Sound best at the Vaal
BANKER: CASTLE DURROW IN RACE 7 IS DOWN IN CLASS AND BEST WEIGHTED
➤ Retallick to get punters off to winning start.
There appear to be some good bets at the Vaal tomorrow and that could give punters the opportunity to cash in on the exotics. There are quite a few prospective bankers but the runner who really stands out is Castle Durrow in Race 7. This Lucky Houdalak is trained filly has been competing in feature races and just comes off a fourth place in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas over 1600m.
She was well beaten, but she did come up against two of not only the best three-year-old fillies, but the best of their sex in the country in War Of Athena and Anything Goes.
She meets nothing of that quality in this Graduation Plate for fillies and mar es over 1600 mon the straight course.
This is a mighty drop in class and she also comes into this race as the best handicapped runner by at least 3kg. She has run twice over the course and distance for two seconds and should go one better this time around.
Craig Zackey takes the ride. Bettors can also get off to a winning start in Race 1 where Roy Magner sends out Retallick in a Maiden Juvenile Plate. He is another who looks hard to beat in his field and looks a banker in the opening leg of the BiPot.
Trainers Paul Peter and Sean Tarry could have Race 3, a Maiden Plate over 1200m, to themselves with Grappler and Eyes On Tiger respectively. The boxed Exacta is a must.
In Race 5, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1200m, Tarry could also strike with Hotchiwitchi.
She was ignored in the betting on debut but stayed on well to get close.
She should have gained experience and there must be further improvement to come. She rates a big runner.
But for the Pick 6, it is worth including Greenhill, Pick A Lily and Princess Sabrina.
Candice Dawson-trained Cape Diamond ran a decent fifth yesterday so it is uncertain whether Dawson will run her again. If she does, then Cape Diamond is also worth including.
The one real stinker comes up in Race 8, a MR 76 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m. This is wide open, and it could be worth even considering the field in your Pick 6 and Jackpot Two.
Peter saddles an interesting runner in From here to eternity. He considered her good enough as a juvenile to race in features during the KwaZulu-Natal winter season.
She was given a rest, ran fourth in her comeback run and then failed in her second race after a layoff.
She should be in peak condition for this race and with Warren Kennedy up, needs to be included in all bets.
Opel has announced the pricing of the new Crossland, now without the Xsuffix.
The compact SUV now sports the same Bold and Pure styling language as the all-new Mokka, together with the so-called Opel Vizor, Compass and lightly tweaked rear facia. Available from this month, the three-model lineup starts off with the Edition, priced at R324 900, which nets the normally aspirated 1.2 PureTech three-cylinder petrol engine, pumping out 60kW/118Nm.
As with the Crossland X, this model is offered only with a five-speed manual gearbox.
With both the Enjoy and Cosmo trim levels dropped, along with the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine, the nextstep model retains the Edition designation, but swaps the free-breathing engine for the turbocharged PureTech of the same displacement. Outputting 81kW/205Nm, the blown three-pot is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.
Priced at R374 900, the turbocharged Edition swaps the 15-inch steelies for 16-inch alloy wheels, while also dropping the five-inch display for the seven-inch Intellilink system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Addition spec includes rear electric windows, a 180o camera and six-speaker sound system.
At the top-of-the-range, the Elegance carries a sticker of R399 000 and uses the same powertrain as the Edition, which translates to a consumption of 6.3l/100km.
Standard on all models is a three year/120 000km warranty as well as a three year/45 000km.
Two engine options available across the compact SUV‘s revised three-model line-up.