting on Thursday looks to be competitive at first sight but on closer inspection there could be one or two good opportunities for punters.
The highest rated race on the card is a MR 92 handicap over 1200 metres. Romi’s boy is a progressive son of Querari who has come to hand since being gelded at the beginning of the year. In his last start over this trip on the Turffontein Inside Track he showed good gate speed and pace and beat a decent field hands and heels by 5.75 lengths.
He is well drawn again and can follow up off a likely capped merit rating, as he was given the maximum six for that last plate race win. Angel's Power won going away over 1000 metres in her last start and over this suitable trip could be a threat from a good draw with Anthony Delpech up.
The first leg of the PA is a Middle Stakes event over 2400 metres and B Twenty One will be hard to peg back. She is a decent up and coming stayer going for a hattrick and is the best in at the weights. She has a tricky draw, so for Pick 6 purposes Fortune Fella and Consequentially could be considered.
Fortune Fella is an honest stayer with a fair turn of foot and he could use the latter to the maximum from a good draw over a suitable trip. Consequentially is a well-bred sort who is only 0.5kg under sufferance with B Twenty One and is drawn in pole. She will be out to prove she stays this trip, having won well over 2000m before, but having failed in her only attempt at this trip.
In the first leg of the Pick 6, a maiden over 2400m, Town Flyer overcame a wide draw over 1600m last time and only just failed to win. He looks to be a staying type. Barbados Cruise went close over 2000m last time and his relaxed style of running should allow him to see out this trip, so he is the other one to put in the exotics.
The first leg of the Jackpot is a MR 80 handicap over 1700m. Misty Roller showed his class last time when blinkers were applied for the first time and cruised to victory over 1600m. A maximum eight point raise might not be enough to stop him. However, Raydaveric should be included in the exotics. This good looker has slowly come into his own since being gelded at the beginning of the year and looks to have scope for further improvement. He is well drawn over a suitable trip too.
The sixth is a MR 72 handicap over 1400 metres and Dragons Breath could be the one to side with as he finished like a train over this trip last time and has been lowered one point in the merit ratings. Analyse This improved last time over 1600m when a slow start forced hold up tactics to be applied.
If the same tactics are employed over this probably more suitable trip he should go close. Sideshow just failed over this trip last time and now has the favourable number one draw. Vulcan was narrowly ahead of Side Show last time and also has a good draw. El Bombero ran on well over 1600 metres last time, but his last win was over this trip so he is another with a shout.
The eighth race, a MR 73 Handicap over 1200m, is the toughest race on the card for punters. Dreamuponadream has good pace and has dropped to a reasonable merit rating so could stay all the way to the line. William Nicol is ideally course and distance suited and has the plum number one draw. Tokyo Drift is an interesting runner as he has been shown to have pace when blinkers have been fitted and the headgear is duly back on for this drop in trip. However, the risk averse should consider adding a number of other horses to their Pick 6 perms.
The last is also a MR 73 handicap over 1200 metres and looks open at first sight. However, Thewaywemakem is an improving horse who goes for a hattrick and is only two points higher in the merit ratings for his last win. That win was over the too sharp 1000m and in his previous start he showed that a high draw over this course and distance does not phase him.
The dangers could be Don Christo, who could use his excellent pace to overcome a high draw, and Pistolero, who also has a tricky draw but usually starts slowly before running on strongly, although he might be a touch high in the merit ratings at present.
