Midweek racing at the Vaal rarely lacks betting angles and Thursday’s eight-race Classic track card is no exception.
With value scattered through the programme, the smart play may be to follow the country’s form jockey Craig Zackey, who arrives at the Vereeniging-based circuit with a book of rides that demands close attention.
Zackey has already ridden 132 winners this season (at the time of writing) and seems to be cruising to a maiden National Jockeys’ Championship title.
His 26-win buffer over Richard Fourie (106) underlines the consistency, but it’s the quality of his mounts that continues to separate him from the pack. He has six rides on the card and at least three seem capable of rewarding supporters.
His afternoon gets interesting early in Race 3 over 1000m with Perfect Sky, a debutante daughter of Vercingetorix from Sean Tarry’s in-form stable. She’s bred to be smart and the stable doesn’t waste bullets. This is, however, no soft introduction as she takes on experienced male opposition over a sharp trip. Any market confidence would be significant, though she may be one for the notebook rather than a maximum bet on debut.
The first serious betting opportunity comes up in Race 4, also over 1000m, with Stoneywood. Since gelding, Lucky Houdalakis’ charge has found his groove, finishing second in back-to-back starts, both with Zackey aboard. Those efforts suggest he’s knocking loudly on the door and he won’t need to improve much on either effort to open his account. With natural progression, this looks his race to lose.
Zackey then links up with Joe Soma’s intriguing runner Gimmeachoice in Race 6 over 1800m. Soma makes the trip south from his Turffontein base with just one horse — a move that usually speaks volumes — and Gimmeachoice appears poised to strike. The five-year-old Gimmethegreenlight gelding ran a cracker on his return from a three-month layoff, finishing second after a long, sustained duel with re-opposing The Playboy Bomber. He’ll be sharper for that encouraging comeback outing and meets that rival on 0.5kg better terms. Everything points to a peak run.
Zackey could round off a profitable day in Race 7 over 1600m aboard class-dropper Agoge, another well-bred Houdalakis inmate whose profile suggests his limit is far from being reached.
A maiden winner over this course and distance two starts back, Agoge was thrust into the deep end of a three-year-old Grade 3 over 1400m – a trip and test that probably found him out at this stage of his career.
Back in calmer waters and over a more suitable trip, the Gimmethegreenlight gelding looks solid value and a horse worth sticking with as his education continues.
The Vaal Classic track can be unforgiving, but with form, fitness and jockeyship all aligning, Zackey has the ammunition to extend his championship lead and give punters a tidy midweek return if they play it right.
Clive Robinson
