13:00 Vaal

Tuesday 19 March 2024

All10:0510:4011:1511:5012:2513:0013:3514:1014:40

Racehorse Owners Association Classified Stakes

Off time: 13:00 | Winning time: 1m 9.64s

(2)

Midnight Fusion⁵⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-6| J: P Strydom| T: Sean Tarry| C

11/2

Course winner. 4/1, creditable fourth of 12 in handicap at this course (5f, good) 56 days ago.

Form: 1/5344-4

(13)

Falcon Strike¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Calvin Habib| T: Robyn Klaasen

17/2

Course winner. 14/1 and tongue strap on for 1st time, tenth of 15 in handicap at this course (7.4f, good) 12 days ago.

Form: 060-50

(9)

Open Highway¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: S Khumalo| T: Fanie Bronkhorst| CD

13/8

C&D winner. 20/1, creditable third of 20 in handicap at this C&D (good) 12 days ago. Difficult ask.

Form: 748-043

(10)

Love Tap³¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: Rachel Venniker⁽³⁾| T: Paul Matchett| D

16/1

One win from 2 runs last year. Winner at Turffontein in December. 33/1, ninth of 10 in minor event at Turffontein (7f, good) 31 days ago.

Form: 61-79

(4)

Thing Called Love²⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-2| J: G Lerena| T: Johan J Vuuren

13/2

91/100, career best when winning 7-runner maiden at Turffontein (5f, good) 26 days ago.

Form: 47-21

(7)

Lady Elliot¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 8-11| J: M Yeni| T: Roy Magner

7/2

Course winner. Respectable seventh of 18 in handicap at this C&D (good, 20/1) 12 days ago. Sets the benchmark.

Form: 787-867

(1)

Raining Rubies⁵⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: Jeffery Syster| T: Heinrich Westhuizen| CD

18/1

C&D winner. 16/1, tenth of 12 in handicap at Turffontein (6f, good) 54 days ago.

Form: 39398-0

(6)

Samoa^b¹²

Age: 9| Weight: 8-7| J: Siyanda Sosibo| T: Bridget Stidolph| OR: 66| CD

20/1

6-time course winner. Eleven runs since last win in 2023. Creditable fifth of 18 in handicap at this C&D (good, 50/1) 12 days ago.

Form: 65088-5

(8)

Empress Game¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: C Maujean| T: Fanie Bronkhorst| C

14/1

Course winner. 20/1, respectable sixth of 18 in handicap at this C&D (good) 12 days ago. Difficult ask.

Form: 64-7786

(12)

Mix The Magic^b⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: Kaidan Brewer| T: Phillip Labuschagne| CD

18/1

One win from 34 Flat runs. Twenty six runs since last win in 2022. 40/1, 5½ lengths ninth of 11 to Vava Vegas in handicap at Turffontein (6f, good) 5 days ago.

Form: 596-669

(5)

Dark Tide⁸⁹

Age: 7| Weight: 8-6| J: Malesela Katjedi| T: Fanie Bronkhorst| OR: 74| CD

25/1

C&D winner. Eighth of 17 in handicap (10/1) at this course (7f, good) 89 days ago. Very hard to make a case for.

Form: 240068-

Non-Runners

(3)

Vava Vegas⁵

Weight: 8-6| Age: 4

T: Jannie Borman J: Philasande Mxoli

(11)

Risky Business²⁶

Weight: 8-3| Age: 5

T: D Gray St John J: Serino Moodley

Forecasts

Open Highway (13/8), Lady Elliot (7/2), Midnight Fusion (11/2), Risky Business (6/1), Thing Called Love (13/2), Falcon Strike (17/2), Empress Game (14/1), Love Tap (16/1), Raining Rubies (18/1), Mix The Magic (18/1), Samoa (20/1), Vava Vegas (20/1), Dark Tide (25/1)

LADY ELLIOT gets the vote. Midnight Fusion should be thereabouts, while Thing Called Love also seems unlikely to be far away.