Jack Milner: Aryaam will attempt to enhance her reputation as a decent stayer when she lines up in the Listed Spook Express Handicap for fillies and mares over 2400m at Turffontein on Saturday.
The meeting, which is run on the Standside track, is the annual Hennenman Memorial Raceday, which commemorates the plane crash of 12 April 1988 in which 13 jockeys, one trainer, five officials, two owners and three crew members lost their lives returning from a race meeting in Bloemfontein.
Other than the feature event, all the other races are named after people who lost their lives in that tragic incident.
Aryaam stepped into the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial over 2000m on this Turffontein track as a maiden, and then went on to beat Ideal Jet by 0.50 lengths.
Sean Tarry’s charge had run four times prior to the Oaks Trial and had placed in all of them, but they were over distances between 1200m and 1600m. Clearly, the daughter of Dynasty enjoyed the longer trip and, out of an Asiatic Boy mare, this 2400m should not be a concern.
The one problem is that the Oaks Trial form has not worked out too well. Runner-up Ideal Jet went on to contest the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over this distance and finished 25 lengths behind War Of Athena.
Trainer Paul Peter explained there had been a lot of rain at Turffontein during week prior the Oaks and as a result Ideal Jet might have not had the ideal prep. “She’s a lot better than that. Just put a line through that run,” he said yesterday.
Aryaam was only penalised 2kg for that effort and comes into the Spook Express carrying just 52.5kg. Lyle Hewitson takes the ride.
There are some well-performed runners in opposition. Smoking Hot has not won over 2400m but she has run some very good races over the distance. Candice Dawson’s charge finished a 1.75-length fourth in the Allez France Handicap behind The Sash in January and then a 4.25-length sixth to Chitengo in the Listed Aquanaut Handicap where she took on the colts.
She does have 60kg to carry this time and has Warren Kennedy up.
Kay Tee Perry has raced against stronger but has not tried this trip, although she did win last time in her first attempt at 1800m.
Best bet on the card looks to be I Dream Of Genie, a daughter of Gimmethegreenlight and well-performed Little Genie who won five of her nine starts. She caught the eye on debut with a fast-finishing second over 1000m and gave the impression a win would not be long in coming.
Mike de Kock’s charge will have come on for that experience so, with natural improvement, should go one better and open her account in Race 3, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1160m.
Craig Zackey rides.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 13 Freed From Desire, 11 South Boy, 9 Lion Of The Desert
Race 2: 3 Tropic Sun, 1 Gallic Princess, 2 Sarah, 7 All Of Me
Race 3: I Dream Of Genie, Lady Of The Flame, Wokonda, Beyond The Runway, Rose Willow
Race 4: 3 Arizona Lady, 2 Princess Thiana, 1 Electric Boots, 4 Siren Of Greece
Race 5: 10 Clarkson, 2 Parallax, 5 Black Thorn, 6 Soldiers Song
Race 6: 4 Lily Blue, 5 Destinys Game, 6 Fort Anne, 3 Shivers
Race 7: 5 Aryaam, 1 Smoking Hot, 2 Kay Tee Perry, 6 She’s A Cracker
Race 8: 1 Shango, 4 Puerto Manzano, 2 Riverstown, 3 Pack Leader
Race 9: 3 Pin Up, 4 Rock You, 9 In Limbo, 5 Lady Amherst
BEST BET
Race 3 No 1 I Dream Of Genie
VALUE BET
Race 5 No 10 Clarkson
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 1×3
BIPOT
R96
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 7
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4
Leg 4: 2, 5, 6, 10
Leg 5: 4, 5
Leg 6: 1, 2, 5
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R324
Leg 1: 7
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3
Leg 3: 2, 5, 10
Leg 4: 4, 5
Leg 5: 1, 5
Leg 6: 1, 2, 4
Leg 7: 3, 4, 9
PICK 6
R1920
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4
Leg 2: 2, 5, 6, 10
Leg 3: 4, 5
Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 6
Leg 5: 1, 2, 4,
Leg 6: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9
JACKPOT 1
R96
Leg 1: 2, 5, 6, 10
Leg 2: 4, 5
Leg 3: 1, 2, 5, 6
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4
JACKPOT 2
R120
Leg 1: 4, 5
Leg 2: 1, 2, 5, 6
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4
Leg 4: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9