Jack Milner
There was a lot of talk for Anahita when she lined up in a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1600m at Turffontein on New Year’s Day but after showing up well for most of the journey, she faltered late in the race to finish third, beaten 1.90 lengths by Sikeloi.
The Mike Azzie-trained filly will have another opportunity to shed her maiden when she runs in Race 3 on the Classic track at the Vaal on Thursday, a Maiden Plate over 1200m.
Judging on the manner in which she was caught late last time, the decision to drop her in distance could be just what she needs.
This daughter of Vercingetorix has only raced four times for a close-up second behind Grace’s Kiss, two thirds and one really disappointing race when nothing went her way and after a bump at the start she clearly did not enjoy her race and was beaten 15.65 lengths by Real Stunner.
One certainly cannot blame Azzie for giving her a go over 1800m in that race as Anahita is a full-sister to Rascallion, who had some outstanding races in the Western Cape for Vaughan Marshall, including a runners-up spot in the Grade 1 Cape Derby over 2000m.
He was a winner of seven races, including two wins in the Grade 2 Premier Trophy over 1800m, in 2023 and 2025.
Anahita’s life will be made easier as a result of two important scratchings, Tony Peter-trained Precocious who won last Sunday at Turffontein, and Clinton Binda-trained Elegant Edge who ran unplaced in the same race.
Gavin Lerena has a long history of riding for the Azzie stable and he will get the ride on Anahita for the first time.
Peter will have an opportunity to pick up a victory in Race 6 when he sends out Gimmethegoodlife in this Middle Stakes over 1200m. This four-year-old gelding will be having his first start at this course and this 1200m is around the turn, but he should have no problem with this course as he has a good record on the Turffontein Inside track where he has handled the bend without any hassles.
He is a five-time winner and two of them have come over this distance and he also has finished a close up second in another race over 1200m.
Peter has engaged Rachel Venniker for the ride and she will aid the cause as she gets her 1.5kg allowance which will reduce his weight to 58.5kg. Gimmethegoodlife also has the advantage of jumping from No 3 draw.
That 1.5kg allowance could make the difference between winning and losing because there is not much to choose between Peter’s runner and Azzie-trained Lead The Charge with Lerena in the irons.
They met twice in the last two months of 2025 with each of them gaining an advantage over the other and at the original weights it could well be a dead heat. However, Venniker’s claim does give Gimmethegoodlife that slight advantage.
The third horse in the fray looks to be Fanie Bronkhorst’s Rockaroundtheclock who is in fine form, coming off two consecutive victories, both of them with Muzi Yeni in the irons. The three-year-old Querari gelding will have to put up 0.5kg overweight but that means he will carry just 50.5kg and that does make him a live wire to notch up his third successive victory.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 8 Samuel Sharpe, 5 Indian Spice, 2 Gift Of Royal, 1 Afterburn
Race 2: 4 Quevano, 5 Quickfreeze, 6 Sosoru, 1 Sky Pilot
Race 3: 2 Anahita, 9 Gimmesumluv, 3 Savara's Princess, 7 Baksheesh
Race 4: 2 Arlington Action, 1 Lava Lamp, 4 Cartagena, 5 Copper Plate
Race 5: 7 Palace Attack, 5 One More Star, 14 Military Moves, 9 Storm Ahead
Race 6: 1 Gimmethegoodlife, 3 Lead The Charge, 7 Rockaroundtheclock, 2 Black Egret
Race 7: 5 Antonio Gaudi, 2 Esquevelle, 3 Ensuing, 6 Winston's Wonder
Race 8: 4 I'm A Fireball, 1 Winds Of Change, 6 King Harald, 7 Jabari Thimba
Race 9: 3 Open Sesame, 6 Aquarius, 7 Kensal Green, 1 Azaleas For All
Race 10: 3 Express Yourself, 6 Mocha Frappe, 9 My Lucky Charm, 7 Prince Of Kildare
BEST BET
Race 3: 2 Anahita
VALUE BET
Race 4: 2 Arlington Action
BEST SWINGER
Race 6 1x3
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 4, 5, 6
Leg 2: 2
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 5
Leg 4: 5, 7, 9, 14
Leg 5: 1, 3
Leg 6: 2, 3, 5
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R324
Leg 1: 2
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4
Leg 3: 5, 7, 14
Leg 4: 1, 3
Leg 5: 2, 5
Leg 6: 1, 4, 6
Leg 7: 3, 6, 7
PICK 6
R2160
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 5
Leg 2: 5, 7, 9, 12, 14
Leg 3: 1, 3, 7
Leg 4: 2, 3, 5
Leg 5: 1, 4, 6
Leg 6: 1, 3, 6, 7
JACKPOT 1
R135
Leg 1: 5, 7, 9, 12, 14
Leg 3: 1, 3, 7
Leg 4: 2, 3, 5
Leg 5: 1, 4, 6
JACKPOT 2
R144
Leg 1: 2, 3, 5
Leg 2: 1, 4, 6
Leg 3: 1, 3, 6, 7
Leg 4: 3, 6, 7, 9