Quick Glimpse a decent value bet
THE Vaal stages a nine race meeting tomorrow and there look to be a few opportunities for punters in the early races before it gets tougher later on.
In the first over 1600m Dreamsaremadeof should go close. Last time over 1700m she overcame a high draw to get into a nice handy position and then showed a fine turn of foot to join the leader. However, she had gone too soon and she faded near the end. Gavin Lerena would have learnt from that run and is likely to wait for a lot longer.
The slight step down in trip will also suit. Quick Glimpse is an Australian-bred by Fastnet Rock and ran on in eyecatching style in her penultimate start over 1400m, although she didn’t quite go through with it. She now has a much better draw and will likely appreciate the step up in trip too.
In the second race over 1600m Agent Kay will relish the step down in trip after over racing last time over 1800m and yet still going close. The only concern is his wide draw, but he is tipped to be the best bet of the day.
In the third race over 1600m Dressed To Impress looks to be a classy sort. She over raced last time over this trip but that was probably due to her being green in her first start around the turn.
Lerena
She still managed to run on well for second but the earlier exertions had taken their toll. She now has a draw of nine, which isn’t going to make it easy and it all depends on whether she settles or not. Gavin Lerena is up so will give her every chance of doing so. If she fluffs her lines then Tigerlace can pick them up. She had some fine maiden form and proved winning at the eleventh time of asking was well overdue by winning first time out the maidens.
In that last start she produced a flying finish from a wide draw over 1800m and is equally effective over this 1600m trip. The 1,5kg claimer Dennis Schwarz keeps the ride.
It is a tough Pick 6, so Collegiate is made a banker in the first leg over 2400m just to cut the costs of the perm. In his earlier starts he used to be pushed along at the back before running on, so was in need of blinkers and when they were finally fitted he duly went within a short-head of victory over 1800m. However, he was never in it last time over 1600m as the trip was just too short. The five-year-old Ideal World gelding looks likely to relish the step up to a staying trip and can beat home the hard knocking Discoverer.
The Rocketman
In the fifth over 2000m The Rocketman has a lovely big stride and will be progressing continuously. He produced a late run in his first try over this trip and now has a plum draw off a merit rating effectively only three points higher. However, two horses who campaigned in the Cape Summer Of Champions Season,
Big Parade and Visigoth will give him a lot to think about as neither of them were disgraced against some strong opposition down there. Walter Smoothie is a progressive course and distance suited sort who can’t be ignored and neither can My Favourite Brown, who runs from the front and has his best draw for a while.
In the sixth over 1500m Dan The Lad has a nice turn of foot and is coming into his own so can take advantage of a pole position draw at the expense of Irish Pride, who has dropped to an attractive mark and is ideally distance suited.
Lock Him Up
The last three races are tough and going as wide as possible is the advice.
Lock Him Up is tipped to win the seventh over 1500m as he goes well for Yeni and can finish strongly after being dropped out or placed from a wide draw. In the eighth Mardi Gras is a R3,2 million horse who won easily last time and can follow up off a reasonable merit rating.
In the last race over 1000m Rebel Renegade is half-a-kilogram under sufferance but will enjoy the step down in trip and can be thereabouts if reproducing his penultimate start over course and distance last November when runner up to the promising Mawshoo.