Vaal keeps best for last

Jack Milner

Bettors face a tricky card at the Vaal on Tuesday and for those who might not have had the best start to the meeting might be relying on the “getting out stakes” to get them back in the black.

In this case Races 7 and 8 seem to have the best possibilities to help punters finish the meeting with a flourish as there are runners in each race who have big winning chances.

Race 7 is a MR 69 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m and trainer Ashley Fortune sends out Laetitia’s Angel. The five-year-old daughter of Potala Palace went off the boil after winning two of her first six races and placing in two others she was racing off a merit rating of 90.

It went up as high as 93 which looked to be reasonably accurate when she finished second, although well beaten, in the Grade 3 Man O’ War Sprint at Turffontein.

But soon after that she lost her form and was no longer able to achieve at the higher level. After a series of poor performances her rating came down to 62 and that is when she became competitive once again.

In her penultimate race she finally notched up a third win, beating Roger The Dodger by 0.75 lengths and followed that up with a 0.50-length loss to Red Carpet Girl.

She comes into Tuesday’s race with a great winning opportunity. She returns to racing over 1000m, the first time since her third outing.

She won over the distance on debut and two runs later ran a 3.75-length second to Greens, who looked to have a big future at that stage of her career.

There is no doubt Laetitia’s Angel still has the early pace to win over this trip and she also has the benefit of having Ryan Munger, who rode her in her last two starts, back in the irons.

In Race 8 Champion Trainer Paul Peter saddles Twice The Storm, who won his maiden last time out and looks to have a few more wins in his near future.

The son of Twice Over only began racing last May and started off his career with two successive places. He then tried 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track but after racing prominently early on, faded late to finish a well-beaten fifth. However, according to the vet report he was found to be blowing and that run is best ignored.

Peter then dropped him back to 1160m up the Turffontein straight, reached for the blinkers and the result was instantaneous. Twice The Storm hopped out well and went on to beat Northern Tune by 2.75 lengths.

He makes his handicap debut in this MR 74 Handicap over 1200m and this improving three-year-old colt is expected to add another victory to his tally.

Muzi Yeni, who rode him last time, is sitting out a suspension but Peter has engaged Kabelo Matsunyane and he is one of the most in-form jockeys around at the moment.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 7 Gimme The Flame, 1 Queen Theodora, 2 Silk Garden, 9 Lady Chocolat

Race 2: 2 Williamthefighter, 3 Pendragon, 8 Full Go, 4 Futurewolff

Race 3: 2 Summerland, 1 Arabian Sky, 4 Queen Britanna, 3 Treaty

Race 4: 3 Global Approach, 1 Atlantic City, 4 Ships At Sea, 6 Lord Tennyson

Race 5: 9 Terra Time, 1 Imperial Master, 3 King's Crusade, 6 Great Affair

Race 6: 10 Crusade To Royalty, 5 Flag Bearer, 3 Arlington Action, 9 Song Of Angels

Race 7: 5 Laetitia's Angel, 2 Clean Living, 4 Stormy Lass, 8 In The Ether

Race 8: 11 Twice The Storm, 7 The Gliding Fish, 3 Jet Cat, 12 Power Ranger

BEST BET

Race 3 No 2 Summerland

VALUE BET

Race 8 No 11 Twice The Storm

BEST SWINGER

Race 3 1x2

BIPOT

R192

Leg 1: 1, 7

Leg 2: 2, 3

Leg 3: 2

Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 6

Leg 5: 1, 3, 6, 9

Leg 6: 3, 5, 10

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 2, 3

Leg 2: 2

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4

Leg 4: 1, 3, 9

Leg 5: 5, 10

Leg 6: 2, 5

Leg 7: 3, 7, 11

PICK 6

R960

Leg 1: 2

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 6

Leg 3: 1, 3, 6, 9

Leg 4: 3, 5, 9, 10

Leg 5: 2, 4, 5

Leg 6: 3, 7, 8, 11, 12

JACKPOT 1

R192

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 6

Leg 2: 1, 3, 6, 9

Leg 3: 3, 5, 9, 10

Leg 4: 2, 4, 5

JACKPOT 2

R240

Leg 1: 1, 3, 6, 9

Leg 2: 3, 5, 9, 10

Leg 3: 2, 4, 5

Leg 4: 3, 7, 8, 11, 12