Tuesday’s pre-Christmas eight-race Vaal Classic fixture has all the hallmarks of a one-man show, and it is hardly a surprise that champion jockey Gavin Lerena looms as the dominant force on the card. With a full book of rides and genuine winning chances scattered throughout the programme, punters will once again be building their bets around the sport’s most reliable big-race pilot.
While Lerena is rarely a bad option at the Vaal, this particular meeting sets up especially well for him, with three mounts standing out as strong betting propositions and a couple of others capable of keeping him in the thick of the action all afternoon.
The day could not be scripted much better for the champion rider, who looks poised to strike early with Winds Of Grace in the opening race over 1600m. Trained by Mike Azzie, the Act Of War filly has tested the patience of her supporters but has been knocking loudly on the door for some time now.
Winds Of Grace has finished second in five of her last eight starts, to go with two thirds and a fourth, and those numbers alone suggest a win is overdue. Her latest effort, when runner-up over 1450m at this venue, was another honest performance that confirmed her consistency.
Importantly, she has already proven herself over 1600m, finishing second in her only previous attempt at the trip. She does not need to find much to finally shed her maiden tag, and with Lerena taking the reins, she looks well placed to give the champion jockey a winning start to the afternoon.
Lerena’s influence should again be felt in the early part of the card with Gavius Maximus (Race 2) and Banha Bridge (Race 3), both of whom have already shown their affinity for racing under his guidance.
Neither is a certainty, but both have found the frame with Lerena aboard and rate as solid inclusion material for exotics and multi-race bets, particularly on a day where banking the right rider could be key.
The jockey’s next major winning opportunity comes in Race 6, a 1450m contest that brings together a number of lightly raced fillies with chances.
Improving Saragossa Cat makes strong appeal. Trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, the Argentinian-bred daughter of Hurricane Cat announced her arrival last time out when stepping up to 1400m on the Vaal straight.
That performance was full of promise. Saragossa Cat made all the running and never looked in danger, relishing the extra ground and finding plenty when asked. A five-point penalty was the inevitable consequence, but it looks a manageable impost for a filly who appears to be learning quickly.
The move to 1450m should suit her even better, and her record under Lerena – two wins from two starts – adds further confidence. If she continues on her upward curve, she will be hard to contain once again.
The meeting closes with what could be Lerena’s most exciting ride of the day in Tempranillo in Race 8 over 1000m. Well related and clearly held in high regard by the Van Vuuren stable, this Querari filly has attracted support in all three career starts, and she rewarded that confidence emphatically last time out.
On that occasion, Tempranillo brushed aside male opposition over the minimum trip, drawing right away to score by an impressive 5.75 lengths with Lerena in the saddle. The authority of that win suggests her opening merit rating of 80 could prove lenient, and she now takes her place in handicap company with plenty of scope for improvement.
If she reproduces anything close to her last effort, she will take a power of beating and could ensure Lerena signs off the card in style.
Clive Robinson
