Jack Milner
Summer Pudding was one of the best fillies seen in action on the Highveld for some time, winning her first 10 starts on the trot and that included Andi’s Girl to savour the Pudding
the Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup where she gave weight and a hiding to the boys in no uncertain manner.
Trained by Paul Peter, she retired from racing having won 11 of her 13 races, and it is only fair that she has a race named in her honour.
The Listed Summer Pudding Handicap for fillies and mares will be run at on the Standside track at Turffontein on Friday evening and it is great to see after years of Covid and loadshedding that night racing returns to Turffontein.
The Summer Pudding Handicap is Race 6 on the eight-race card and it is worth noting that jockey JP van der Merwe is making the trip up from Cape Town to ride mainly for Mike and Adam Azzie and will be aboard Andi’s Girl for the yard in the main event.
In fact, Van der Merwe will be looking for a double in this race as he won it aboard Silver Sanctuary for Mike de Kock last year. That filly runs in the blue and white colours of Drakenstein Stud and they will be the same colours Van der Merwe will don for this race.
This progressive Fire Away filly has thrived since returning to the Highveld in March from a four-start stint in Cape Town where she shed her maiden tag. In seven starts back at altitude, Andi's Girl has won twice and finished second four times.
Furthermore, she's won two of five starts over 1600m and finished second twice over the distance.
Gavin Lerena rode Andi's Girl to victory in a competitive 1450m handicap for fillies and mares on the Inside track last month, but he would battle to make the weight of 53.5kg and that could well be the reason Van der Merwe will be in action his time.
After copping a five-point penalty for her last-start success, Andi's Girl will have to succeed off a career-high mark to provide Van der Merwe with another Summer Pudding scoop, although she does have a lot in her favour and is worth siding with.
The filly is both in good form and physical condition, is ideally distance suited and jumps from No 7 draw.
Her main threat is likely to come from Alec Laird-trained Sukhumvit who has been ultra-
consistent since she started racing. While she has only clocked up one victory in her seven starts, she has also only finished out of the places on one occasion.
In her last start, which was the Grade 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m at this course, she only found one too good in Olivia’s Way. The daughter of Silvano ran a 1.25-length second behind Frances Ethel in the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial over 2000m so she has proven ability and as she in receipt of 1kg from Andi’s Girl, Sukhumvit has to be a strong contender for top honours.
She jumps from No 10 draw and has Malesela Katjedi in the irons.
Lucky Houdalakis has his yard in good form and Lady Fallon must have some sort of winning chance. She does look held by Sukhumvit on their run in the Yellowwood Handicap but this four-year-old Act Of War filly was having her second run after a layoff and could prove stronger opposition this time.
Piere Strydom is in superb form and he looks set to open the meeting aboard Sean Tarry-trained Exceedingly Glam in Race 1 over 1400m. This daughter of What A Winter has finished second in both starts this campaign and Strydom's expertise in the saddle could coax enough out of the filly whose progress it could pay to follow.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 2 Exceedingly Glam, 3 Tipperary, 8 Mist In Ireland, 5 Great Notion
Race 2: 3 Beynac, 2 Serrano, 7 Chabal, 1 Lets Play Poker
Race 3: 1 Chieftain, 2 Kindred Heart, 3 King Of Venus, 6 Basingstoke
Race 4: 7 Virginia Beach, 1 Cosmic Star, 2 Karangetang, 5 Rollwiththepunches
Race 5: 1 Mia Moo, 7 Kommetjie Storm, 8 Bakwena, 3 Miss Scaletta
Race 6: 8 Andi's Girl, 10 Sukhumvit, 6 Lady Fallon, 3 Champagne Cocktail
Race 7: 5 Birthright, 8 Celtic Rush, 1 Strewn Sky, 9 Panning Gold
Race 8: 5 Miss Lia, 8 Palace Dancer, 1 Kissing Machine, 10 Greenhouse
BEST BET
Race 1: 2 Exceedingly Glam
VALUE BET
Race 4: 7 Virginia Beach
BEST SWINGER
Race 5 1x2
BIPOT
R108
Leg 1: 2
Leg 2: 2, 3, 7
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 6
Leg 4: 1, 2, 7
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 6, 8, 10
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 2, 3
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3
Leg 3: 1, 7
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 8, 10
Leg 6: 1, 5, 8
Leg 7: 1, 5, 8
PICK 6
R1875
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Leg 2: 1, 2, 7
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 2, 3, 6, 8, 10
Leg 5: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9
Leg 6: 1, 2, 5, 8, 10
JACKPOT 1
R75
Leg 1: 1, 2, 7
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 2, 3, 6, 8, 10
Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9
JACKPOT 2
R125
Leg 1: 1
Leg 2: 2, 3, 6, 8, 10
Leg 3: 1, 2, 5, 8, 9
Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 8, 10