Stone Cold could relish soft track

Danie Toerien

Bettors should note that today’s race meeting at the Vaal was originally scheduled to be contested at Turffontein, but due to surface water on the track yesterday it was decided to move the meeting to the Vaal.

While the Vaal racecourse did receive around 40mm of rain in recent days, the penetrometer reading at the country course yesterday was 28. This is expected to improve to 26 today.

The expected soft underfoot conditions could suit a number of runners, one of which being Stone Cold, who will line up in Race 4, a MR96 Handicap over 1450m.

Trained by Candice Dawson, this Soft Falling Rain gelding scored an impressive victory at the Vaal in his penultimate over a similar distance and against a similar field when the track was soft.

He followed that up with a runner-up finish over further before being given a break.

Back over the shorter trip and racing fresh off a 79-day break, Stone Cold is considered a value option as he was quoted at 15-2. Nathan Klink, who rode him in his last two outings, retains the ride.

Topping the bookmakers’ boards at 3-1 yesterday was the Paul Peter-trained City By The Sea. This Elusive Fort gelding will have Warren Kennedy in the saddle again and having just missed last time out over 1600m at Turffontein, the expectation is that he can go one better this time round.

The only concern is that the 1450m might just be a bit sharp for him. His recent record suggests that 1600m, or perhaps even a bit further, will be more to his liking.

Brett Crawford’s Irish Tractor, at 9-2, looks most likely to complete the Trifecta. He has a one-from-one record over this course and distance and is unlikely to find the going problematic.

Kabelo Matsunyane will be in the saddle for a fourth consecutive ride, and they will be jumping from the same gate as when they scored in their penultimate.

Boxing the three mentioned runners for the Trifecta is suggested.