Straight Vaal 1400m may do the trick for Mutineer

The Pick 6 could produce yet another huge payout on Thursday when a MR 95 Handicap over the straight 1400m heads up a competitive afternoon’s racing at the Vaal.

Honours in the topliner could go the way of Scott Kenny-trained The Mutineer, who be partnered for the first time by Chase Maujean.

The Mutineer has limitations, as his record of a win and three places from eight career starts suggests. However, two of his failures came on the Vaal sand and in another of his unplaced runs, he finished a 4.25-length seventh behind Sabadell over the Turffontein 1400m.

He shed his maiden tag over this course and distance in April with a 5.25-length win over Our Folly (has posted a win and three third placings since).

Given a break of nearly three months at the beginning of the season, The Mutineer showed promise in his comeback last month, quickly making up the ground after losing a length at the start before staying on for third behind his stable companion Vulcan over 1200m at this track. Sugar And Shake (3.5kg better off) was 2.25 lengths behind him while Money Doesn’t Count (lame and now 0.5kg better off) was further back. The Mutineer is arguably better over this distance and could confirm the form with Sugar And Shake.

Money Doesn’t Count came out next time and won a 1400m race at Turffontein and if he holds form, he will make his presence felt.

Right To Tango could also be dangerous. There were excuses for his last two poor runs and he need only repeat his last two races over this course and distance to shape. In the first he beat National Key by 1.25 lengths and he then finished a two-length third behind Flag Of France, who has won all three of his outings since.

Geoff Woodruff’s stablemates also come into the picture. Tiger Attack seems to have the better overall form, but the trainer seems to prefer Impresa, who he says “has done the better work and will strip the fitter of the two”.

“Impresa is a hot horse, but I think he will run rather well,” said Woodruff. “We’ve never quite found the races we want for him and he’s erratic, but he’s working up a storm at home.

“Tiger Attack got very sore behind, so we gave him two months in the paddock to run it off and he’s come sound again. He’s full of heart but has only been back in work a month which may not be long enough. That said, he loves the Vaal 1400m and is a light horse – and they normally come fit quickly.”

Ahoy Captain, Ryan’s A Lion, Rambo and Regal Stride are others who could feature.