Best bets and value tips for racing from the Vaal on Thursday 4th January with selections provided by Winning Form as well as their back page tipster, Magic Tips.

Winning Form Best Bets

Race 1: COLOMBINA(14)
Race 2: KHOMOTSO(10)
Race 6: DALLEY(4)
Race 8: SHEET WEAVER(5)

Magic Tips Best Bets

Race 3: BEFORE NOON(5)

Jockey: R Danielson - Trainer: S Tarry

BEFORE NOON is clearly better without blinkers and he can quickly bounce back to form here. The Tarry inmate had some promising form prior to that recent effort and he holds definite claims from his good draw. 

TOP BET

Race 6: BONDIBLU(2)

Jockey: Weicho Marwing  - Trainer: S Ferreira

There are some really useful staying fillies with smart form in this mile and a half Middle Stakes contest and an exciting clash is expected. The mare BONDIBLU is favourably weighted and she drops in class after back-to-back feature attempts in mixed company. She had promising staying form prior to that, including a crushing victory over the ultra-consistent DALLEY over a similar distance earlier this campaign. She still holds that rival safe despite the 2kg weight reversal and interestingly she will again have top jockey Weichong Marwing in the saddle.

Race 7: AMSTERDAM(8)

Jockey: P Strydom   - Trainer: M Azzie

The day's topliner is another competitive affair featuring some useful performances who campaign over the ten furlongs. The veteran gelding AMSTERDAM has decent credentials including a 100% win strike rate from two c & d efforts and he seems to reserve his best for 'Striker'. Trainer Mike Azzie's charge only tired late in a feature over a mile and a half on this course last time out. The pair should enjoy the run of the race in this small field.

Race 8: SHEET WEAVER(5)

Jockey: R Simons - Trainer: A Laird 

SHEET WEAVER has continued his good form and he showed his staying prowess with a smart last effort over a marathon distance in yielding conditions. The versatile gelding is equally effective over this shorter trip as is evident from his statistics. He is well handicapped and can go one better for this in-form combination. The top weight is the improving three-year old CASH TIME who was an impressive winner of his last outing over this distance on the Classic Track. That triumph came at a cost of a hefty six pound penalty and the son of Gimmethegreenlight takes on stronger opposition with a bigger mass, but he is progressive and top jockey Strydom keeps faith with the gelding. The pair jump from the best draw.

VALUE BET (EACH WAY) FOR TODAY:

Race 4: REGAL GIRL(14)

Jockey: S Brown  - L Erasmus

The Glamorous Scandal formline worked out well at this venue last Thursday when the runner-up Pinfanta accounted for the 3rd placed entrant Empress Rock and the same form could be worth following in this competitive maiden contest. REGAL GIRL showed good improvement when she stayed on for 4th in that seven furlong event referred to above and the daughter of Byword should love this step-up in distance. Of course her conqueror Glamorous Scandal further boosted the formline when going down narrowly on her handicap debut subsequently.

Get your free access to Winning Form South Africa by joining Hollywoodbets.net and clicking on Form Guide! The best racing guide in South Africa!