Punters looking for a profitable route through Thursday’s eight-race Vaal card could do worse than follow a few familiar names back at the scene of last week’s successes, with TKP Racing’s purple patch particularly hard to ignore.
Owner Trevelen Pillay’s distinctive white-and-sapphire silks dominated proceedings seven days ago with three winners, and there is a strong chance of another starring role in Race 7, where Gallic Victor looks the standout betting proposition.
Muzi Yeni, who rode two of Pillay’s three winners last Thursday, rides the Fabian Habib-trained four-year-old over 1600m.
A son of Vercingetorix, Gallic Victor began his career with Dean Kannemeyer but failed to fulfil his early promise in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. A change of scenery and ownership, however, could be exactly what he needed.
He made an encouraging Highveld debut three weeks ago when running on strongly from the pace to be narrowly beaten over 1450m on the Vaal Classic track, with Champion Apprentice Blaine Marx-Jacobson in the saddle. That effort suggested the extra 150m should be firmly in his favour, and with Yeni now taking over, Gallic Victor looks primed to give the Pillay-Habib partnership another winner.
Stuart Pettigrew also arrives in search of another Vaal success after a highly productive afternoon last week. The stable achieved a 50% strike-rate, with Mount Darwin winning from its two runners, and Midnight Special has the opportunity to keep that momentum going in Race 2 over 1000m.
The three-year-old daughter of Fire Away has finished second in two of her three starts. She has already shown enough to suggest victory is within reach and need only reproduce her recent form to make a strong case under Calvin Habib.
Race 3 could provide another opportunity for Marx-Jacobson to celebrate. The apprentice’s achievements last season are being recognised with Race 1 named in his honour, and he could mark the occasion with a winner aboard Steel Pier. The Habib-trained son of The United States finished a close second over this 1400m course and distance under Marx-Jacobson recently, and a repeat of that effort should put him firmly in the picture.
Robyn Klaasen has only one runner on the card, but Sea Shanty could make the journey worthwhile. The Lance gelding returns to 1400m, a course and distance over which he has already scored, and his proven affinity for the trip makes him an obvious candidate to round off the meeting in Race 8.
Clive Robinson
