Night Lily is ready to bloom on the banks of the Vaal

Perils lurk in a few legs of the exotic bets at the Vaal Classic track on Tuesday, making the search for a banker more pressing than usual. More than a few punters will be zeroing in on Night Lily in Race 4 – a filly who is cherry-ripe for her first win.

This daughter of Byword is already four but has only had four starts. She is probably a late developer and has been brought along carefully by trainer Robbie Sage.

Night Lily was all at sea in her two races as a three-year-old in 2021, so Sage gave her six months off to mature and digest the racing experience. He brought her back in January and she immediately showed a liking for a bit more ground than she’d tackled in those early efforts.

She placed third over 1700m and then second over 1800m – both times showing good finishing speed. This time she goes 1800m again and the widest draw of 10 should prove no problem given her habit of coming from well back.

Ryan Munger rode Night Lily in both those recent starts and will be confident of going one better this time.

Sage, Munger and the banker boys will glean extra confidence from the fact that no fewer than four horses that finished behind Night Lily last time have since won.

The only two rivals with any chance of spoiling the party are Hydrangea and Pretty In Pearls.

SELECTIONS

1: 2 Risky Business, 1 Song Of Liberty, 8 Colour Coded, 3 Special Plea

2: 1 Fire Lord, 2 Peteca, 4 Sonnenstrahl, 5 Trust The Fire

3: 2 Pottinger, 1 DJ Junior, 4 Jaipur Jewel, 7 Gimme A Dream

4: 2 Night Lily, 10 Pretty In Pearls, 6 Hydrangea, 1 Cassowary

5: 4 Florentine, 5 Cleveland, 3 Nordic Rebel, 8 Evening Primrose

6: 9 Irish Tractor, 8 Team Gold, 6 Noble Striker, 4 Willow Express

7: 7 Woman Of Substance, 8 Aryaam, 2 Opera Glass, 5 Snow Palace

8: 1 Greengrowthelilacs, 3 Cap Estel, 13 Kind Judy, 4 Sybaris

Pick 6: 1,2,4 x 2 x 2,3,4,5,7,8 x 1,3,4,5,6,8,9,10 x 2,5,7,8 x 1,3,4,13 (R2304)

PA: 1,2 x 1,2 x 2 x 3,4,5 x 8,9 x 2,7,8 x 1 (R72)