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Picture: 123RF/CHRIS VAN LENNEP
Picture: 123RF/CHRIS VAN LENNEP

Paul Peter — now top of this season’s trainers log — will be hoping his three-year-old Smorgasbord proves the tastiest dish at the Vaal on Monday.

The Turffontein trainer has saddled more than 40 winners this term and Smorgasbord should reveal whether he is going to be a force in the forthcoming major races for his age group.

A R460,000 buy as a yearling, the son of Twice Over has raced four times for a win and three places. His recent third behind Sparkling Water was a fair comeback effort as the winner has next month’s Summer Cup as her target.

Peter has backup in the Vaal race as he also runs Mufasa who failed to justify favouritism on his third start. The fact that Warren Kennedy will be aboard Smorgasbord suggests the horse is the stable elect.

S’manga Khumalo is riding at the top of his game and his mount Tanzanite Queen may pose the main threat to the Peter duo. Alec Laird’s filly beat Freed From Desire on her latest outing and that winner — trained by Peter — notched her third career win at Turffontein last Saturday.

Another consistent three-year-old in the line-up is another of Twice Over’s progeny, Team Gold, who has already recouped his R160,000 purchase price. Muzi Yeni rides the colt for the third time.

It could be another good day at the office for the Peter stable as the four-year-old Sergei is certain to be sent off favourite in the sixth race. The gelding is battling for his second win but meets a modest field in which Lets Talk will be an absentee.

Khumalo, who was due to ride Lets Talk, can go close in the fifth race on trainer Ashley Fortune’s five-year-old Capetown Affair. The gelding reverts to a shorter trip after an unplaced run over 2,000m.

My Kingdom is another horse battling for a second win but the six-year-old enters calculations with Gavin Lerena an eye-catching jockey booking. Aussie-bred Waqaas is also worth including in exotic perms.

Robbie Sage nearly caused a big upset with owner Colin Bird’s newcomer Sun Bird at Turffontein last Saturday with the 40-1 shot beaten in a photo-finish in the third race. Those big odds will not be available about the stable’s runner Secret Link in Monday’s third race as the gelding has been placed in his past two starts.

Though Secret Link is probably a place accumulator banker, it might also be wise to include stablemate Apache Gold who suddenly found some form at Turffontein last month.

Muzi Yeni will be in the saddle on Secret Link and the popular rider has a good book of rides as Stunning Kitten could post an overdue maiden in the third race. The mare certainly is not one to risk the rent on but this is another weak race with Shikuru and Koopa Troopa the pick of the opposition.

A son of Vercingetorix, Supreme Warrior will have impressed many pundits with his debut win at Turffontein last Saturday and another of that stallion’s progeny King Of Venus makes plenty of appeal in the second race. A swinger bet coupling King Of Venus and Duke Of Rain could reward punters.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (6) Queen Theodora (3) Dame Of Flames (1) Ray Indigo (4) Bella Swan

2nd Race: (9) King Of Venus (6) Duke Of Rain (1) Ocean Warrior (2) Flashy Apache

3rd Race: (1) Stunning Kitten (3) Shikuru (2) Koopa Troopa (4) Arizona Lady

4th Race: (7) Secret Link (8) Apache Gold (10) Zaviah (1) Joe Harman

5th Race: (7) Capetown Affair (2) My Kingdom (3) Waqaas (5) After Hours

6th Race: (3) Sergei (2) Bloomington (9) Zabarjad (5) Indigo Winter

7th Race: (5) Smorgasbord (4) Tanzanite Queen (6) Team Gold (2) Mufasa

8th Race: (1) Who’s That Star (4) Frontline Fighter (6) Life Goes On (8) Hear The Trumpet 

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