Rose Water headlines card
THERE is an eight race meeting at the Vaal tomorrow and punters will be looking to “fill their wallies” ahead of the inaugural running of the R750,000 WSB Grand Heritage on Saturday, where attractive dividends are likely to be the order of the day.
On quite a tough card it is hard to find a confident selection for best bet.
However, Rose Water in the last, a Maiden over 1 600m for fillies and mares, is selected as the day’s headline horse.
She settled perfectly over 1 600m on the Turffontein Inside track last time out from a draw of two before staying on well.
She was carried out in the latter stages by the second placed horse, Fish River Canyon, and could otherwise have finished closer than a 3,3 length third. She is drawn well again, this time in pole.
By trends this is not always an advantage at this track, because the field tends to come to the outside rail.
However, at the last meeting her last week, when a spur was up at the 3 00m mark, they stuck to the inside and two pole position drawn horses won around the turn.
The spur will be set at the 300m mark again tomorrow. The interesting runner in the race is Vogue’s Wood, by Fort Wood.
She is a full-sister to the Gr 2 winner over 1800m, Fort Vogue, and has some hard knocking form in the strong centre from Cape Town over distances of 1 400-2 000m.
However, she then cracked a pelvis and was given a rest on the farm for eight months before joining the Lucky Houdalakis yard.
She has had her fair share of bad luck since then and minor hiccups have seen her miss her intended debut for the yard on a couple of occasions. However, the yard said she was a “beautiful filly” who “looks the part” and she had also done “plenty of work.”
Lucky Houdalakis concluded by saying “if good enough she will win.”
Another danger is Court.
She made a good debut when staying on over 1450m at this track to finish a 1,75 length second to Anna Pavlova.
On the downside the time was not good. Furthermore, her dam by Strike Smartly did not set the course alight and her two other runners to date, both by Ideal World, are merit rated 61 and 56 respectively.
Grey’s Delight
Grey’s Delight is the dark horse in the race. She was hampered on debut over 1 200m and this, together with her lack of pace, left her way out of her ground.
However, she stayed on well so will likely relish the step up in trip, although she does have a tough draw of ten.
Chapati, having her first run since February, stayed on well last time to finish just 1,25 lengths behind Crown Court.
Her debut over 1 200m was also decent and she can’t be ignored as she has likely come on from that last outing.
However, on the other hand it is her second run after a long rest.
The highest rated race on the card is the sixth, a MR 89 handicap for fillies and mares over 1 450m, and it’s a tough race returning from layoffs.
Ntoma is the selection despite returning from a six month layoff as she has been dropped seven points to an attractive merit rating of 75 and the course and distance looks ideal.
She won her maiden over 1600 on the Inside track at Turffontein by over six lengths and before that went close to the decent sort Frosty Friday.
On those showings she can afford to run below her best here and still win.
She was highly tried in her next couple of starts without being disgraced and in her last start something appeared to be amiss so she has likely benefitted from the rest. Wukkin’ Up clearly has class as a horse who has won four of her six starts.
She is distance suited and drawn in pole and the Sean Tarry yard will have her fit enough.
The Houdalakis yard said Finding Alice was not a horse who takes a lot of work so she will also be fit enough, despite returning from a four month layoff. She is 5,5kg better off with Wukkin’ Up for a 2,45 length beating over 1 400m in March, although on the weight for age scale she is effectively only 2,5kg better off.
The yard said this Mogok filly would be having “a full go” and appeared quite bullish, although she does have a tricky draw to overcome.
Be Mine Tonight
Be Mine Tonight is returning from a seven month layoff and this will be an ideal course and distance. She has also dropped to an attractive merit rating. However, she did appear to need it the last time she came back from such a rest and she has a tough draw too.
Allegorical disappointed last time and the handicapper might have her measure at present, considering she was raised quite a harsh six points for her last win.
However, she could possibly do better if dropped out rather than leading.
The second is a Graduation Plate over 1200m and is also a decent contest. Danza is selected to win. He has been kept to 1 400m and above for most of his career, but has been seen to pull often so might appreciate the step down in trip, especially after a three month layoff.
Furthermore, the form of his last run, when just 0,4 lengths behind Kangaroo Jack over 1450m with the rest of the field well beaten, is looking very good now. He is also the best weighted horse on official merit ratings.
However, his draw of five in a seven horse field around the turn is tricky. Shivering Sea is in form and has had the benefit of a recent run, so over a suitable trip and only being 1,5kg under sufferance with Danza, could be the chief danger from a plum draw of two.