Following trainer Tony Peter and jockey Gavin Lerena at the eight-race fixture on the Vaal’s Classic track on Thursday 26 September should prove profitable as both stable and rider will likely enjoy a double.
Peter dominates Race 1, a Work Riders Maiden for fillies and mares over 1000m, saddling four of the seven runners, including Basingstoke and Bellissivar, who should fight out the finish.
The pair are closely matched on the form of their most recent head-to-head clash over the course and distance, which the former edged by half a length. Considering that they met in their penultimate too, when Bellissivar was 6-lengths clear of her stable companion, it does seem that Basingstoke has made more improvement.
Still, there isn’t much to choose between the fillies and their rematch could go either way, so including them in boxed Swinger and Exacta bets is the safer route.
Hokaai My Meisie also represents the Peter-yard but needs to improve on recent performances to play a role, while stablemate Cars Big As Bars, a four-year-old Pathfork-newcomer, needn’t be special to make her presence felt.
Chase Maujean has a good record of two wins and a second in four outings aboard Peter’s Safe Space. He resumes his partnership with the five-year-old Elusive Fort-gelding, whose consistency deserves a reward in Race 6 over 1800m.
Peter’s charge finished just ahead of re-opposing rivals Japanese Maple and Futurewolff in a similar contest over 2000m on Turffontein’s Inside track last month and Safe Space can be backed to uphold that form and confirm his superiority over the shorter trip.
Elsewhere on the card, Hat’s Queen (Race 5) and Virginia Beach (Race 7) from the Peter-yard have good eachway credentials.
Lerena has forged a potent partnership with trainers Robbie Sage and Roy Magner, boasting a 33% win strike-rate for both stables.
He has ridden four winners from 12 rides for Sage, so the chances of Tamarisk Tree can’t be underestimated in Race 3 over 2000m. This hard-knocking Ideal World-gelding has run on well in his last three starts from hopeless positions over shorter. He could find the extra distance to his liking.
Tamarisk Tree has consistent Total Surrender, progressive last-start winner Thunee Playa and well-weighted Banha Bridge to beat but isn’t without a chance.
For Magner, Lerena has ridden an impressive 16 winners from 49 rides. He rode Pathfork-filly Olivia’s Way to victory over 1800m at this venue on the first day of the new campaign but can’t get down to 53kg to retain the ride aboard the improving three-year-old in Race 4 over the same course and distance. However, that shouldn’t deter the followers of rejuvenated stablemate Apache Fighter, who Lerena rides instead for the Magner outfit.
This six-year-old daughter of The Apache finished a close-up second over track and trip in her penultimate off her current mark before staying on from a long way back to finish third under a two-point penalty over 2000m on the Classic track – both starts under Raymond Danielson.
She has been docked two points in her rating and reverts to 1800m with Lerena booked to ride, so Apache Fighter has a lot in her favour.
Erupt-filly Seventeen Again showed promise in a three-start juvenile campaign all over 1000m by finishing second in consecutive outings before opening her account under Lerena on Turffontein’s Inside track in mid-July. She makes her reappearance on her three-year-old debut in Race 8 over the same distance and it should pay to follow her progress, despite the jockey change. With Lerena unable to make 55,5kg, Keratile Katjedi gets the ride and he ought to grab the opportunity with both hands.
Clive Robinson
