Midweek racing on the Highveld rarely lacks betting intrigue and the eight-race Vaal programme on Tuesday 14 April has the makings of a punter-friendly affair with a few stable and jockey combinations likely to enjoy profitable doubles.
Two riders in particular stand out – Serino Moodley and Muzi Yeni – both well positioned to play prominent roles on the day, while the powerful yard of Sean Tarry also appears poised to make an early statement.
Moodley makes the trip north from his KwaZulu-Natal base for seven rides at the Vereeniging track and should get the afternoon off to the ideal start aboard Tarry-trained Northumberland in Race 1 over 1200m. This son of Visionaire outran market expectations on debut when finishing a promising second over this course and distance two weeks ago. With natural improvement expected from that initial outing, the two-year-old gelding looks the type worth sticking with as he learns his trade.
Tarry will likely follow up in Race 2, again over 1200m, as Alice B Toklas fits a very similar profile. This daughter of Master Of My Fate caught the eye on debut when finishing strongly for third over the same track and trip. With that experience and Keratille Katjedi back in the irons, the stable should enjoy an early double.
Race 3 presents an opportunity for Yeni to strike. Pompeii Shield has been costly to follow recently but trainer Phillip Labuschagne may have made a telling move by engaging the experienced jockey to ride his charge, a lightly raced four-year-old who disappointed when beaten at short odds over 1700m last time.
However, the William Longsword colt is open to improvement stretching out to 1800m, so he deserves another chance – especially with Yeni aboard – to justify the faith that punters have repeatedly shown in him.
Moodley could be back in the winner’s enclosure in Race 4 aboard Vixeninthevineyard, who has also tested the patience of followers but may finally be ready to deliver. The daughter of What A Winter has maintained admirable consistency, placing in each of her last three starts. Interestingly, trainer Alston Ndzilana removes the tongue-tie, a small but potentially significant adjustment given that her earlier form – before the equipment change – included three consecutive runner-up finishes.
The return to 1800m also suits, with both of her previous attempts at the trip yielding second-place results. That reliability suggests her patience testing run may soon be over!
Yeni is set to round off the meeting in style aboard Miss Novax in Race 8, and she shapes as one of the more interesting plays on the card. This Lucky Houdalakis-trained daughter of Flower Alley ran a respectable third over 1450m at a higher level last time and now drops to a sharper 1200m that should be more to her liking.
She also benefits from a slight drop in grade and competes off a career-low rating after a frustrating 376-day winless run. Yet the numbers tell a different story: since winning her debut over this trip as a two-year-old, she has remained competitive in defeat, showing enough consistency to keep the handicapper cautious about dropping her mark too quickly.
Now, with conditions more favourable and Yeni maintaining the partnership, Miss Novax looks attractively placed to finally return to the winner’s circle.
Clive Robinson
