I am quite aware before anyone reminds me that I am no spring chicken, and that I ought to be mature and sensible and all those things my parents wanted from me.
I admit that I am like a child on Christmas Eve the day before a big race meeting and the Tsogo Sun Sprint Day at Scottsville on Saturday ticks all the boxes for a sleepless night.
Nine races will be broken up by plenty of partying and the usual colour that has to be seen to be believed (if you thought they knew how to dress to impress at Royal Ascot try visiting South Africa, it’s a class apart), but just like Christmas I fancy unwrapping a few presents, and that means finding some winners to make the day that little bit more special.
I am going to ignore the smaller races and move straight on to the bigger “presents”, which may be the more competitive and thus the harder to solve but whoever said life was meant to be easy, and where is the fun in that anyway.
Race five is where it all gets uber serious with the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m for the juvenile fillies and with close to half a million rand first prize, no surprise to see a long list of decent sorts vying for the cash.
The one time Juvenile Plate winner Crymeariver is particularly hard to gauge for trainer Paul Lafferty and may well run a huge race, perhaps each way for those who like that sort of thing, but I am becoming a bigger fan of trainer Sean Tarry on a daily basis and at least Green Plains has proved she can win in better company.
Three wins from four races cannot be seen as a bad record, and although she is held by Daring Diva on earlier Vaal form, she seems to have improved since and looks the one they all have to beat. I am wary that her draw in the eleven stall may not be ideal and will adjust my stakes accordingly, but on pure form and looks I can see the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight taking this though I am far less happy with her forecast price of 4/1 or thereabouts.
Race six is the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, again over 1200m but this time for the two-year-old boys but again, a highly competitive heat well worth travelling a long way to see.
Although I may well end up looking even more stupid than normal as I cannot see why Mike de Kock’s Naafer is as short in the betting as he is, less than 2/1 as I write, even if he did finish second to stable mate Mustaaqeem last time out, beaten four lengths at the line.
Yes the winner does look as if he could be a bit of a star and the form does look the best on offer but that is a skinny price in a twelve runner field and there may be better value elsewhere.
Gavin van Zyl has his horses in fine form of late and at 14/1 I am more tempted by an each way bet on Arianos Bagofgold even if his name hardly trips off the tongue. A well beaten debut fourth was clearly needed as he has won both races since a shade cleverly staying on strongly over 1000m and with the step up in trip likely to suit his racing style, the 14/1 on offer looks too tempting to turn away.
Carry On Alice looks the one to be on in the South African Fillies Sprint that follows but I am wary that all her best form seems to be at 1000m and I am keeping my fingers crossed that S’manga Khumalo can get her to settle and nurse her home over the added 200m here.
She oozes class and will be sorely missed on the South African racing scene when she shortly retired to the breeding paddocks, but ten wins and thirteen places have kept her connections smiling throughout her twenty-eight race career with the four million rand prize money an added bonus.
She has run well over this trip as recently a January when beaten three quarters of a length by Live Life and the truth is I am a sentimental sort and simply cannot abandon her now after all the good times even if I am a little bit worried!
One more top quality Grade 1 to go and it is the Tsogo Sun Sprint itself, again over 1200m, but this time with 618,750 rand first prize which is not to be sniffed at. Sixteen runners plus two reserves go to show just how popular this race has become over the years and it will take a speedy horse, a decent ride, and a modicum of luck in running for whoever comes home in front.
Just to make life that bit trickier there is a weight range of seven and a half kilos between top and bottom bringing them all in to the equation.
Joey Ramsden is a trainer I have a lot of time for but Attenborough looks too short for my liking at 4/1 and I will go for the value option once again with London Call who is in the form of his life and worth a small each way bet in my view.
The son of Kahal comes here looking for his fifth win in a row for trainer Mark Dixon, all of them here at Scottsville and two of them over course and distance. Although he is forced to run off a career high rating of 111 this afternoon he has earned every bit of his weight. He is tactically adept and can make the running or come from off the pace which may be helpful depending on how the race pans out, and at 14/1 I am hoping he can get in to the places at the very least this afternoon.
