The Vaal classic track stages an eight race meeting on Thursday and there look to be a few opportunities for punters.

The Gavin van Zyl-trained Mogok filly Komeshan’s Flight in race five has been selected as the best bet of the day. She won her maiden easing up over 1600m on the Turffontein Inside track. She now races over the same trip from a good draw of six. In that last start she relaxed beautifully at the back of the field and made up the ground quickly with an effortless turn of foot. The form has been franked and she looks above average, so will be hard to beat off a mere 77 merit rating. My Cherry drops back to a more suitable trip and is back against her own gender, so could earn from a good draw. Pearl Valley looks to have come into her own, so can earn too if able to overcome yet another tricky draw. Andrew Fortune should help her cause.

The nomination for value bet of the day goes to the Lucky Houdalakis-trained four-year-old Tiger Ridge gelding Netflix. This horse has always struck as one with a touch of class who would start progressing in his second full season of racing. He is a robust horse with a fine turn of foot and the 1800m trip of tomorrow’s sixth race, a MR 83 Handicap, looks to be right down his alley. He has to lug 60kg but has the pole position draw and looks capable of rising above his current 85 merit rating. His last run in the Grand Heritage can be ignored as the trip of 1475m was too sharp and after initially sticking to his stations, he tracked right over to the favourable stand side but never found the ideal cover or the best going.

There is another progressive sort in this field in the form of the Irish-bred Fastnet Rock colt Enbahrr. He was born to Northern Hemisphere time in March 2013 and this has been taken into account when allocating the weights. However, he is likely improving rapidly now, still being a three-year-old in real terms. He was far from disgraced last time when finishing 5,2 lengths behind Mogok Master over 1450m as he was 8kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. Before that he won well over this trip at Turffontein, so will enjoy the step back up to this trip. Furthermore, the Mike de Kock Highveld yard is in good form at present.

Frappachino has come into his own, not surprisingly as he is by Ideal World. He could be a threat off a four point higher mark after two wins over 2000m. However, on paper Boy Boy has him beaten at the weights and has pole position draw as opposed to Frappachino’s wide draw, so Boy Boy is preferred for third. Kanonkop is the dark horse as he has plenty of ability, but the breathing issues he suffers from are a touch off putting. The latter issue did not stop him from winning over course and distance last time from a wide draw. He has another tricky draw, but is only two points higher in the merit ratings.

The meeting starts with an intriguing tussle between two horses who could prove to be fair sorts, Secret Star and Biblical Susan. Secret Star by Pathfork was backed into 22/10 on debut over 1160m but disappointed. However, on Grand Heritage day she ran a meritorious fifth in a race where the form has worked out very well. She showed a lot of pace that day and stayed on, so the 1200m trip of tomorrow’s event should be ideal and she has a good draw of four. Biblical Susan flew up for second from a tricky draw over 1000m at Scottsville on debut, so will also enjoy the step up in trip. She has a plum draw, one inside of Secret Star, and it would be no surprise to see her taking the honours for the De Kock yard.

The De Kock yard could follow up be winning race two with Al Hamd. He looks a solid sort and is better drawn this time over the 1600m trip than he was last time over the same course and distance.

Rhyme Or Reason and Flipflash are two eyecatching sorts who could fight out the third, a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1600m. The former comes from a good race on Grand Heritage day over 1400m, where she finished a decent fourth. The latter is by Golden Sword and will relish the step up in trip after making an eye catching debut over 1200m. She could provide good value from a plum draw, as it is quite a competitive race so the market should also reflect that.

Let It Rain in race four over 1600m is an intriguing runner as he could well be running off a capped merit rating.

The highest rated race on the card is the seventh, a MR 104 Handicap over 1200m, and the speedy Donny G is the selection as his exceptional speed could help him overcome a high draw.

The last race, like the first, is an intriguing affair and looks to rest between the up and coming sorts Gimmethemoney and Little Swift.

David Thiselton