The World Sports Betting Grand Heritage is a unique race in South Africa. It is the only race to contain more than 20 runners and is run over the unusual distance of 1475m.
It is run up the Vaal straight and has been known to produce the odd upset. The concept of the event is to cater for runners with net merit ratings of 106 and below with additional penalties for the highest Graded or Listed race won in the 13 months prior to the first entries.
The race can actually accommodate 28 runners plus two reserves but this year just 25 runners remained at the final declarations so that is the field size for Race 7 at the Vaal Racecourse on Saturday.
This year the race looks particularly wide open and there are a number of runners with winning chances as long as a few questions can be answered.
For example, Black Egret has some decent form and is a very honest performer. Clinton Binda’s charge has raced 16 times and they have yielded four wins, five seconds and five thirds. The major concern with this four-year-old Rafeef gelding is the distance as he has yet to win beyond 1200m.
He has raced over 1450m and on that occasion finished third behind Tizona, beaten 3.50 lengths. If he has developed a bit more stamina since then, he looks good value at his current price of 16-1.
Muzi Yeni is in top form, and he takes the ride and also has the advantage of No 15 draw. As a rule, the higher number draws tend to have an advantage at this course.
Sean Tarry has four runners but the pick of them looks to be four-year-old filly Celtic Rumours. She does have to take on the colts but she has done that previously and has won on both occasions. In addition, the daughter of Vercingetorix has no stamina doubts over this distance.
Tarry has engaged log-leading jockey Richard Fourie for the ride and she will jump from barrier No 21.
This will be the first time Fourie will ride this filly, but he and Tarry have formed a formidable combination.
Tarry could dominate this year’s event because two of his other runners, Silver Tudor and Pyromaniac, have the form to win. Silver Tudor takes a jump in class but will carry just 52kg and that puts him right into the picture.
Pyromaniac has run against far better and he will have Piere Strydom in the irons for the first time.
Both have landed decent draws.
Another to include in all bets is Tony Peter-trained Silent War. He has won his last four starts and is ideally distance suited but has drawn at No 6. That means jockey Calvin Habib will probably have to get his mount over towards the outside if he is to be competitive.
Clive Robinson
