Out there, where racing men gather over a beer to “talk horse”, they could right now be debating the merits of Ravalli. So far, he has been a good friend. Twice already, when backed down to skinny odds, he has come through with wins.

Thefirst was on June 16. They sent him off as the $9 top pick and he delivered, beating recent winner Stop The Water in his tracks. Barely a month later, on July 13, when sent off as the $7 raging favourite, he romped home under Ryan Curatolo to win that sprint with a leg in the air.

Now, they are looking at the runners lined up for the last race on Aug 11 and they are asking: “Can Ravalli do it again? Can he get his hat-trick?” Aug 8 South Africa (Vaal) form analysis Well, there can only be one answer. Yes, he can. The Tim Fitzsimmons-trained gelding is nearing the top of his game and racegoers who were at trackside on the morning ofAug 7 would have nodded in unison after seeing him being putthrough his paces.

Taken out for a training gallop under bright sunshine, Ravalli was not extended to cover the 600m in 41.9sec. It was a neat piece of work – no bluster, no bother – and it would have topped him up sufficiently for the job ahead.

A four-year-old Australian-bred by Ilovethiscity, Ravalli has so far been a revelation. His Kranji debut on May 18 was an eye-opener. Partnered by Curatolo – who has since glued himself to the seat – Ravalli missed out on making it a winning debut when beaten by Hole In One in a Novice 1,200.