Crawford hopes to tune up for big race with Vaal double

Trainer Brett Crawford and jockey Kabelo Matsunyane have an important date with Durban July winner Winchester Mansion running in Saturday’s Charity Mile and they will be hoping to tune up for that R1m race with a double at the Vaal on Thursday.

Crawford sends two horses to the Free State track from his Randjesfontein base and both Weather Wizard (second race) and Raven Black (sixth) have winning chances.

Weather Wizard, a son of Rafeef owned by Tommy Shawe, made a pleasing debut when third behind Calida at Turffontein last month. That run should see this R260,000 buy start favourite ahead of Tyrone Zackey’s runner, Force De Dieu.

Raven Black, owned and bred by Ian Longmore, faces a much tougher task as he bids to complete a hat-trick in the sixth race. The four-year-old faces a number of talented rivals including Red Bomber, Black Egret and Power Broker.

The swinger coupling Raven Black with Red Bomber looks an attractive wager as the latter, the mount of Gavin Lerena, should be ready to fire after his first start of the season behind I Am Giant.

Red Bomber, a son of Lancaster Bomber bred at Lammerskraal Stud, has won two of his four starts and has a favourable draw in the 1,200m contest.

Black Egret, formerly trained by Ashley Fortune, has proved a shrewd purchase for the Hollywood Syndicate and, like Raven Black, is bidding to complete a hat-trick.

Each-way shout

Trainer Tony Peter, in fourth place in the national log, will be confident his runner, Power Broker, can turn the tables on Black Egret on 2.5kg better terms.

Peter has booked veteran rider Piere Strydom for his filly, Rose For Trippi, in the seventh race and the two-time winner has an each-way shout despite carrying top weight of 60kg.

Whether Rose For Trippi can give weight to the Fabian Habib duo of Wings Within Me and Ice Star remains to be seen. Both fillies need including in jackpot and Pick Six perms.

Sean Tarry’s runners always demand close inspection and Troppo Veloce, another former Fortune inmate, could prove dangerous back in calmer waters after contesting a grade 1 race in May.

Tarry’s recent maiden winner, Cue The Rebel, ventures into handicap company for the first time in the final race on the card and may have to settle for a minor placing behind Divine Moonlight and Lil Miss Monybags.

Inventrix was an 8-1 winner for this column on her most recent outing and Strydom retains the ride on Fanie Bronkhorst’s daughter of What A Winter.

Owner-breeder Mary Slack owns a property named White Hills in Lonehill and that is the name of a filly who will sport her black-and-scarlet cap colours in the first race.

A daughter of Querari, White Hills is overdue to leave the maiden ranks and this looks a good opportunity for the Roy Magner inmate to open her account.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (2) White Hills (3) Waitforgreenlight (1) Flying Puma (5) Jumping Analia

2nd Race: (12) Weather Wizard (8) Force De Dieu (7) Bob (6) Al Bayreg

3rd Race: (2) Pink Diamond (1) The Work Of Life (4) Regal Daughter (7) City Lights

4th Race: (2) Solo Diva (1) United We Stand (6) Crystal Maiden (5) Azaleas For All

5th Race: (2) Esqueville (3) Twice The Storm (1) Covert Operator (5) Mescal

6th Race: (8) Raven Black (7) Red Bomber (5) Power Broker (2) Black Egret

7th Race: (3) Ice Star (9) Wings Within Me (1) Rose For Trippi (7) Troppo Veloce

8th Race: (5) Divine Moonlight (1) Lil Miss Moneybags (7) Cue The Rebel (2) Inventrix