Jack Milner
Former men’s world No 1 tennis player Jim Courier often spoke about the importance of winning one of the four Grand Slam events – Wimbledon, French Open, US Open and Australian Open.
Explaining his comment, Courier added: “After all, we all know which tournaments people remember.”
The same is true in horseracing. Ask people about normal humdrum race days, and unless one and a horse running or had a big win, those meetings are forgettable. It is the feature races that racing fans remember and the bigger the feature, the more indelible the memory becomes.
Well, that could be case with Perfect Miracle, who left the side down when all the rage last time out, and the best this Tony Peter-trained runner could do, was run a moderate third.
However, she was reported to be hard to settle in the early stages and gave Calvin Habib a tough time. She is better than that performance and deserves another chance in Saturday’s Grade 3 World Sports Betting Sycamore Sprint for fillies and mares over 1160m on the Turffontein Standside track.
The lightly raced three-year-old daughter of Hawwaam started her career in style with two facile victories but that landed her with a high merit rating and racing against stronger early on may have been too tough for her.
Her last two runs saw improvement with a one-length third behind Calantha followed by that 2.40-length third behind Bright And Brazen.
Both of those races were over 1200m and around the turn while this time they will be racing up the straight where the pace tends to be faster and that could make her easier to settle. She only has 52kg on her back and Marco van Rensburg, who is a superb lightweight jockey, gets the ride for the first time.
Peter also has Rachel Wall, in the field and she is another who proved a disappointment last time.
Going into the Listed Carry On Alice Stakes on 29 November this daughter of Buffalo Bill Cody has raced five times for three wins and two places. However, she was never in the hunt and finished 10th behind Mia Moo.
She does return from a 112-day break and if Peter has sorted out whatever troubled her, she is going to be a lively contender. Keagan de Melo has the ride.
This is a highly competitive race and there are many with chances. One interesting runner is Song Of Myself who is a visitor from the Eastern Cape trained by Dean Smith. This five-year-old daughter of Canford Cliffs has won five of her 11 races and having run some good races in the Western Cape early in her career, she needs to be respected, especially with champion jockey Gavin Lerena in the irons.
Others who come into the reckoning are Poblano and Calantha.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 2 Zalatoris, 1 Charming Cheetah, 3 Trajanus, 4 Victory In Orleans
Race 2: 1 Kavady, 5 Ocean Mistress, 2 Queen Leila, 6 Ruby Whisper
Race 3: 3 Turn It Up, 4 Gone Cold, 2 Status Symbol, 1 Spirit Of Gabz
Race 4: 1 Utsaah, 3 Made To Measure, 2 Nicolson Landing, 5 Be My Fate
Race 5: 1 Gimmethespotlight, 5 Pompeii Shield, 2 Green Machine, 4 Millennium Warrior
Race 6: 2 Poplar Park, 4 One More Star, 8 Copper Plate, 1 Jordan
Race 7: 11 Perfect Miracle, 4 Rachel Wall, 6 Song Of Myself, 5 Poblano
Race 8: 6 Too Late My Mate, 3 Art Nouveau, 4 Back From War, 5 Boom Boom
Race 9: 1 William Robertson, 4 Rodeo Drive, 8 Karate Kid, 10 Rafa Bay
BEST BET
Race 2: 1 Kavady
VALUE BET
Race 6: 2 Poplar Park
BEST SWINGER
Race 5 1x5
BIPOT
R80
Leg 1: 1
Leg 2: 3, 4
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1, 5
Leg 5: 1, 2, 4, 8
Leg 6: 1, 4, 5, 6, 11
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 1, 5
Leg 4: 2, 4, 8
Leg 5: 4, 5, 6, 11
Leg 6: 3, 4, 5
Leg 7: 1, 4, 8
PICK 6
R2100
Leg 1: 1
Leg 2: 1, 2, 5
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11
Leg 5: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 6: 1, 4, 8, 10
JACKPOT 1
R525
Leg 1: 1, 2, 5
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
JACKPOT 2
R525
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 4: 1, 4, 8