The Vaal’s midweek nine-race card on Tuesday 2 December shapes into a rider-driven programme where the saddle will likely dictate the script.
Calvin Habib and Callan Murray hold the aces their combined haul poised to account for more than half the afternoon’s winners.
Habib, in particular, looks set to turn the fixture into a personal showcase, with three standout mounts that should keep his followers ahead of the bookmakers.
Habib’s first strike is expected in Race 3, where Frangipani can finally shed her maiden tag. Robyn Klaasen’s Master Of My Fate filly is overdue. She was collared late by the progressive Hazy Dazy over 1500m last time, and that rival has since franked the form by reeling off a hat-trick. Go back another start and Frangipani chased home Nkwenkwezi, who likewise boosted the form with a follow-up win on handicap debut.
With that calibre of collateral in her corner and nine weeks to strengthen, Frangipani should prove too good if reproducing anything like her recent efforts.
It could be a swift race-to-race double for Habib in Race 4 aboard Dark Silver, whose persistence finally paid off when he won over 1600m at Turffontein last month. The Alec Laird-trained gelding has matured into a consistent operator and need not improve much to follow up, despite a slight bump in the ratings and a wide draw in gate No 13.
Habib’s hat-trick could be sealed in Race 8 through Dylan’s Champ, a Rafeef gelding who has found his rhythm and is chasing a third straight win. His recent victory over this course and distance hinted at more in the locker.
While he now competes at a higher level and under a nine-point penalty, his improvement curve suggests he remains ahead of the handicapper for now.
If Habib is the headline act, Callan Murray is the sharp supporting feature. His two most persuasive opportunities come earlier in the afternoon. Seed Seeker in Race 2 has produced back-to-back seconds under Murray and is knocking loudly. The drop to 1000m looks the right move for the Flower Alley gelding.
Later in Race 5, Take No Prisoners is the sort of improver punters should be eager to stay with. The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained son of Vercingetorix showed renewed zest when blinkers were fitted and ran on strongly over 1800m.
The rise to 2000m should bring him further into the contest, and this third-up run has the makings of a peak performance.
Not to be overshadowed, trainer Brett Webber has a well-timed double of his own lurking. Plumbago Park in Race 1 and Phala Millions in Race 6 both have the look of winners-in-waiting after runner-up finishes last time. Each appears to have found the right races and could return healthy dividends for those banking on Webber’s momentum.
Clive Robinson
