Trip Tease stands out

In order to assist them in that regard, the Vaal is staging four Pinnacle Stakes on today’s eight-race card, two over 1000m and the other two over 1450m – one of each distance for fillies and mares.

The first pops up in Race 2, and contains the best bet on the card – Trip Tease. Louis Goosen has done remarkably well with this son of Trippi who has to be one of the most consistent horses in training, especially over 1000m and specifically on the Vaal sand. He has had 16 runs over the distance for 11 wins, one second, two thirds and a fourth, and on the sand that changes to eight runs seven wins and one second place.

As this is a stakes race the best handicapped runner is favoured and that quite dominantly is Trip Tease. He is 5.5kg better weighted than his nearest rival who happens to be stablemate Varbration with Velvet Verona next best but another 1kg worse off.

Goosen has done well by continuing to run him in this kind of race because he has won three races with his merit rating of 114 remaining unchanged. Regular rider Piere Strydom takes the ride. Race 3 is the Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m for fillies and mares but this event looks a lot tighter. Just 3kg separates the best handicapped runner from the seventh best weighted runner so there are a number of runners with chances. Best of the lot could be Twilight Tiger, who, on a line through Usisi, is weighted to beat Miss December.

Roy Magner’s charge has raced seven times over the course and distance for four wins one third place and a fourth. Her last start was over 1000m at Turffontein on the standside track where she found Lazer Star far too good. Back on the sand with Gavin Lerena in the irons, Twilight Tiger looks to be a good runner to use as a floating banker in Trifectas and Quartets.

Anthony Delpech is at the Vaal to ride for the Mike de Kock yard and he is aboard Alghadeer in Race 5, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1450m which is the same distance as the Supreme Cup. He has raced on the Polytrack at Greyville without success and has won on the Vaal turf, but is yet to tackle the Vaal sand. De Kock has entered five runners in this event, perhaps to ensure the races holds up, and perhaps they are hoping to prove Alghadeer will do well over the course and distance as he has been entered in the big Race. He will need to win to have any chance of making the final field.