Vaal Thursday Preview: Five to Follow

The Vaal on a Thursday can be a dangerous place for the unprepared punter. The fields are big, the form lines are messy, and the track tends to ride differently in the afternoon than it does under lights. But dig a little and there is always value hiding in the middle of the card.

First up, the mare everyone is dismissing because she has not won in five. Watch the replays: she has been finishing into strong fractions and has been badly drawn every time. From gate four over 1200m, with Gavin Lerena up, this could finally be her day at a generous each-way price.

Next, a first-timer from a yard that fires at 25 percent on debut. The pedigree screams early speed — his dam won over 1000m as a two-year-old — and the trainer has been patient with him in the mornings. Debutants at the Vaal are always a lottery, but this one has the look of a runner, not a galloper.

In the feature, a four-year-old who chased home a subsequent Gr3 winner last time out. The form has been franked twice since, and this drop back to a mile suits. Phillip Labuschagne has his string in cracking form, and this one is the stable's banker of the day.

The fifth is a value play, pure and simple. A consistent sort who has been running into places rather than winning, but the handicapper has finally relented. Down to a career-low mark, over a course where he has won twice before, everything points to a serious run at a double-figure price.

Enjoy the card, keep stakes sensible, and remember — at the Vaal, the draw is not an excuse, it is a science.