Azzies to fire at the Vaal

While Anna Capri is 2kg better weighted than Rapid Fire in Race 5 at the Vaal on Thursday, a Progress Plate over 1000m on the Classic track, it is the latter who could have the edge based on their most current meeting.

The two last met over 1000m at Turffontein in January where David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Anna Capri got the better of Rapid Fire by 0.75 lengths.

When the two three-year-old fillies meet this time, the Mike and Adam Azzie-trained runner will have the advantage of a 3kg swing in her favour. That should be enough for Rapid Fire to reverse that last defeat.

While this contest should see both fillies up their game, three-year-old gelding Action Packed, trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, is narrowly the runner best handicapped based on merit ratings.

Action Packed has only raced four times, but in one of those he finished just 2.80 lengths behind Erik The Red in the Grade 2 Umkhomazi Stakes at Greyville over 1200m.

He also ran 3.75 lengths behind Kayla’s Champ in his comeback run after an eight-month rest.

Erik The Red has gone on to claim a second Grade 2 victory since, so there is absolutely no question about that form line.

The only question is whether Action Packed has been cured from the respiratory problems he seemed to be suffering from before his break.

If that issue has been resolved, and his fitness level is as expected, he should be on his way to further success.

The fourth runner to come into the picture is Paul Peter-trained Kwite A Trip, who ran well above his rating last time when a 2.25-length second to Al Sakeet, who would go off as odds-on favourite in this field.

What adds an extra dimension to this race is the quality of the four jockeys. We have current champion jockey Warren Kennedy aboard Anna Capri, Lyle Hewitson, who has all but wrapped up his third champion jockey’s title, on Rapid Fire, top-class Gavin Lerena in the irons on Action Packed and new kid on the block Luke Ferraris on Kwite A Trip.

This race should be a real humdinger.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 6 Willow’s Wish, 1 Grace From Above, 4 Quality Joker, 8 Chief Rafeef

Race 2:  2 Kissing Booth, 8 Sky View, 6 Oceans Pride, 7 Just Judy

Race 3:  4 One Block, 1 Immeasurable, 3 Curfew, 2 Naval Guard

Race 4:  1 Wedding Bliss, 2 Arizona Lady, 3 Whole Of The Moon, 4 Way To Dream

Race 5:  2 Rapid Fire, 1 Anna Capri, 6 Action Packed, 4 Kwite A Trip

Race 6:  7 Tuscan Winter, 4 Full Velocity, 1 Portico, 6 Written In Stone

Race 7:  1 Forever Mine, 3 Bold Jazz, 2 Kingsley’s Heart, 4 Rock The Globe

Race 8:  9 Diamonds N Dollars, 6 Ball Rolling, 1 Light Without, 16 Western Dance

BEST BET

Race 7 No 1 Forever Mine

VALUE BET

Race 3 No 4 One Block

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 1×2

BIPOT

R324

Leg 1: 1, 4, 6

Leg 2: 2, 6, 8

Leg 3: 1, 4

Leg 4: 1, 2

Leg 5: 1, 2, 6

Leg 6: 1, 4, 7

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R180

Leg 1: 2, 6, 8

Leg 2: 1, 4

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 1, 2, 6

Leg 5: 1, 4, 7

Leg 6: 1

Leg 7: 1, 3, 6, 9, 16

PICK 6

R1200

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4

Leg 2: 1, 2

Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 6

Leg 4: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7

Leg 5: 1

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16

JACKPOT 1

R40

Leg 1: 1, 2

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 6

Leg 3: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7

Leg 4: 1

JACKPOT 2

R200

Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 6

Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16