The Highveld’s weekday Vaal meeting on Thursday 26 March could turn into a jockeys’ benefit meeting, with four riders – Calvin Habib, Craig Zackey, Keagan de Melo and Muzi Yeni – holding particularly strong books across the eight-race card on the Classic track.
Punters could do worse than keep the quartet onside. On paper at least, each looks capable of leaving Vereeniging with a brace.
Habib may get the ball rolling in the opener over 1000m aboard Midnight Show, trained by Alec Laird. The two-year-old son of Declarationofpeace shaped with promise when finishing third on debut on the Turffontein Standside track over the same trip. With that experience under the belt and facing largely unraced opposition again, natural improvement should make him tough to contain.
Keagan de Melo takes over the narrative in Race 2 where Lanzarote, from the yard of Johan Janse van Vuuren, drops back into maiden company after acquitting herself admirably against winners in Listed company over 1000m last time. Back against her own generation over the same distance, she brings the best form into the race and looks primed to capitalise.
Race 3 presents a similar opportunity for Sean Tarry and The Reason, a daughter of Skit Skizzle who has been knocking firmly at the door. She won’t need to find much improvement to shed her maiden tag over 1450m and appeals as one of the more solid bets on the programme.
Stablemate Night Skizzle, from the Brett Warren camp, could clinch Race 4. Her debut third was full of encouragement and she should be considerably sharper for the outing. With normal progression expected over the same 1450m trip, she rates a lively chance to open her account.
The middle of the card could belong to Muzi Yeni, who looks poised for a race-to-race double courtesy of Military Moves in Race 5 and Scarlett Heart in Race 6.
The latter, in particular, stands out as one of the day’s most attractive betting propositions. Her last-start third came in a three-year-old fillies’ Grade 1 over 1800m – a serious piece of form in this context. She reappears over the same trip here and, despite racing off a 17-point higher mark and conceding weight all round, the significant drop in class should still make her extremely hard to beat.
Habib and Laird may then complete a neat stable-rider double in Race 7 with Dark Silver. The son of Heavenly Blue caught the eye when finishing strongly from well back for third over 1600m on his return from a break. That run had the look of a pipe-opener and the step up to 1800m off an unchanged rating should play directly to his strengths.
The finale could fall to Craig Zackey aboard Falconfly, trained by Lucky Houdalakis. The lightly raced filly impressed when scoring over this same 1800m trip last time and returns to identical conditions carrying a seven-point penalty. That rise may not be enough to halt her momentum if she continues on the same upward trajectory.
Clive Robinson
