Jack Milner: Vaseem has run two good races since joining the Roy Magner yard in March and now looks ready to find his way back to the winner’s enclosure.
The four-year-old son of Vercingetorix was heading for a bright career early on, especially after running a 1.15-length third behind Invidia in the CTS 1200 at Kenilworth.
He returned to the Highveld, and in March last year scored a 1.25-length victory in the Gold Rush Sprint (Non-Black Type) over 1100m at Turffontein.
At this point he was running off a merit rating of 111 but he started having a few niggles and lost his form. In fact, he started running sporadically, needing to be rested after every race.
Somehow, Magner seems to have solved whatever was troubling him and since the move, Vaseem has started to regain his form. His first run for the new stable saw him finish a 0.75-length second behind Garden Party and he followed that up with a 2.30-third to Al Sakeet in a Graduation Plate.
Both runs were over 1000m.
Vaseem will have his third run for the Magner yard on Saturday at Turffontein in another Graduation Plate but this time over 1160m, and this race looks tailor made for the gelding to notch up his third win.
He was tried in blinkers last time, but they have been removed for this run. It is also worth noting that his merit rating has dropped significantly, and he will go into Saturday’s contest with a rating of 91, six points (3kg) less than he had in his previous race.
Of course, as this is a plate race, the merit rating is less significant but even so, he remains the second best-weighted runner.
Randall Simons takes the ride once again.
The best handicapped runner is Caralluma from the Sean Tarry yard. This three-year-old filly comes off eight successive starts in Graded race, including the first two legs of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara.
She has been racing over distances from 1400m to 1800m and could find this 1160m a touch short.
As a result, it might be worth going with less-exposed Raisetheredlantern as the main threat to Vaseem.
The Candice Dawson-trained three-year-old gelding just won a maiden last time after finishing second in his first four races behind some really talented sprinters. While he is not well handicapped, Raisetheredlantern could be a lot better than his rating and looks good enough to contest the finish.
Diego de Gouveia takes the ride.
In Race 8, a MR 80 Handicap over 1400m, two three-year-olds with decent prospects – Sound Of Summer and Good Queen Bess – will go toe to toe.
The former, trained by Paul Peter, won impressively on debut over this course and distance and then followed up with an impressive 1.15-length second behind Ivalo’s Prince in a MR 83 Handicap over 1600m on the Inside track.
Good Queen Bess also made a striking winning debut and the fillies who finished second and third – Abalus and Dragon Queen – both went on to win their next starts.
Although she will be taking on the colts this time, the UK-bred daughter of Kingman gets the nod, but it might not be that easy.
The draw could be the great leveller as Sound Of Summer, with S’manga Khumalo up, jumps from barrier No 3 while Good Queen Bess, who will be ridden by Gavin Lerena, is drawn No 10.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 2 Bard Of Avon, 7 Winter Pearl, 9 Highest Honour, 1 Angel Of War Race 2: 11 There She Goes, 6 Magic To The Fore, 1 Big Eyed Girl, 13 Waya Yire Race 3: 7 Laird Of Breedon, 8 My Master, 2 Al Borani, 1 Ablueazure Race 4: 2 Bold Act, 10 Wokonda, 3 Coral Dawn, 8 Northern Glow Race 5: 9 Twice The Trip, 6 Icy Night, 1 Pick A Lily, 2 Zulu War Cry Race 6: 1 Vaseem, 4 Raisetheredlantern, 2 Caralluma, 3 Elusive Swann Race 7: 3 All Of Me, 4 Anne Boleyn, 8 Bella Black, 6 Moments Like This Race 8: 4 Good Queen Bess, 1 Sound Of Summer, 8 Eskimo Pie, 5 Namaqualand Race 9: 1 Swingthewillow, 6 Power Ranger, 8 Tuscan Winter, 12 Top Wesselton