Gin Fizz looks like a Vaal stand-out bet

Gin Fizz is unlikely to ever get a better chance of chalking up her third career win than in Race 4 at the Vaal tomorrow.

This daughter of So Falling Rain will line up in a Graduation Plate for fillies and mares over 1000m and she has everything in her favour. She is racing fit, is the best-handicapped runner by at least 1.5kg with the majority of the field well under sufferance based on merit ratings.

This Mike de Kock-trained three-year-old has raced 11 times for two wins and seven places, with six of those being runner-up spots. She reverts to 1000m in this race but that should be no problem as Gin Fizz has the pace to win over the minimum trip.

Callan Murray takes the ride. Based on merit ratings her main challenger is Emerald Tiara from the Sean Tarry yard. This daughter of Gimmethegreenlight has not raced since finishing 17.50 lengths behind Basadi Faith in the SA Fillies Nursery in May last year, a race in which she pulled up lame.

Prior to that, she had run three decent races, winning on debut over 800m and then placing third in a Listed and Grade 3 race for juvenile fillies respectively.

She is likely to be in need of the run. The six other runners all have their work cut out to trouble Gin Fizz who has all the necessary effervescence to be a sparkling bet on the card.

Race 6 is the second Graduation Plate on the card and looks far more competitive. It is over the straight 1600m and no runner has a clear advantage over the rest based on merit ratings.

Tarry probably has the strongest hand with Rivonia Boulevard, marginally the best-handicapped, and Flash Burn. Apprentice Luke Ferraris seems to be the first- choice jockey for the stable these days as he has been getting the plum rides.

Ferraris is riding Rivonia Boulevard, but Tarry has a vast array of talented horses in his yard and very often there is very li le to choose between them.

He has engaged Gavin Lerena to ride Flash Burn so there will be no shortage of assistance from the saddle in that regard. Trainer Tyrone Zackey saddles four of the 10 runners and clearly Johnny Hero is the best of his quartet.

Interestingly he has engaged Piere Strydom to ride the three-year-old gelding and that is a combination which has produced a number of winners. Mike Azzie also has two-runners and of the pair Bohica must be a contender.

This son of Cape- town Noir made a return to racing in January after having been gelded, finished just two lengths behind Approach Control in a Graduation Plate over 1450m but then had to contend with a wide draw in the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas and faded out late.

This will be his third run after the layoff so Bohica should be at peak fitness and will have S’manga Khumalo on his back to guide him home.

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