Clive Robinson
Two Class B events headline the eight-race card at the Vaal on Thursday 6 October and although both have attracted relatively small fields, they should provide for competitive racing.
In Race 4, a MR 94 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1700m, only six runners will go to post – two each from trainers Mike de Kock, Ashley Fortune, and Johan Janse van Vuuren.
The two main contenders – on paper that is – are De Kock’s Climate Control and Fortune’s Good Council.
Both come off a rest of more than 100 days and will be having their first runs since turning three.
They did meet twice as juveniles, with Climate Control getting the better of Good Council on both occasions, so there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be able to do so again.
But – and this is a very big but – a lot of water has flowed into the sea since then.
First time they went head-to-head, Climate Control finished 4 lengths ahead of Fortune’s runner over 1400m at equal weights.
Their second encounter saw the winning margin drop down to 2 lengths, that time over 1600m, again at equal weights, with Climate Control shedding his maiden tag.
No longer a maiden, De Kock gave Climate Control the opportunity to rest and mature.
While this son of Ideal World was grazing away, Good Council was given two more runs, and that’s when he found his running shoes – most notably when scoring his maiden win over 2000m, beating Flag Bearer by more than 8 lengths.
Considering that Good Council is the only runner in this field to have gone past 1600m – and winning – expect a good contest.
In Race 5, a Graduation Plate for fillies and mares, Kiss Me Captain is aiming to complete a hat-trick and remain unbeaten.
Mike and Adam Azzie’s runner scored her first two wins at Turffontein, the last on the difficult Inside track, so she should find the even, straight run at the Vaal a walk in the park.
This three-year-old daughter of Captain Of All is also racing fit, so looks very hard to oppose.
