Jack Milner: A highly competitive Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m tops the card at Tuesday’s race meeting on the Vaal Classic track, but Bold Ransom could be up to the task.
When it come to plate races, one can often whittle it down to two or three runners but in the case of Race 6, one can make a winning argument for most of the 10 runners.
The best weighted runner is Mind Reader, a five-year-old mare trained by Roy Magner. The stable is in top form and this daughter of Visionaire has the ability to win this event. If one looks at the form of the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein in May, she had Bold Ransom and Rivarine behind her and is better weighted with both runners.
The one problem is she has not raced since finishing unplaced in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m at Scottsville on 6 June.
While she still could win, Magner is probably looking at a couple of feature races during the summer season on the Highveld so it might be better to look for a runner whose fitness will not be an issue.
Bold Ransom, Rapid Fire and Valyrian King answer that call. They contested a Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m at Turffontein in August and Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Rapid Fire touched off Valyrian King by a short head with Bold Ransom in third place.
Rapid Fire is now 1.5kg worse off with the other two and that should make this very close. However, Bold Ransom is better than that last run and with Warren Kennedy back in the irons the Paul Peter-trained gelding gets the nod to add a seventh victory to his tally.
The Mike de Kock stable has struck form at the right time, and they have started to churn out the winners again.
The stable has three runners on the card, all with winning chances, in Races 2 and 4, both Maiden Plates, over 1200m and 1600m respectively.
De Kock has two runners in Race 2 for fillies and mares – Pink Legacy, who has run twice, and debutante Definitely Maybe.
Pink Legacy finished second on debut and her next unplaced run can be excused as she was coughing badly post-race. She comes back in distance but must be in with a big chance. Craig Zackey is back aboard.
Definitely Maybe has Gavin Lerena up and this daughter of Silvano has been chalked up the 16-10 favourite so this could be a De Kock 1-2.
Motown Magic lines up in Race 4 and he has run four times for two thirds followed by two close seconds. The race did not work out well for him last time after a three-month break and he only went down 0.50 lengths to Equillo.
S’manga Khumalo rode him and has been engaged once again.
The main danger looks to be Sean Tarry-trained Indelible who has raced twice for two places but is coming back from an 87-day break.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 5 Arverni Warrior, 6 Edward Longshanks, 8 Moya Wa Laliga, 3 Cross Examiner
Race 2: 11 Pink Legacy, 5 Definitely Maybe, 7 Escape Artist, 3 Red Hot
Race 3: 1 Ontheverge, 9 Putting Green, 8 By Crikey Man, 6 Twenty Four Kay
Race 4: 1 Motown Magic, 6 Indelible, 7 JP Two Thousand, 5 Broadway Tune
Race 5: 9 Platinum Sky, 2 Theory Of Flight, 1 Prince Evlanoff, 8 Banha Bridge
Race 6: 2 Bold Ransom, 5 Valyrian King, 7 Rapid Fire, 6 Mind Reader
Race 7: 1 Anne Boleyn, 4 Sultanah, 6 Phoenix, 8 Toto
Race 8: 1 Hollywoodbound, 3 Lady Calavera, 6 Sister Light, 5 Just Fabulous
BEST BET
Race 1 No 5 Arverno Warrior
VALUE BET
Race 5 No 9 Platinum Sky
BEST SWINGER
Race 4 1×6
BIPOT
R96
Leg 1: 5
Leg 2: 5, 11
Leg 3: 1, 9
Leg 4: 1, 6
Leg 5: 1, 2, 8, 9
Leg 6: 2, 5, 7
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R162
Leg 1: 5, 11
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1, 2, 9
Leg 5: 2, 5, 7
Leg 6: 1, 4, 6
Leg 7: 1, 3, 6
PICK 6
R1920
Leg 1: 1, 9
Leg 2: 1, 6, 7
Leg 3: 1, 2, 8, 9, 10
Leg 4: 2, 5, 6, 7
Leg 5: 1, 4, 6, 8
Leg 6: 1, 3, 5, 6
JACKPOT 1
R240
Leg 1: 1, 6, 7
Leg 2: 1, 2, 8, 9, 10
Leg 3: 2, 5, 6, 7
Leg 4: 1, 4, 6, 8
JACKPOT 2
R320
Leg 1: 1, 2, 8, 9, 10
Leg 2: 2, 5, 6, 7
Leg 3: 1, 4, 6, 8
Leg 4: 1, 3, 5, 6