It will be ‘cheers’ if Castle Corner wins at the Vaal
Castle Corner is a famous landmark at Loftus Versfeld — a place where rugby fans can enjoy a beer while watching the match. It is situated on the lower east stand of the stadium.
There will be a few glasses raised in Stuart Pettigrew’s stable if its five-year-old named Castle Corner can win the eighth race at the Vaal on Thursday.
In early betting, Castle Corner has been priced up at 8-1, which suggests he is regarded as a place prospect rather than a win one. Gavin Lerena’s mount, Coming In Hot, heads the market at 3-1.
What Castle Corner has got going for him is a favourable draw and the fact that he finished third behind Paul Peter’s star performer, Vanderbilt, last time out. That horse completed a four-timer with another victory at Turffontein on Tuesday.
Coming In Hot has won three of his last four races so deserves his position as favourite. Trainer Fanie Bronkhorst will be pleased the gelding only got a two-point rise for his latest win.
Bronkhorst has backup in the form of five-year-old Silly Fella, who justified favouritism with a narrow win on the Turffontein inside track in July. He will be ridden by Nathan Klink, who had a double at Turffontein on Tuesday.
Adam and Mike Azzie look to have a talented filly on their hands in Quest From Afar, who makes plenty of appeal in the fifth race. While her younger half-sister failed to win on Tuesday, Calvin Habib might get some compensation in this 1,600m contest.
Quest From Afar is opposed by some useful fillies — notably top-weight Lollapalooza (Lerena), Wikkel Spikkel (Matsunyane), Super Secret (Van Rensburg) and Fantasy Flower (Yeni).
Jaap Visser’s runner, Lollapalooza, is 1.5kg better off with Fantasy Flower so could turn the tables on Lucky Houdalakis’s mare this time.
Lerena and trainer Roy Magner are a strong combination and they team up with Misty Cliffs in the opening event. A daughter of Canford Cliffs, the three-year-old can open his account by beating Silk Garden and Outlaw.
Silk Garden finished four lengths adrift of Misty Cliffs when they last met, but the former now enjoys a 4kg pull in the weights.
Another horse representing the Lerena-Magner partnership is Stormy Lass, who has a bright chance of notching her second win when she takes on 11 rivals in the sixth race.
Though Stormy Lass has finished close-up in each of her last three outings, she faces two improving sorts in Clean Living and Ashley Fortune’s grey filly Daisy Buchanan.
Clean Living, who reverts to 1,000m, is a must for inclusion in jackpot and Pick 6 perms as this inmate of Corné Spies’s stable has been competing in juvenile feature races in KwaZulu-Natal.
Daisy Buchanan, another daughter of Canford Cliffs, won on her debut at Turffontein in June. Her starting price of 16-1 suggested she caught connections by surprise.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (2) Misty Cliffs (1) Silk Garden (3) Outlaw (5) Queen Britanna
2nd Race: (1) Peteca (3) Big Five (5) Ships At Sea (2) Gimme Royalty
3rd Race: (4) Texas Red (5) Williamthefighter (6) She’s A Klawer (1) Captain Freedom
4th Race: (5) Damova (3) Song Of Angels (2) Liverpool Legend (1) Smiley River
5th Race: (3) Quest From Afar (1) Lollapalooza (2) Wikkel Spikkel (8) Fantasy Flower
6th Race: (6) Stormy Lass (5) Clean Living (4) Daisy Buchanan (3) Phinda Mzala
7th Race: (4) Moonstrike (3) Jinqin (1) Fast Love (5) Lulu’s Boy
8th Race: (8) Castle Corner (7) Coming In Hot (10) Silly Fella (5) Golden Tune