Two good bets at the Vaal

Jack Milner

There appear to be some decent bets at the Vaal on Tuesday and a TAB All To Come in Races 2 and 7 should be the way to go.

Race 2 is a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1000m and Empress Game looks ready to follow up on her impressive debut performance. This three-year-old daughter of Pathfork was the talk of the day when she came out for the first time on the Inside track at Turffontein last month and was backed in from 17-2 to 18-10 at the off.

While she did produce the fastest final 400m, she was still 0.50 lengths shy of Qhawe Lami at the finish. She was reported to be green and also made a respiratory noise during the running of the race. This time she will race up the straight and that could make all the difference for the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained filly.

Gavin Lerena will be in the irons on this occasion.

The other good bet comes up in Race 7 were Mike de Kock sends out highly talented Cleaver Greene. The son of Rafeef had a glorious start to his career, winning his first two races and following them up with two successive seconds.

That was in April 2022 and unfortunately, we did not see Cleaver Greene in action again until May 2023. He clearly needed his first run back and finished seventh, just 5.25 lengths behind Godswood.

But in his next start, the five-year-old gelding showed he was close to his peak fitness when running on best of all over 1160m on the Turffontein Standside track, going down to talented Mrs Browning by a diminishing 0.25 lengths.

This time, though, he will be fitted with blinkers for the first time. He should be at his peak in his third run after a layoff and looks ready to find his way back to the No 1 box in this MR 104 Handicap over 1100m.

Kabelo Matsunyane takes the ride once again.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 12 Hawkbill, 13 Hotarubi, 11 George Handel, 1 Pembroke

Race 2: 6 Empress Game, 8 Jasiri, 4 Together Again, 3 Southern Style

Race 3: 3 Rose For Trippi, 8 Wings Of Nike, 6 Rozara, 4 Mythical Dream

Race 4: 7 Millahue, 1 Street Art, 4 Raffles, 8 Paton's Tears

Race 5: 3 Callmewhenuneedme, 5 Samoa, 4 Insatiable, 7 Mia Regina

Race 6: 4 Virginia Beach, 1 Laetitia's Angel, 3 There She Goes, 7 Clean Living

Race 7: 3 Cleaver Greene, 6 Sheldon, 1 Godswood, 4 Val D'Orcia

Race 8: 5 Ghost Ship, 12 Gal Gadot, 8 Silk Garden, 9 Della's Sword

BEST BET

Race 2 No 6 Empress Game

VALUE BET

Race 4 No 7 Millahue

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 12x13

BIPOT

R288

Leg 1: 11, 12, 13

Leg 2: 6

Leg 3: 3, 4, 6, 8

Leg 4: 1, 4, 7, 8

Leg 5: 3, 4, 5

Leg 6: 1, 4

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 6

Leg 2: 3, 6, 8

Leg 3: 1, 4, 7

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5

Leg 5: 1, 4

Leg 6: 3

Leg 7: 5, 8, 9, 12

PICK 6

R1024

Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 8

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 7

Leg 3: 3, 4, 5, 7

Leg 4: 1, 4

Leg 5: 3

Leg 6: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12

JACKPOT 1

R32

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 7

Leg 2: 3, 4, 5, 7

Leg 3: 1, 4

Leg 4: 3

JACKPOT 2

R64

Leg 1: 3, 4, 5, 7

Leg 2: 1, 4

Leg 3: 3

Leg 4: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12