Vaal Classic Horse Racing Tips - Get all the racing tips for 26 March 2026

Simon Lewis

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Last updated: 5 minutes ago

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Simon Lewis 5 minutes ago

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Midnight Show looks good to take it by a length in Race 1.
The Reason is fresh and ready to take on challenger Onceinabluemoon in Race 3.
Future Date looks to have the legs to hold off a strong field in Race 6.
Falconfly to stay consistent by taking Race 8 against stiff competition.

Racing at Vaal (Getty Images).

Race 1 – Midnight Show (3)

Jockey: Calvin Habib

Trainer: Alec Laird

The day’s opening race features four debutants in a field of nine and only one runner with a top-3 finish. Gimme Some Luck looks a strong runner and is highly rated in his opening race, but I’m backing Midnight Show’s form after the 3-yr-old colt’s 3rd place finish in his first outing 10 days ago.

After a slow start his power kicked in and he pushed from the back of the field to take 3rd place. He looks to have strong legs so if he can get off to a flying start we should have a winner here.

Race 3 – The Reason (1)

Jockey: Craig Zackey

Trainer: Sean Tarry

We could be in for a thriller with the inside runners looking set to neck it to the finish line. Trip of Faith was the only one of eight runners with a previous win, but the 4-yr-old bay filly has been scratched from the race. Erik’s Girl placed third in her last race after some low finishes, but it’s stacking up as a shootout between The Reason and Onceinabluemoon.

Onceinabluemoon has been running consistently well, finishing 3-4-2-4 in her last four races, but she’s run seven races since November without a break so she might have lost the edge. I’m backing the 4-yr-old bay filly The Reason, who has run 3-2-5-2 in her last four races, but has enjoyed lengthy breaks inbetween. She placed 2nd on 7 March so she should be fit and firing to push Onceinabluemoon to the line.

Race 6 – Future Date (11)

Jockey: Jason Gates

Trainer: D Gray St John

Possibly the most exciting race of the day, with up to six of the 11 runners likely contenders for the tape. Kissing Machine and Future Date are the two hot favourites, while Woman's World, Soldier's Eye, Free In Seattle and Warning Sound will all be hot on their heels.

Scarlett Heart (2-5-1-1-3) was the early favourite, but the 4-yr-old filly has been pulled from the line-up. Kissing Machine is one of the bookies’ picks, with finishes of 1-4-2-5-2-1, but I’m backing Future date in this race. The odds on Future Date are enticing for a 5-yr-old filly that has had a 33-day break from racing on the back of 3 wins and 3 2nd-places in her last 10 outings. She’ll be in the outside lane and I think the space will give her the freedom to run another classy race.

Race 8 – Falconfly (5)

Jockey: Craig Zackey

Trainer: Michael Nicholas Houdalakis

We end the day’s racing with another exciting duel, with Falconfly, Surprise Party, Pearl In Her Crown, Special Star and Sikeloi all pushing hard for the line. There are plenty of recent winners in the line-up, but a few have disappointed in their last race or two, such as Surprise Party who ran 1-2-5-1 before her last race, which saw her place 8th.

Falconfly is the bookies’ favourite and it’s easy to see why. The 6-yr-old bay mare is the most consistent runner in the field, posting finishes of 1-3-2-3-1 in her last five races. That run came after a 161-day break and a change of ownership, all of which seems to have been just the ticket for her.

Verdict

Horse racing at Vaal

Midnight Show to kick off with a win, The Reason and Future Date to both fight it out in tough fields for the win, and Falconfly to end the day's racing with a win.