Danie Toerien
Many punters found themselves with burnt fingers on Summer Cup Day Saturday when outsiders ruled.
Tuesday's race meeting - despite being moved from the Vaal to Turffontein - might offer bettors an opportunity to make up for losses.
In the card opener, a Work Riders Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1000m, Plumbago Park is the one to beat based on her merit rating of 79. Having finished runner-up in her last two starts over 1000m and 1200m respectively, this daughter of Rafeef is around 2.5kg better off at the weights with second best weighted Raceway.
Raceway, however, has seen her rating drop from an intial 80 to the current 74, which suggests that Plumbago Park is on the up, while Raceway is perhaps over-rated, or in need of finding her best form.
Jazz Away could well be better than her rating of 63. Last time out over 1200m she produced the kind of effort that suggests the penny has dropped. She was hardly a length off the front runners for most of the race for the first time in her career, but then ran out of steam when it mattered most.
Dropping down back to 1000m, don't be surprised if a 63-rated horse beats a 79 at equal weights.
In Race 2, a Maiden Plate over 1 000m, Tempranillo looks unbeatable. This three-year-old daughter of Querari has only raced twice - placing on both occasions - so has no official merit rating yet. Despite finishing behind re-opposing Seed Seeker last time out, Tempranillo gets the nod as the shortest sprint is more in her favour.
In Race 3, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1 800m, Frangipani seems a value bet at any price.
Last time out, this three-year-old filly ran a close-up second to Hazy Dazy, who won the Grade 3 Ducat Africa Fillies Mile on Saturday.
Considering that Hazy Dazy is now rated at 101, while Frangipani is still at 81, this should be a mere formality for Frangipani.
Selections
Race 1: 1 Plumbago Park, 5 Jazz Away, 11 Princess Of All, 3 Taking A Risk
Race 2: 7 Tempranillo, 1 Seed Seeker, 2 Rock Music, 6 Power Of Tiger
Race 3: 3 Frangipani, 7 War Talk, 4 Chickasaw, 6 Total Eruption
Race 4: 3 Jordan, 14 Olympian Gold, 5 Dark Silver, 1 Mount Darwin
Race 5: 5 Peace Treaty, 3 Take No Prisoners, 7 Fifth Of July, 2 Mount Etna
Race 6: 11 Jet Cat, 3 Misty Metal, 12 Daring Act, 9 Time For Charity
Race 7: 4 Clever Trevor, 7 Red Penny, 14 My Lucky Charm, 1 Mister Wilson
Race 8: 7 Care Forgot, 4 Mastership, 9 Dylan's Champ, 1 Argo Alley
Race 9: 13 Golden Aspen, 2 Guerilla Warfare, 6 Oklahoma Twister, 14 Vava Vegas