Psychic is a banker in our future

The card for today’s Vaal Inside track meeting presents an intriguing challenge, with a number of wide-open contests.

Exotic players will feel compelled to go wide in some legs, such as Race 5, which was marked up at 5-1 the field in early betting, and Race 6, where the shortest price was 11-2.

That makes finding an exotics banker a pressing matter.

Going by the odds, Psychic in Race 7 is the best bet of the day. Trainer Sean Tarry’s Visionaire gelding opened up at 15-10 following his win on this track last week and it would be no surprise if he were to repeat the performance.

In that 1800m race, he was boxed in in the closing stages and barged his way through to grab the main prize.

Psychic meets the secondplaced horse, Gentleman Only, again – this time over 2000m – and is a kilogram worse off in the weights.

However, that winning margin of 0.70 lengths would have been wider but for the trouble in running and Muzi Yeni’s ultra-consistent mount is indeed a decent banker option.

Gentleman Only is quoted at 11-2, alongside Zeal And Zest, and these two are musts for Quartets and Trifectas. Some value could come courtesy of the lightly weighted Ryder at 10-1.

In the 10th and final race on the card, an MR 66 Handicap over 1200m, many punters will take their cue from the 22-10 about Lazarus Tree from the Fabian Habib yard.

After a moderate couple of outings to start his racecourse career, this fellow underwent the unkindest cut and showed the benefit immediately, streaking to a 3.25-length victory over today’s distance.

The son of Horse Chestnut reunites with jockey Keagan de Melo and appeals as a floating banker. Chuck in Hot August for some value at 10-1 – if not for the name.

Watch out for betting moves in Race 4, where three first-timers step out.