Jack Milner
Trainer Sean Tarry had a few decent two-year-old but two of the best were Proceed and Cosmic Speed.
They both had a good run in KwaZulu-Natal last season with Proceed winning the Grade 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, with Cosmic Speed in second.
The positions were reversed in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville with Cosmic Speed taking the top honours while Proceed ran a gallant second from a wide draw.
They were due to meet again in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville but Proceed was scratched from the race due to an injury. Cosmic Speed was sent off favourite but the Querari gelding did not produce his best form and finished unplaced behind filly VJ’s Angel.
Neither has been see in action this season but Cosmic Speed will be making his return to the track at Turffontein on Saturday when they race on the Standside track.
He will line up in Race 3, a Graduation Plate over 1160m and he is weighted to make it a winning comeback. Based on merit ratings, he is at least 4kg better off with any other runner in the field.
In addition, Tarry has secured the services of leading apprentice Trent Mayhew and he will take an additional 1.5kg off the back of Cosmic Speed.
Mayhew recently rode his 40th winner and that has resulted in his allowance dropping from 2.5kg to 1.5kg.
Cosmic Speed has not yet raced over 1160m on the Standside course but he has won over 1200m on the Inside track and was runner-up at Scottsville over the same trip so the drop in distance from 1600m should not pose any problems.
The main threat could come from Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Cymric who will be having his third run after a layoff and should be super fit.
The Vercingetorix gelding finished second to Taxi On the Moon in his comeback race over 1000m on the Inside track and followed that up with a third place behind Elegant Ice in a strongly contested field.
Another possible banker on the card looks to be Ichacha in Race 4, a Maiden Plate over 1800m. This gelding has placed in all five of his races and his record includes a two-length second behind unbeaten Heather’s Boy over 1450m on the Inside track in his second start.
Unfortunately, Tyrone Zackey’s runner disappointed in his next three runs and in particular the penultimate start when a short-priced favourite, finishing a six-length fourth behind Potberrie. That run did result in thousands of exotic-bet tickets ending up the trash cans, but he did have valid excuses.
His next run, over 1800m on the inside track, saw improvement and after leading through the 200m mark, he was just run out of it by Storm Ahead.
He is likely to go off a short-priced favourite again and he is certainly a Place Accumulator banker but if one feels a little edge about the other exotic, it might be worth backing him up with Joe Soma-trained Serrano, who had an excellent run in his first after having been gelded and looks the main threat.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 2 Vibe SA, 5 Can You Danse, 1 Kwagga Blitz, 8 Mystic Vision
Race 2: 8 Maverick Queen, 6 Cherry Oh Baby, 7 Like A Prayer, 2 Komati River
Race 3: 1 Cosmic Speed, 2 Cymric, 3 Edward Rye, 5 French Bolt
Race 4: 2 Ichacha, 3 Serrano, 8 Casus Belli, 4 Santiago's Pride
Race 5: 4 Clear The Path, 6 Damova, 2 To The Rescue, 1 Banha Bridge
Race 6: 7 Quatermain, 2 Whafeef, 4 Command Pilot, 5 Southern Blaze
Race 7: 7 Hair Trigger, 8 Libeccio, 5 Rattle Bag, 3 MK's Dreams
Race 8: 2 Francine, 1 Chrome Tourmaline, 6 Calantha, 9 We Will Rock You
Race 9: 2 Fastnet Filly, 5 Quasikat, 4 One Party, 11 Twice As Wild
BEST BET
Race 3 No 1 Cosmic Speed
VALUE BET
Race 6 No 7 Quatermain
BEST SWINGER
Race 4 2x3
BIPOT
R162
Leg 1: 6, 7, 8
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 2, 3
Leg 4: 2, 4, 6
Leg 5: 2, 4, 7
Leg 6: 4, 7, 8
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R243
Leg 1: 1
Leg 2: 2
Leg 3: 2, 4, 6
Leg 4: 2, 4, 7
Leg 5: 5, 7, 8
Leg 6: 1, 2, 6
Leg 7: 2, 4, 5
PICK 6
R1920
Leg 1: 2, 3
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 6
Leg 3: 2, 4, 5, 7
Leg 4: 5, 7, 8
Leg 5: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9
Leg 6: 2, 4, 5, 11
JACKPOT 1
R240
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 6
Leg 2: 2, 4, 5, 7
Leg 3: 5, 7, 8
Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9
JACKPOT 2
R240
Leg 1: 2, 4, 5, 7
Leg 2: 5, 7, 8
Leg 3: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9
Leg 4: 2, 4, 5, 11