The midweek card at the Vaal on Thursday 9 May ought to be dominated by two jockeys who, between them, look likely to ride five winners on the eight-race card.
Diego de Gouveia travels to the Vereeniging-based track for just two rides and is good value to win aboard both, while thriving rider Calvin Habib has a strong book of seven rides on the day including three potential winning mounts with strong form credentials.
De Gouveia resumes his partnership with two-year-old Parisian Walkway in Race 1 over 1600m, having finished a staying-on third aboard this son of Ideal World on debut over 1160m. Trainer Alec Laird has wasted little time in stepping the stoutly bred colt up to a mile and, on the evidence of his promising introduction, Parisian Walkway should improve for it with the benefit of an educational run.
Stablemate Sukhumvit is the combination’s only other representative on the card and ought to complete a Laird-De Gouveia double. She is the only filly in Race 5 but lines up from the 2000m start as the best-weighted of the 10 runners. This three-year-old daughter of Silvano finished second to Frances Ethel in the Listed Oaks Trial over the same distance on 9 March and the strength of that form was boosted by her last-start conqueror who subsequently won the Grade 2 Oaks.
Sukhumvit earned a three-point penalty for her Oaks Trial performance so races off a career-high mark of 91 but, given that Frances Ethel is rated 118, there is little doubt that Laird’s charge is significantly better than her current rating.
Habib, who only narrowly missed out on a Top-10 Jockeys finish last season (with 93 wins), is now firmly established among the country’s leading riders with 113 winners already this term. He has struck up a formidable partnership with leading Highveld trainer Tony Peter, for whom he rides Shinto Shrine in Race 3 over 1400m. This two-year-old grey finished an encouraging second on debut over 1200m a fortnight ago on Turffontein’s Inside track and, like Parisian Walkway earlier, should appreciate the step up in distance.
Peter’s charge, a son of Danon Platina, would’ve benefitted from that experience and could improve sufficiently to open his account.
The second half of the Peter-Habib double should be completed by hard-knocking handicap sprinter Aussenkehr, who ought to be rewarded for his consistency in Race 7 over 1200m. This Elusive Fort gelding has maintained his form in sprint handicap at a higher level so, even with top-weight (62kg) on his back, can be expected to give another competitive account of himself.
Dual Grade 3-placed Mia Moo completes the potential Habib three-timer on the day. This Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old daughter of Vercingetorix caught the eye when finishing third in the Grade 3 Mother Russia Stakes (won by stable companion Let’s Go Now) in mid-January and proved that was no flash in the pan by chasing home wide-margin winner Double Grand Slam to finish second in the Grade 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 31 March.
Mia Moo races off an unchanged mark over 1200m in Race 6 with Habib aboard for the first time. She is, put simply, weighted to win given the favourable conditions of the race. On official ratings, Tarry’s runner is 13 points (equivalent to 6,5kg) better off with her nearest danger Global Thunder.
Clive Robinson
