There is something of a movie theme at the Vaal on Thursday with the names of two horses which will be familiar to film buffs.
Blindedbythelights (fifth race) and Spielberg (sixth) both have strong winning chances in their respective events.
Blinded By The Light is the 2019 movie directed by Gurinder Chadha. Steven Spielberg is famous for movies Jaws, ET, Color Purple and Schindler's List.
Bred at Klawervlei Stud, Blindedbythelights is looking a good buy winning his first race by four lengths and then running second in a feature race at Turffontein.
The major worry about Fabian Habib’s runner is that she hasn’t been seen in action since March when in the care of Paul Peter.
In the circumstances, many punters are likely to side with Kiss Me Captain who is bidding to stay unbeaten and complete a hat-trick. Both the filly’s wins have come with Diego De Gouveia in the saddle and he retains the ride.
Sean Tarry is represented by three-year-old Antigua Night and the daughter of Visionaire — owned and bred by Lammerskraal Stud — has shown good form in her four outings and must be included in all exotic perms.
Spielberg, who takes on nine rivals in the sixth race, is also chasing a hat-trick after two impressive wins when trained by Paul Peter.
Owner Suzette Viljoen has sent the Futura gelding to trainer Robyn Klaasen and the booking of Muzi Yeni has resulted in bookmakers quoting the four-year-old as the early favourite at 5-2.
The chief dangers to Spielberg are likely to be Twice As Splendid and Roy Magner’s runner, Stormy Seas. The first-named has been placed in each of his past three starts and is overdue for another win.
Randall Simons is back among the winners after being sidelined through injury and he reunites with Stormy Seas whom he won on at the Vaal in February 2021.
Though West Point is proving an expensive purchase at R625,000, the Oratorio gelding has been dropped two points by the handicapper and could be a factor in the seventh race.
This seven-runner field sees some familiar names bidding for the R43,750 first prize and include Kool Baikal, Banha Bridge and Mirren. The latter failed to justify favouritism on her most recent start.
Another horse named after a movie, Back To The Future, will be an absentee in the third race which will make life easier for Brett Crawford’s filly, Reny.
A first win for Reny may depend on whether Mike de Kock’s newcomer, Bonete, is ready to win on her first start. The filly is bred in the purple being a daughter of the outstanding race mare Ilha Bela.
The International Racing Club are probably still celebrating last weekend’s grade 2 win by Humdinger, but they have a shout of another success with their Ideal World gelding, Climate Control.
If ready to fire after a 20-week break, Climate Control could be another winner for Simons though his stablemate, East Coast, will be no pushover with apprentice Siyanda Sosibo claiming his 4kg allowance.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (4) Batik (3) Silk Garden (1) Brazilian Storm (9) Sassy
2nd Race: No Selection
3rd Race: (10) Reny (5) Bonete (12) Storm Dominator (3) Wow
4th Race: (1) East Coast (3) Climate Control (4) Good Council (2) Total Protection
5th Race: (6) Blindedbythelights (3) Kiss Me Captain (5) Antigua Night (2) Strike A Match
6th Race: (5) Spielberg (2) Twice As Splendid (8) Stormy Seas (1) Samuel Salt
7th Race: (6) West Point (1) Kook Baikal (5) Mirren (4) Master Of Coin
8th Race: (4) Timbavati River (2) Burmese Tiara (1) Berengaria (9) Twice As Wild
