XAVION Can Keep Unbeaten Record

The clearest indication that we’re “between racing seasons” can be seen in the make-up of the cards at the various meetings around the country this weekend, writes Gary Lemke for GG Gaming.

Friday’s meeting at Greyville is a low-key eight-race Polytrack affair, while Turffontein on Saturday sees eight races on the inside track, where five of them are filled with maidens, which equates to 42 horses who haven’t yet won a race.

At Kenilworth there are a rare 10 races carded, with half the fields reserved for maidens, of which there are 59 in total. That means there are 101 maidens spread out over 10 races in both the Gauteng and Cape meetings.

However, the seventh race at Kenilworth, the #womeninracing Sophomore Sprint over 1200m is by some distance the most appealing event across all the programmes. It features a field of 10 three-year-olds, who were juveniles only a month ago.

As is the case with juveniles, although now three years old, they are capable of producing upset results. Two cases in point are the Justin Snaith-trained CAPTAIN'S KNOT and the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained XAVION.

The former went off at debut at odds of 100-1 – and won! The latter started at 100-3 (33-1 in the more punter friendly “old odds adage”) on the last day of the season (31st July) and promptly bolted home in the style of a smart horse. Stable companion ON THE ROAD AGAIN had also won on debut, also unfancied at 20-1.

Which goes to show that horses don’t look at the betting market before they go into the starting gates, and they can also prove even the top trainers – of which Justin Snaith and Candice Bass-Robinson are two – wrong.

This time round you won’t get 33-1 about XAVION, in fact he’s been priced up as 28-10 favourite. After his debut win, by 3.5 lengths against a field that admittedly might not turn out to be strong, Candice Bass-Robinson was gushing.

“This was really a super impressive win. He is a lovely balanced horse with a beautiful action. He’s still a bit backwards and will prefer much further than this. I threw him into the race to get him going and this was a surprise win. He’s an exciting horse, but I didn’t think he was up to winning first time out. He came from way off the pace and in this soft going ... when he took off ... he’s got a real future.”

Saturday does prove a significant step up in class for XAVION, but he has the advantage of being racing fit.

The Brett Crawford-trained ZAPATILLAS and MASKED VIGILANTE are both unbeaten as well, but look like types who will be produced at their best in the coming Cape summer months. They have been rested for 70 and 160 days, respectively, and against a promising fit type such as XAVIONshould need the run.

The same might be said of SILVER SALMON, KEEP IT SECRET and FIFTY FIVER, all three also coming off rests of 83, 71 and 84 days, respectively.

In fact, only five horses in the field don’t come off rests and they are CAPTAIN'S KNOT, XAVION, ON THE ROAD AGAIN, YOU KNOW WHO and VARISTOCRACY. Those punters who enjoy their quartets should keep this in mind.

Earlier this week, GG Gaming Vaal tipster Brandon Bailey was red hot at Tuesday’s meeting at the Vaal. All four of his straight bets won, while his R160 place accumulator also came home, for a return of R267.80.

His best bet on the card was RAPID CHARGE, in race four. That won at odds of 1-1.

His value bet on the card was OPERA GLASS in race five. That won at odds of 5-4.

He also suggested that horses to include were ALULA'S STAR in race two and that won at odds of 5-4, while he suggested LILLIANA in race three, which won at odds of 20-11.

For all the best Gauteng tips be sure to follow Bailey and stay in the payout queue, exclusive to GG Gaming.