Lovers of horseracing are in for a treat at the Midweek meeting at the Vaal on Wednesday 17 April.
With championship-chasing jockey Richard Fourie – who has amassed 246 victories this season at the time writing – giving the meeting a miss, all eyes will be on Calvin Habib and Siyanda Sosibo to bag a brace each.
Habib’s two best rides are both for trainer Tony Peter.
In Race 1, a Maiden Plate over 1200m, they will rooting for Gorgeous Klein, a juvenile colt by One World.
Gorgeous Klein had his first two runs in the Eastern Cape under the curatorship of Sharon Kotzen. A third and runner-up finish proved his ability, and that was confirmed when first time out on the Highveld for Peter, when he was beaten just 1.5-lengths by One More.
With that race run less than three weeks ago, the form has not been tested, but all things considered, Gorgeous Klein is the one to beat.
Habib and Peter should also end the day on the winning note with Golden Chandelier contesting a FM68 Handicap over 1000m.
This two-year-old daughter of William Longsword is already a two-time winner but should have no problem proving her class first time out against her elders.
The highest rated runner in the field with a merit rating of 88, she does seem to have much more to come.
Don’t expect long odds, so perhaps use these runners in combination bets of any sort.
Sosibo’s best chances come up in Races 2 and 6.
In the second race of the day, a FM80 Handicap over 1600m, he will be aboard the Sean Tarry-trained National Star.
A two-time winner, this daughter of Pomodoro must be highly competitive after receiving some relief from the handicapper. Now rated 75 and carrying 57.5kg, she has no excuse to build on her 2.95-length defeat last time out in a higher class.
Sosibo also mounts Law Of Success for trainer Paul Matchett in Race 6, a FM80 Handicap over 1000m.
Two wins from her last three outings is proof enough that she is on the up. In her last run she probably just punched slightly above her rating when contesting a Class A event. She was, however, not disgraced and dropping back down to Class C she will be hard to peg back on her favourite course.
Clive Robinson
