Racing Express, 6 April 2022: Aldo, Avon a good mix

There are two expressions that come to mind when attempting to pick winners for tomorrow’s Vaal meeting.

The first is that blood is thicker than water, and the second is never assume, because it will make an ‘ass’ out of ‘U’ and ‘me’.

But we are going to apply one of them and ignore the other when it comes to Aldo Domeyer making a sojourn to the Vaal. 

Ashley Fortune has a host of runners participating and they are concentrated in Races 5, 6 and 7. She has three in Race 5, four in Race 6 and two in Race 7 and as Domeyer, the son of Andrew Fortune, will riding Bard Of Avon in Race 5 and Rozara in Race 7, we will assume those are the stable elect in their respective races.

Race 6, however, is specifically for apprentices.

The full edition of Wednesday’s Racing Express, as found in The Citizen, is available here

Bard Of Avon should be hard to beat in Race 5, a Progress Plate over 1000m. He does not come up as the best handicapped runner but that is unlikely to stop him as he has been competing in stronger fields.

His last run was in the Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein where he finished a two-length third behind Anna Capri. Average merit rating was 110 for that feature and is 92 on this occasion.

Domeyer has ridden him twice, going down 0.10 lengths to William Robertson in a Sales race over 1400m, which he probably found a touch far, and then winning a Graduation Plate over 1000m by 2.50 lengths.        

The main threat could come from Lucy English although Lucky Houdalakis’ charge has not raced since November. 

Rozara contests a MR 90 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m and this will be the first time Domeyer will ride the three-year-old daughter of Wylie Hall. While she has tried further, this has to be her best distance and she all four of her triumphs have been over the minimum trip.

She has won three of her four races this year but has been penalised 9kg for those wins. Last time she finished a 2.50-length fourth behind Alula’s Star and perhaps the handicapper has caught up with her.

If that is the case, then Roy Magner-trained Naarah could be the runner to beat. While not always consistent, when in the right frame of mind she is top class. She will also benefit from the 1.5kg claimed by apprentice Kayden Brewer.