Muzi Yeni doesn’t need many chances at the Vaal, and on Saturday’s bumper 10-race card he looks primed to land a clean-and-clinical Listed double aboard two genuine feature contenders.
The diminutive lightweight jockey has been riding with confidence and clarity this summer, and his book for the Highveld meeting on 24 January centres on the two big races – the TAB Spook Express (Race 6) and the Dr Richard Maponya Handicap (Race 7). Both big-race mounts bring substance, form and betting appeal.
The first leg sees Yeni reunite with Poplar Park in the Listed TAB Spook Express over 2400m. The Robbie Sage-trained daughter of Last Winter ran a bold race when second to Royal Invitation in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Turffontein, staying on gamely from a handy position.
She meets her old foe on 2kg better terms and effectively receives 4kg on the revised scale.
Lightly raced and still learning her craft, Poplar Park is tailor-made for this test. She’s proven over the trip (a win and a second from two 2400m attempts) and, more significantly, she saves her best for when the cheekpieces go on.
Her record with the headgear reads well, and with Yeni sticking with her, there’s a sense this filly still has the advantage in just her 11th career start.
Royal Invitation commands obvious respect on their recent clash and there shouldn’t be much between them now on the swing in weights, though Poplar Park’s profile suggests she may yet shade it.
For wider exotic players, recent scorer Woman’s World adds depth to Swinger, Exacta and Trifecta permutations.
The second leg of the ‘Yeni Listed Double’ comes in the Listed Dr Richard Maponya Handicap, where he teams up again with Tony Peter and The Ultimate King who appears to be an exotic-bet banker with muscle.
The progressive Vercingetorix gelding advertised his class when finishing a close-up third in the Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup under Yeni, backing up his Grade 3 Victory Moon success that brought an eight-point penalty. He now shoulders a further two, but even so, he still appears leniently treated for a horse clearly on the up.
Dropping back from 2000m to 1800m is no concern, and with just 11 runs under the bonnet, The Ultimate King remains a low-mileage improver whose ceiling is yet to be found. Even under top weight, a repeat of his Summer Cup performance should be good enough.
Earlier on the card, Gimme A Vodka looks a professional way and profitable route to take in Race 1 over 1200m. The Sean Tarry-trained son of Gimmethegreenlight was narrowly denied on debut over 1000m and should strip fitter and sharper with natural improvement.
The extra 200m should be ideal, so Keagan de Melo should have favourite backers smiling early.
Later, Yippee Kiyay stands out as a value play in Race 9 over 1400m. The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Buffalo Bill Cody gelding drops out of three-year-old Grade 3 company after a creditable fourth, races off an unchanged mark, and finds calmer waters in this. On his best form, he should simply be too good.
Clive Robinson
