Just about anything can happen at the Vaal on Tuesday. There are decent sized fields in the nine-race programme and most of the races appear wide open so catching a TAB exotic bet could be quite rewarding.
Maria La Gorda and two Tony Peter charges – Caroline Island and Blindfire – appeal look worth following.
Alec Laird has a few decent looking sorts running on the day. Maria La Gorda, who has always been beaten for speed in sprints, is now going a bit of ground and she could make dramatic improvement in Race 2, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1450m. She is not meeting a strong field.
Maria La Gorda is by Cape Guineas winner Act Of War out of Caya Coco, who is related to Cape Met winner Martial Eagle, and should go further than 1450m. But importantly, her form is decent, she was fourth to Vamanos in her penultimate start and there have been numerous winners to come out of that race.
Laird has two promising three-year-old males, Texas Missile and One More Star, in Race 4, a Middle Stakes over 2000m, and after winning over the same distance coming back from a rest, Texas Missile can dominate now stripping fitter.
Caroline Island, who lines up in Race 5 over 1000m, showed promise as a youngster but must have had a setback as she had been off almost a year. Racing off a merit rating of 88 her comeback was in an ultra-competitive race, but she caught the eye staying on in fourth against males even though capable of speeding along in front.
It is a good sign that she is backed up just 10 days later and back against her sex in this Divided Handicap where she receives weight from all she could be the one to catch.
Blindfire could be easy to back in Race 7, a MR 66 Handicap over 1000m. She finished 10th in her last start, and it has been a while since her only win. But amid all the other runs, in her two races over the course and distance, she was a different horse.
She flew at the finish when the line came in time for Miss Munroe in October and in her penultimate start, she was beaten in a close call behind Deal Maker who runs in a stronger race just prior. In fact, Blindfire takes a sizable drop-in class overall.
Clive Robinson
