The Vaal stages an eight race meeting on the Inside track today and there look to be a few opportunities for punters. Low draws have been favourable down the straight here by trends.

The highest rated race on the card is the second, an intriguing MR 82 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1400m. The topweight Captain Von Trapp is the selection despite a tricky draw of six in a seven horse field. On debut over 1200m on the Vaal Classic track, he used his big stride to overcome a wide draw and then fended off the challenge of the more experienced Ebony Knight to win by a short-head. The third-placed Harry’s Silver was 4,3 lengths further back.

Ebony Knight franked the form by cruising to an effortless 5,5, length win over 1200m next time out. Harry’s Silver also won his next race and so did another horse who had finished further back. Captain Von Trapp is by Captain Al and is a half-brother to Gr 1 SA Derby dead-heater Royal Bencher, so should relish the step up in trip. He is still quite gangly, so should continually improve.

 

Raydaveric could be the chief danger. He has not beaten much to date, but is an eyecatching sort and was not asked any serious questions when winning from start to finish over this trip last time out. He has plenty of scope and coming from the Alec Laird yard should also come on from his first two runs. He was set to carry joint topweight of 60kg but has 1,5kg claimer Calvin Ngcobo aboard. He has a plum draw of two.

At the other end of the weights is Penultimate, who won easily on debut over 1200m and two runs later finished just four lengths behind the promising Buckland over 1200m when 6kg under sufferance on official merit ratings. His last run when finishing well back in the R2,5 million Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run can probably be ignored as he missed the break and was later caught wide. He receives 2kg from Captain Von Trapp and should enjoy this trip on pedigree being by Captain Al out of a Fort Wood mare.

Biblical Susan is the only filly in the race and is only receiving 0,5kg from the topweight. She ran on strongly from a tough draw on debut over 1000m at Scottsville and then followed up with an eyecatching win over 1200m at the Vaal, where she showed a fine turn of foot and found extra to repel Secret Star. The latter franked the form by obliterating a fillies and mares Maiden field over 1160m yesterday by 6,5 lengths.

Wanted Man is a nice looking horse and if he settles better than he did last time over this sort of trip he could be a contender. Approval Mode has finished close to the best of is age over 1000m, but there is a question mark over this trip. Copper Pot ran a fair race in the Ready To Run Cup and can’t be ignored.

The best bet on the card comes in the third race, a Maiden over 1400m. Tilbury Fort over raced over 1600m last time, but still found a late surge to finish second in a fair field. He reportedly finished distressed, but looks likely to relish the step down in trip and Piere Strydom remains aboard from a good draw. He doesn’t face a great field and it would be no surprise if the chief challenger turned out to be the Mike de Kock-trained first-timer Alaadel. He is by Sebring, who won Australia’s biggest sire producing race, the Golden Slipper for two-year-olds over 1200m as well as one other Gr 1 for two-year-olds over 1400m. Alaadel is out of a half-sister to a GR 3 winner in the USA.

There could be another good bet in the seventh race, a MR 78 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1700m. Tambalang, in her last race over 1800m on the Turffontein Inside track, was building up into her big stride when her run was blocked and this cost her crucial momentum. She got going again and was closing fast at the finish to be beaten just 0,5 lengths. The progressive daughter of Go Deputy remains on a 78 merit rating and will relish this more galloping track. The only concern is a wide draw of eight in the eight horse field, although she is not the sort who over races.

Cosmo Russe should get punters off to a good start in the first, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1800m. She has proved in her last two starts she loves this sort of trip and from a fair draw of six looks hard to beat in an uninspiring field.

In what should be a fine day for champion trainer Sean Tarry, he has chances in the fourth and sixth races, over 1400m and 2400m, with End Game and Consequentially respectively.

His Silvano filly End Game had to contend with draw 16 of 16 on Charity Mile day in a maiden over 1600m and had to be used up to some extent to slot into midfield, but she then stayed on well for third. This long-striding sort will appreciate the galloping track and looks to have plenty of scope. However, her high draw will be tricky, especially as the obvious danger, Rouge Allure, is distance suited and well drawn.

Consequentially, also by Silvano, has been a revelation with blinkers, finishing strongly to win her last two. She looks likely to enjoy the 2400m trip in the sixth, a MR 71 Handicap. She was only raised three points for her last win to a 64 merit rating, which she looks capable of rising above, but on the downside she is the only female in this field and it is never easy against the boys.

By David Thiselton