Jack Milner
The seasons go round and round in the circle game, wrote singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell and horseracing fans will be witness to those comments at the Vaal on Thursday.
Topping the eight-race card is a Pinnacle Stakes over 1200m and many of the runners will be shaking off the cobwebs of last season’s feature races as they begin their preparations for the upcoming summer season on the Highveld.
All of Lucky Lad, Pistol Pete, Elegant Ice, Chasing Happiness, Dantonfromsandton and Minogue will be having their first races of the season in Race 6, with all of them preparing for their upcoming programme.
There is little doubt Lucky Lad is the best-performed runner in the field but he will be having his first outing since running a 1.90-length fifth behind William Robertson in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein on 29 March.
He missed the entire KwaZulu-Natal winter season but clearly is well enough to be a force in the upcoming season.
Sean Tarry’s charge is a winner of two Grade 1 and two Grade 2 races but has not won since July 2024. Craig Zackey will be taking the ride and Lucky Lad will have 62kg to shoulder.
Zackey has had one ride on the Gimmethegreenlight entire and on that occasion he was also coming back from a rest and finished a 0.20-length second behind William Robertson.
Pistol Pete lost his form late last season but hopefully after a layoff in which he was gelded, he will come back to his best.
He was tried without success to race in blinkers but they have been removed and secondly, he is not a horse who runs well in the wet, so will benefit from the firm going on this occasion. In the Computaform Sprint, which was run in soft going, he finished 0.90 lengths behind Lucky Lad but will now meet the Tony Peter-trained runner on 1.5kg better terms. Calvin Habib gets the ride.
Speaking about Pistol Pete’s chances yesterday, assistant trainer Paul Peter said: “He has definitely improved as a result of the gelding but he has not galloped on the grass so far. However, his work on the sand has been good and we are hoping for a decent run.”
Elegant Ice is speedy and on form holds a few of these runners. But the Lucky Houdalakis-trained mare is better over 1000m although she did record a victory over Buffalo Storm Cody over 1100m at Turffontein.
She has won coming back from a layoff so she does seem to run well when fresh but she could be caught out late in the race.
So, with the fitness of some of these runners in doubt, it might be safer to go with a well-weighted runner from a very in-form stable.
The answer may lie with Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes winner Chasing Happiness, who although returning from a shorter 74-day break, has won both her races coming back from a rest. In addition, three of her six wins have been over 1200m with another two have come over 1160m at Turffontein.
As this is a Pinnacle Stakes, the the-year-old daughter of Rafeef gets a 2.5kg sex allowance which makes her one of the best weighted runners in this field.
She is trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, whose stable is in top form, and will have Muzi Yeni in the irons.
Whatever the fate of Elegant Ice, Houdalakis will surely be expecting a massive effort from Francilien in Race 7, a MR 98 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m.
This daughter of What A Winter came back from a six-and-a-half-month layoff in August to finish a 0.50-length second behind Pretty Persuasive on the Inside track at Turffontein. With Zackey in the irons, as long as there is no second run after a layoff issues, she looks hard to beat.
However, although beaten 4.50 lengths by Francilien last time, the Peter stable are hoping for a big run from Komati River. Her merit rating has dopped and she will be ridden by 4kg claiming apprentice Girish Samo-Burthia.
“Her work has been really good and with the apprentice taking the 4kg off her back we are expecting a big run. Punters should include her in their exotics,” said Peter.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 7 Mme Huntress, 8 Red Secret, 3 Willow Lady, 1 Phuthi
Race 2: 5 Miami Mountain, 10 Trajanus, 11 Wayne, 8 Red Sunrise
Race 3: 4 Ethical, 5 Frangipani, 1 Nkwenkwezi, 6 Sassy Lassie
Race 4: 10 My Lucky Charm, 6 Trip To Peace, 1 Majalun, 7 All On Red
Race 5: 6 Echo Check, 13 Clairwood Rose, 2 Shinto Shrine, 5 Willowild
Race 6: 3 Chasing Happiness, 1 Lucky Lad, 2 Pistol Pete, 7 Elegant Ice
Race 7: 4 Francilien, 7 Valieva, 6 Komati River, 1 Francine
Race 8: 1 Versace Onthetrack, 2 Malibu, 6 Red Amber, 5 Whirlybird
BEST BET
Race 4: 10 My Lucky Charm
VALUE BET
Race 6: 3 Chasing Happiness
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 5x10
BIPOT
R160
Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8
Leg 2: 5, 10
Leg 3: 4, 5
Leg 4: 10
Leg 5: 6, 13
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 7
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R144
Leg 1: 5, 10
Leg 2: 4, 5
Leg 3: 10
Leg 4: 6, 13
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3
Leg 6: 4, 7
Leg 7: 1, 2, 6
PICK 6
R1500
Leg 1: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 2: 10
Leg 3: 2, 6, 13
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7
Leg 5: 1, 4, 6, 7
Leg 6: 1, 2, 5, 6, 11
JACKPOT 1
R60
Leg 1: 10
Leg 2: 2, 6, 13
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7
Leg 4: 1, 4, 6, 7
JACKPOT 2
R240
Leg 1: 2, 6, 13
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7
Leg 3: 1, 4, 6, 7
Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 6, 11