The Australian-bred mare Sensible Lover has always been up there with the best of her generation but has only managed a single victory since winning the Gr3 Three Troika Stakes at just her third outing. 26 starts later she lines up in a Progress Plate over a mile at the Vaal this afternoon where she should be good enough to finally add a fourth victory to her record.

Weiho Marwing, now back permanently at his Turffontein yard after a spell at Ashburton, has always held Sensible Lover in high regard and she has contested her fair share of feature events with varying success.

Her last win came back in March last year in a set weights race on the Greyville poly where she beat the Gr1 winning filly Real Princess.

More recently she finished second in the Gr3 Sycamore Sprint behind Tiger’s Touch in her warm-up for the Gr1 L Jaffee Empress Club Stakes where she ran the top class Inara to a length in second place in a hotly contested race.

Her form since has been a touch disappointing but she comes into today’s event nicely weighted and with a pipe-opener under her girth she looks set for a big showing.

The lightly raced Noor appears to have her problems and Mike de Kock’s filly will need to improve on her recent showings when down the field in both. However, her last outing was in a Pinnacle Stakes where, although never a threat to winner Fort Ember, she jumped from a difficult gate. This will be her third outing after a five-month spell and with only seven runners in opposition she can be competitive.

Top weight My Friend Lee is in mustard form but has it all to do at these weights. She won well enough over 1400m last time out but that was in a lowly MR68 Handicap and here she gives weight to a mare who has been placed at the highest level.

Victory is not beyond the realms of possibility for Lucky Houdalakis’s charge but she will be up against a smart mare in Sensible Lover.

Houdalakis may have a better chance of finding the winner’s enclosure when he saddles Joan Ranger in the Conditions Plate over 1000m. The race has attracted a small but smart field but Joan Ranger should be up to the task.

Coming off a convincing win in a Progress Plate, Joan Ranger most recently took on the smart Green Pepper at level weights and was beaten less than a length. Joan Ranger was good enough to finish fourth behind Trip To Heaven in the Merchants and given that she is well in at these weights and Piere Strydom in the irons she rates the one to beat.

Hardly a meeting passes without Sean Tarry leading in a winner and he has two chances in Swift Sarah and Old Em, both in the race off some decent recent form. Swift Sarah is back over what looks to be a more suitable trip after finishing down the field in a 1450m event at Turffontein but Old Em only has 49.5kg to shoulder with much improved apprentice Phumi Mjoka keeping the ride. Old Em is likely to be out and gone from the jump and if given too much leeway, could be difficult to peg back.

Fort Ember will be warming up for the Highveld autumn season after her recent victory in the Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes at Greyville. Today’s race will be on the sharp side but she has enough class to make her presence felt.

The Aussie import Dame Eleanor looks to be on a similar course. She won her first two convincingly but came unstuck for the first time when sent over a mile. Mike de Kock’s charge looks to have some scope and it will be interesting to see how she goes here.

However, Joan Ranger has a lot in her favour and is taken to get home ahead of Old Em and stable companion Swift Sarah with Fort Ember and Dame Eleanor running at them late.

By Andrew Harrison