Jack Milner
Historically, the most anticipated event in the Olympic Games is the 100m. There is always a thrill in crowning arguably the fastest man and woman on the planet.
By the same token, horseracing fans take pleasure in watching the fastest horses in action and that will happen at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday with the running of four Grade 1 races, all over 1200m.
Those four races will form Jackpot 1 which will be boosted by a R1 million carryover with the pool likely to top R3 million.
The Jackpot begins in Race 5 at 14.00 with the running of the Allan Robertson Championship for two-year-old fillies, followed by the Gold Medallion for two-year-olds, the SA Fillies Sprint and the Golden Horse Sprint Handicap.
All four races look highly competitive, and this will be a Jackpot worth catching.
While the first three events are run under weight-for-age terms, the Golden Horse Sprint is a handicap. However, this time while the top weight is 60kg, the weight spread is just 6kg, making the bottom weight 54kg. As a result, there are a number of runners who are under sufferance but that does not apply to Sean Tarry-trained Lucky Lad.
The three-year-old colt comes into the race with just 54.5kg on his back and that will make him very hard to beat. He also has the advantage of having won his only race at this course as last year, the Gimmethegreenlight colt cruised to victory in the Gold Medallion by 5.30 lengths.
A number of pundits believe that No 11 barrier is not a good place to be drawn up the straight at Scottsville but for Lucky Lad it might be an omen because that is exactly where he jumped from last year.
He comes off a sensational triumph in the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein last month when everything that could go wrong did go wrong. He seemed unlikely to run a place at one stage, but he took off late and flew up to snare I Am Giant at the line to win going away by 0.40 lengths.
When he faces Brett Crawford’s charge this time, he will be 3.5kg better off so he should confirm that form.
However, Crawford is probably expecting a lot more from Surjay who ran third in this race last year and was in the same position behind Lucky Lad in the Senor Santa, beaten just 0.60 lengths. He is now 2kg better off with Tarry’s charge so on paper has the opportunity to turn the tables.
But Tarry has a good record at this meeting and he also has the ‘Richard Fourie factor’ on his side.
Dyce will be having his first race since having been gelded and if Lucky Houdalakis’ charge is back to his best he cannot be ignored, despite having to carry top weight.
Gimme A Prince won this race last year and his full sister can give Jackpot players a likely banker in the opening leg, the Allan Robertson Championship for two-year-old fillies.
Gimmie’s Countess made her debut on the Polytrack and scored a runaway 4.20-length win. The runner-up, Spirit Of Levana, came out to win her next race which has franked the form.
Dean Kannemeyer’s yard is in excellent form and it appears Khaya Stables has another champion in the family.
The scratching of Truth from Race 6, the Gold Medallion, has left that race wide open but bettors should not write off Pistol Pete based on his third in the SA Nursery. Tony Peter’s charge was a runaway winner of his first three starts and according to his trainer, it was the soft going that got to the son of Buffalo Bill Cody and not the distance.
Others to consider are impressive debut winner One More, Winds Of Change, the only maiden in the field but has run second in some big Cape Town features, Cymric, Proceed, Cold Shine and Cosmic Speed.
The SA Fillies Sprint also looks quite open but Candice Bass-Robinson has two talented fillies in October Morn and Winter Cloud but Tarry could be on the mark with Mrs Browning, who has found her best form of late.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 11 Cat O'Clock, 12 Littleblackgem, 1 Blind Speed, 3 Lizwile Ilali
Race 2: 12 Rototo, 10 Silver Savage, 1 Rich Folks Hoax, 6 French Flame
Race 3: 4 Buzz Bomb, 7 Willow Express, 10 Iron Will, 3 Lake Como
Race 4: 3 Continentalexpress, 7 Kind Judy, 8 To The Rescue, 9 Vihaan's Bomb
Race 5: 3 Gimmie's Countess, 6 Just Reckless, 1 Quid Pro Quo, 7 Kindred Heart
Race 6: 2 Pistol Pete, 9 One More, 13 Winds Of Change, 5 Cymric
Race 7: 5 Mrs Browning, 4 October Morn, 15 Winter Cloud, 6 White Pearl
Race 8: 11 Lucky Lad, 3 Surjay, 7 Dyce, 16 Melech
Race 9: 14 Mascherina, 3 Elembee, 1 Wonderful, 10 Mountainsofthemoon
BEST BET
Race 5 No 3 Gimmie's Countess
VALUE BET
Race 7 No 5 Mrs Browning
BEST SWINGER
Race 3 4x7
BIPOT
R384
Leg 1: 1, 4, 10, 12
Leg 2: 4, 7
Leg 3: 3, 7, 8, 9
Leg 4: 3
Leg 5: 2, 5, 9, 13
Leg 6: 4, 5, 15
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 4, 7
Leg 2: 3, 7, 8, 9
Leg 3: 3
Leg 4: 2, 9, 13
Leg 5: 4, 5, 15
Leg 6: 11
Leg 7: 1, 3, 14
PICK 6
R2000
Leg 1: 1, 3, 7, 8, 9
Leg 2: 3
Leg 3: 2, 5, 9, 11, 13
Leg 4: 4, 5, 6, 13, 15
Leg 5: 3, 7, 11, 16
Leg 6: 1, 3, 10, 14
JACKPOT 1
R280
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14
Leg 3: 1, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 15
Leg 4: 3, 7, 10, 11, 16
JACKPOT 2
R672
Leg 1: 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14
Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 15
Leg 3: 3, 7, 10, 11, 16
Leg 4: 1, 3, 12, 14