Celestial Storm can bring the rain

THE ability to act in soft ground could be crucial at Durbanville today when 17 millimetres of rain are forecast during the morning. – and this puts a question mark over Celestial Storm in the TAB Telebet Maiden.

Greg Cheyne’s mount is the type of speedy horse that is made for the country course, the sort that can shoot straight into the lead, skim round the turns and sprint for home. But what happened at Philippi last week has filled Riaan van Reeenen with doubt.

“She is a decent filly and normally her sand work is good,” he relates. “She was going well the other day but there was a wet patch and she faltered when she went across it so I am a bit hesitant.”

What happened is not conclusive but it’s a useful hint and suggests that Celestial Storm is short enough at 3-1. In the circumstances the vote goes to Winter Five who was 33-10 with World Sports Betting yesterday and has finished second in soft ground on her last two starts.

She is out of an Irish mare by Rock Of Gibraltar who won a Group I in Ireland when the going was so heavy it was almost unraceable.

Vodka Lime, who has also run well in soft ground, is an obvious danger and has been backed from 3-1 to 22-10 favourite.

The Candice Bass-Robinson pair Go Snow Girl Go and Happy Girl dominate the market for the opening Fillies Maiden Juvenile and dispute favouritism at 5-2.

It is surely significant that Aldo Domeyer partners the former, a six length-third to runaway winner Helen’s Ideal who runs in the Irridescence on Saturday. Mulan and Marmalade Sky were miles behind. Worth noting is 9-2 shot Creme De Menthe as she was not disgraced in decent company last time yet Grant Behr came in reporting that he felt there was something not right.

The connections of Black Indy were toying with the idea of going for Saturday’s Langeman so that is a tip in itself in the Tabonline Maiden Juvenile and there is a line of form that puts the 22-10 favourite in front of Sacred Night (3-1). The latter is badly drawn but is clearly on the upgrade and gets a tentative vote. Riding arrangements also point to the chance of Carlas Mambo here. Blue Roller, second on all three starts, is odds-on to go one better in the Betting World Maiden but gets the vote only because 22-10 chance Black Sail is drawn wide.

This one met with interference last time and had Giant Flag and Captainofthesea well behind.