White Book takes on the boys
The Vaal Classic meeting tomorrow starts with an interesting Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1 200m and the Call To Combat filly White Book could beat the boys here. In her last start over this trip she showed good pace and stayed all the way to the line.
She now has pole position so can use her pace to get to the front and then use her resolve to stay in front under top jockey Marco van Rensburg.
Pieces of Gold could be the main danger as he has been in the frame three times in six starts and has faced some fair sorts.
He quickened well in the straight over 1 000m last time on the Turffontein Inside track but his effort then petered out.
Sherman Brown will likely be holding him up for as long as possible here from a wide draw.
Barahin
Barahin is a R2,8 million purchase by Gimmethegreenlight out of a Silvano mare who won once and is a full-sister to a Grade 2-winning sprinter.
He opened on debut at 5/4 and started 16-10 favourite but was not overly impressive, as he looked immature and was outpaced.
However, he did stay on well and will be improving.
The two first-timers Whitehaven and White Moon do not make huge appeal. The former is a R275,000 Var colt but his full-brother Vanuatu has not shone in three runs to date. White Moon is by Black Minnaloushe out of an Australian-bred Royal Academy onetime winner and is a half-brother to seven-time winner from 1 400-1 800m Stone Reeves.
He will likely prefer further although he should be staying on.
The second race over 1 200m could lie between Abelie and Anneka.
The former showed pace over 1 000m and stayed on. She is drawn well and it will be a question of whether she can keep Anneka at bay.
A clue to Anneka’s chances will be in how White Book does in the first as the latter beat her last time.
However, Anneka has quite a nice stride and has scope for improvement, so should be running on with expected improvement. Sweet Red is an interesting first-timer being by top Australian sire Snitzel out of a Listed winner who has won three times from 1 200-1 400m. Those three are the suggestions for the first leg of the Place Accumulator.
Mr Tinsel
The first leg of the Pick 6 over 1 450m could be fought out by the moderate sorts Mr Tinsel and Tommy The Builder, who are knocking on the door in this sort of ordinary maiden.
In the second leg, also over 1 450m, Banana Republic ran a fair race in handicap company last time over 1 400m and from another fair draw should stay on into the money and is the tip to win it too.
The two-year-old Jailhouse Jazz was supported on debut over 1 200m and ran a fair race.
She is drawn well over a step up in trip she should enjoy.
The first-timer Big Myth by Big Brown out is out of a one-time winning Elusive Quality daughter of SA champion three-year-old classic filly Mythical Play and wouldn’t have to be a star to feature here.
In the fifth race Pearl Of Bahrain has struck as one with some class and as she wears blinkers and is by Western Winter the step down to this mile trip should be ideal and she has a fair draw. Purdey and Glamarous Scandal are fancied to be the main dangers.
In the sixth over 1 200m Fragrant Miss is chosen to be the meeting banker.
She has always struck as having talent but the yard got her trip wrong, not surprisingly, a she struck as one who would need further than sprints. However, she has proved best at sprints and duly won shortly after being dropped back in trip. Off a mere 64 merit rating she can follow up first time out the maidens, although her wide draw of nine is a concern.
Barrack Street
The seventh is a MR 96 Handicap over 1 000m and Barrack Street looks to have it all in his favour over his favourite 1 000m trip off a merit rating which has been lowered three points and jumping from a fair draw.
However, these sprint handicaps are always wide open and the suggestion is to go as wide as possible.
The Pick 6 and PA are rounded off by another sprint handicap over 1 000m, a MR 72, and Dragoon could get it right if jumping on terms as he is off a competitive mark and Callan Murray knows him well.
The hard-knocking Supanova looks the main threat.
The pair who are having their first runs out of the maidens and return from layoffs, Keyboogie and Sir Spencer, can’t be ignored. He’s Great warrants consideration too, although he need to bounce back to his best.