Highveld heavy hitters Tony Peter and Calvin Habib closed out the 2023/24 season on a high in the World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes with VJ’s Angel, who upstaged the boys to win the 1600m two-year-old Grade 1 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Both trainer and jockey, however, by their high standards have had a rather quiet start to the current campaign but they should be hitting their straps soon, with the eight-race card at the Vaal on Wednesday 21 August likely to kickstart their seasons.
Peter sends seven runners to the Vereeniging-based track and is represented in five races, three of which he has a good chance of winning. Habib is booked to ride two of these three attractive betting propositions with Kabelo Matsunyane engaged to ride the other.
Cat O’ Clock is one of three Peter-trained runners in Race 1 over 1200m and this lightly raced four-year-old filly ought to open her account sooner rather than later. She finished second on debut over the same course and distance in October last year for Mike de Kock before joining Peter’s stable in the eight months between her first and second starts. This daughter of Rafeef has finished third in each of four appearances for her new yard and should break her duck in the opener judged on the strength and consistency of her form with the benefit of experience on her side.
Habib was aboard Cat O’ Clock on her reappearance (stable debut) at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in June but hasn’t ridden her since, and it is worth is probably noting that he partners three-year-old debutante Palace Dancer in the opener.
Progressive Gimmeachoice was brought along steadily as a three-year-old last term and Peter’s prudent approach could pay off handsomely with this strapping, well-bred colt who we haven’t seen the best of yet. This four-year-old son of Gimmethegreenlight finished an encouraging second over 1600m in his first Vaal outing on 23 July under Keratile Katjedi and makes his reappearance over the same course and distance in Race 7 with Habib back aboard.
The latter, who rode Gimmeachoice to his maiden victory over a ‘mile’ on the Inside track at Turffontein, holds the colt in high regard.
Peter-trained filly Ginger Delight was an eye-catching debut scorer over 1450m on Turffontein’s Inside track in early June and she confirmed the promise of that winning introduction, even in defeat, by finishing a close-up fifth over 1500m on this track in her final two-year-old appearance late last month. She was slow out the gates on that occasion – as she was on debut – and showed signs of her inexperience, which would’ve been expected in just her second racecourse outing, but stayed on well to finish on the heels of familiar foes Free In Seattle and Twostep Queen.
Ginger Delight renews rivalry with that St John Gray coupling on identical terms in Race 8, so she isn’t weighted to turn the tables. However, this daughter of Canford Cliffs is the least experienced of the 11 runners and has the most scope for improvement, with the step up to 1600m also expected to unlock further progress from Habib’s mount.
