Jack Milner: There are quite a few runners who are capable of winning Race 7 at the Vaal on Tuesday, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m.
But in the end, it could come down to the in-form horse who is best suited to the distance.
Sean Tarry sends out Eden Roc who has loads of ability, but has not raced over the minimum distance. He is, unquestionably, the best-performed runner in the race but he tends to come from well off the pace and will need to get going sooner if he is to take the spoils.
Then you have Mardi Gras and Prince Of Kahal, both feature-race winners who at their best, would be massive runners. However, their recent form has not been that great and it could be worth looking elsewhere for the winner.
Other than Rebel’s Champ, Paul Peter sends out Bold Ransom and Sarah while Chief Of State is a late scratching. The first two mentioned are both top-class runners over 1000m, however, Sarah, who is the best handicapped runner by 2.5kg and also gets a 2.5kg apprentice allowance, has not raced since June and Peter feels she will probably need this run.
In the end, Bold Ransom is the horse who stands out. He has an excellent record over 1000m, with two wins and a second from three starts, and is unbeaten in two starts at the Vaal, one of them over this course and distance.
He is also racing fit, as he proved when just touched off by Mombela in his last start and has in-form Craig Zackey in the irons.
He could be the banker on what is a very tricky card, but Zackey will have to keep looking over his shoulder to ensure Eden Roc stays behind him all the way to the line.
A small but strong field meet up in Race 2, a Graduation Plate over 1400m, and Vars Vicky, trained by Stuart Pettigrew, is out to prove himself over a longer trip. He wasn’t disgraced in his comeback run behind talented Winter Stories and will come on.
However, he might find one too good in Tarry-trained Paisley Park, who has won both of his starts. The Gimmethegreenlight gelding also has a feature race to his name as last time out he captured the Listed Secretariat Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein, so we know he will not have any problems with the distance.
He met a decent enough field that time and was well supported to win it. Jockey Lyle Hewitson commented that this horse was one of his favourites but admitted he did expect him to win a little more cosily than by just 0.50 lengths. However, he was impressed with the courage Paisley Park displayed to fight off the challenge of runner-up Copper Mountain.
Mike de Kock-trained Your Pace Or Mine was underdone when performing well after a lengthy lay-off and comes into the reckoning.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 7 So They Say, 6 Ms Flower Power, 14 Weather Bomb, 1 Gal Gadot Race 2: 2 Paisley Park, 1 Vars Vicky, 4 Your Pace Or Mine, 6 Somasonic Race 3: 3 Cleveland, 9 Imperial Duke, 14 Understated, 4 Deanagelo Race 4: 5 Dawn Of A New Era, 1 Blue Spark, 2 Nussply, 6 Eskimo Pie Race 5: 1 Wisteria Walk, 2 Sidonie, 4 Empress Josephine, 3 Invisible Race 6: 9 Flower Of Scotland, 5 Nina Amelia, 1 Glowtoria, 2 Persica Race 7: 6 Bold Ransom, 2 Eden Roc, 9 Singfonico, 5 Sarah Race 8: 6 Dubawi Princess, 1 Laetitia’s Angel, 2 Desert Pride, 5 Brooklyn Bridge Race 9: 10 Lagertha, 2 Emerald Crest, 2 Samoa, 6 Bahlebonke