Little Ballerina (white cap) wins the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Nursery (JC Photos)
The Vaal straight course has an intriguing eight race meeting today(Thursday) and high draws should be favourable down the straight with the outside rail set at zero.
In the first race the Alec Laird-trained Parisian Walkway made a good debut over 1160m after a tardy start and this scopey Ideal World colt will relish the step up in trip. He is drawn on the right side and is the one to beat. Sonic Jet will be a threat as he has had three good runs, all behind decent sorts. Pearl In Her Crown has a chance too as she was beaten only a length behind Sonic Jet on debut and ran well second time out too. The Mark Khan-trained first-timer Mizzen Sword is by William Longsword and is a half-brother to a handful of multiple winners. Ultimissimo has produced some good runs and is interesting stepped up in trip being by Fire Away out of a Listed winning Western Winter mare who won from 1000m up to 1400m.
In the second race over 1200m the smart Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Little Ballerina is drawn five out of six and is hard to oppose despite having to give weight to the rest of the field. Kindred Heart has run consistently and is drawn on the right side so could reverse an earlier one length defeat by It’s Her Way. First-timer Green Sapphire is interesting being a Drakenstein homebred by Gimmethegreenlight and a half-brother to Gr 2 winner King Of Gems and to Gr 2 winner Pink Tourmaline. It’s Her Way has the form to be in the top three. Force Eight has shown some ability and should enjoy the step up in trip on pedigree.
In the third over 1400m Grand Crescendo is unplaced in two starts but both of those were in Cape Town and he was under six lengths on each occasion behind the useful Roman Agent, with the second of those races having Listed status. He should be too good for this uninspiring field over a step up in trip which should suit. He jumps from draw five out of 12. Shinto Shrine made a good debut and could be a threat. He should enjoy the step up in trip but a draw of three out of 12 won’t make it easy. Roll Of THe Dice was never disgraced in cape Town and can place here. Ilha Da Orange has drawn on the right side and looks capable of placing. Magical Stones has some form and tries a step up in trip which on pedigree might suit.
in the fourth race over 1600m Officer In Command is distance suited and comes off a close up fifth over 1800m from which the form has worked out very well. The progressive Judgement Day won that race and second-placed Jordan has come out and won a good race since then, beating some classy horses. Majestic Palace, who is a half-brother to Gr 1-winning sprinter and now sire Master Archie, is drawn on the right side and looks to be on the up, but he does have a five point raise to overcome. Sage King could be in the shake up if producing his best. Nordic Rebel is a gallant ten-year-old who could make the frame. Bloomington is always hard to ignore.
In the fifth race over 2000m the talented Sukhumvit takes on the boys. She can rise above her current 91 merit rating having finished close up to the classy Frances Ethel last time over this trip at level weights. She does have a tricky draw of seven and was scratched before the SA Oaks when cast in her box, so might still need this outing. Millahue benefited from a layoff as this talented gelding came back to run a fine third last time over 1800m. He should have come on from that run but a draw of six out of ten will be tricky. Sugar Blast beat Millahue last time by a quarter of a length and although 1,5kg worse off he is now drawn in pole. Total Surrender beat that pair last time but has been raised three points and has to jump from draw nine. Home Of The Brave and Supreme Dance have good draws and should be included if the budget allows.
In the sixth race over 1200m Mia Moo has some good form against classy sorts and should enjoy the return to a sprint, because she won a race over 1160m in December by 4,25 lengths, although she does have to jump from draw two. She is comfortably best in at the weights. Beamonesque is interesting because he has speed and some class but returns from a layoff of close to seven months. Piere Strydom is an interesting booking, although draw three out of eight might make it a little bit tricky. Mount Pilatus has hard-knocking sprint form and should be in the shake up. Global Thunder should enjoy the step up to 1200m. Sunshine Day could bounce back in his second run back from Cape Town.
In the seventh race over 1200m Richard The First is knocking on the door and has a chance from a middle draw, despite being 1,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted. Black Egret ran a cracker last time at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in a Listed event and has a chance. He is 1kg under sufferance with the best weighted. Aussenkehr can never be ignored over this trip. He is 1,5kg out with the best weighted. Wings Within Me has some fair form and is the best weighted so can’t be ignored. Gimmefabulous made a good debut and followed it with a good win, both at Kenilworth, so should make her presence felt here, although she has a tough task at the weights.
The last is a tricky Classified Stakes race. Moola Man is drawn on the right side and has been in fair form, so although 2kg under sufferance with the best weighted he can start to deliver having dropped to a competitive merit rating. Whorly Whorly, also 2kg under sufferance with the best weighted, has some fair recent form and has a chance here. King Rahul, also 2kg under sufferance can go close if repeating his last start. The best weighted is Dancing Dora, who is in good form but has the potentially tough number one draw. Sharapova is only half-a-kilogram worse off than the latter and should be included.
