Jack Milner
Two horses, their trainers, owners and jockeys, head into Saturday’s Turffontein meeting with high hopes they will be able to keep their hopes alive of capturing this year’s respective SA Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara.
Both Parisian Walkway and Spumante Dolce showed tremendous courage in winning the first leg of the competitions, the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
In theory it is a notch up for the pair but chatting to their trainers, Alec Laird and Mike de Kock, after that race, both felt they would battle over 1600m but would be better over 1800m in the Grade 1 TAB SA Classic and Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic.
So that means this second leg, coming up against mostly the same opposition, should be a doddle for both of them, right.
Don’t bet on it!
A number of runners will be better prepared this time and a few had hard-luck stories in the Guineas.
So, that will make Day 2 of the Championships a sensational afternoon of racing, the meeting headed up by three Grade 1 – the R1.5-million Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1) over 1600m, the R1.5-million TAB SA Classic (Grade 1) and the R1.25-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1), both over 1800m.
They are supported by four other feature races, the Grade 3 JJ The Jet Plane Stakes over 1160m, the Listed Acacia Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m and two Listed 1000m races for juveniles, the Ruffian Stakes for fillies and the Storm Bird Stakes.
There is also R1 million kicking off the Pick 6 with the pool likely to reach R5 million. Turffontein is a standalone meeting and it would come as no surprise to see that figure surpassed.
In the case of the SA Fillies Classic Spumante Dolce will have the benefit of not facing a rematch against Quid Pro Quo whose international adventure has begun, and she goes into quarantine before she flies out of the country.
However, a rematch between the other two, separated by just a neck in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, is slated to take place with Raymond Danielson back on Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Spumante Dolce and Gavin Lerena back in the irons on Tony Peter-trained VJ’s Angel.
Spumante Dolce, by Vercingetorix and a three-part sister to Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Sparkling Water, is unbeaten in three starts and can only get better as she gets older. So, on her side is the improvement factor as well as the additional 200m.
Danielson was over the moon with her performance and he will be brimming with confidence ahead of this next challenge.
However, VJ’s Angel lost a little ground at the start and was finishing like an express train. In fact, she was almost six lengths behind Spumante Dolce going through the 400m mark and ran the final section in a full second faster than the winner.
One has to respect Peter’s charge over the additional trip but she cannot be allowed to give the field start. She was drawn No 12 of the 13 runners last time which is not a great place to be over 1600m at Turffontein. This time she will jump from gate No 8 while Spumante Dolce, drawn No 3 last time, will be alongside her in gate No 7.
Then we have Fiery Pegasus who, although beaten 1.90 lengths into fourth place, could also show marked improvement. Jockey Muzi Yeni admits that things “did not go as planned” and this time Richard Fourie gets the ride on the Joe Soma-trained filly.
There is little doubt trainer Laird has the high ground in the SA Classic with his three runners all well fancied in the betting. Laird was devastated when a virus forced him to pull Fire Attack out of the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas. “You can’t believe the emotions I’ve gone through having to scratch that horse,” Laird said after the Guineas. “He’s such a lekker horse, but he’ll be back for the Classic.”
He is back and he is very classy individual. Unfortunately, he missed out on his planned warm-up last week as the meeting was washed out but hopefully they have managed to do all the work needed at home.
Lerena has stuck with him and there is no questioning his class.
Of course, there was a lot to like about the gutsy effort of Parisian Walkway who led for almost the entire way and was just headed for a short while around the 200m mark when favourite Greaterix hit the front. But Laird’s charge would not throw in the towel and kept going to hold get the better of the De Kock-trained runner.
Diego de Gouveia retains the ride on the Ideal World gelding.
Laird also has Aristotle who ran a very decent this in his first race on the Highveld. The connections did not know what to expect from him and were delighted with his third-place finish. That run will have brought him on and the Rafeef gelding will be a strong force this time around with Kabelo Matsunyane back in the irons.
Then we also need to consider Legend Of Arthur. Sean Tarry felt his charge would need the outing going into the Guineas so he will not have felt too disappointed with his fourth place, especially as he suffered quite a bit of interference.
The Lancaster Bomber colt will run a much-improved race this time and he too has Fourie in the irons.
Greaterix will miss the SA Classic but he will contest the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut over 1600m where he will be taking on the defending champion, suitably names Main Defender. Peter’s charge has had the perfect preparation going into the race and he will not be easy to depose.
Gavin Lerena knows the Pathfork gelding well and will be feeling pretty confident going into the race run at weight-for-age and he comes out as the best-weighted runner by at least 2.5kg.
Greaterix does get a 3kg age allowance which should assist his chances and Yeni will be back in the irons. But he still has stamina doubts and they will once again be put to the test.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Elegantrix, 2 Glastonbury, 5 Green Diamond, 6 Princess Keira
Race 2: 1 Read All About It, 4 Constellation, 2 Bingo, 7 Tina Lovelace
Race 3: 3 Hotarubi, 2 The Africa House, 1 Gimmeanotherchance, 7 Calantha
Race 4: 10 Night Bomber, 3 Cymric, 1 Just Be Lekker, 8 Rollwiththepunches
Race 5: 2 Lady Fallon, 3 Minogue, 15 Tried And True, 7 Andi's Girl
Race 6: 1 Spumante Dolce, 2 VJ's Angel, 3 Fiery Pegasus, 6 Willy Meet Again
Race 7: 1 Parisian Walkway, 3 Fire Attack, 4 Legend Of Arthur, 2 Aristotle
Race 8: 1 Main Defender, 8 Greaterix, 2 Barbaresco, 9 Cosmic Speed
Race 9: 4 Golden Sickle, 2 William Robertson, 6 Chocolate Soldier, 10 Mount Pilatus
Race 10: 8 Gimme A Storm, 7 War Of Kingdoms, 2 Amandla Ngawethu, 1 Pibe De Oro
BEST BET
Race 1: No 1 Elegantrix
VALUE BET
Race 3: No 3 Hotarubi
BEST SWINGER
Race 6 1x2
BIPOT
R450
Leg 1: 1, 4
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3
Leg 3: 1, 3, 8, 10, 11
Leg 4: 2, 3, 7, 9, 15
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 1, 3, 4
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R384
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3
Leg 2: 1, 3, 8, 10
Leg 3: 2, 3, 7, 15
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 1, 3
Leg 6: 1
Leg 7: 3, 4, 6, 10
PICK 6
R2880
Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15
Leg 3: 1, 2
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4
Leg 5: 1, 8
Leg 6: 2, 4, 6, 10
JACKPOT 1
R120
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15
Leg 2: 1, 2
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4
Leg 4: 1, 8
JACKPOT 2
R108
Leg 1: 1, 3, 4
Leg 2: 1, 8
Leg 3: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10
Leg 4: 2, 7, 8