Jack Milner
The Speedster Stakes (Non-Black Type) over 1000m heads up the card at Fairview on Friday and the outcome will depend on the current form of Cruise Control.
Gavin Smith’s charge is an 11-time winner and his connections felt he was good enough to send to KwaZulu-Natal for their champion season. He transferred to Duncan Howells’ yard and contested three races – two Grade 1s and a Grade 2 – where he took on the best in the land. While he failed to win a race, the now five-year-old Querari gelding was far from disgraced.
He started off in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and ran a cracker, only caught late by three others to go down just 0.30 lengths to Lucky Lad.
His second run came in the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville where he went off as one of the favourites. Cruise Control moved up strongly in the straight but had little to come and finished a 3.35-length fifth behind Café Culture.
Unfortunately, he drew really wide in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint and that left Muzi Yeni little option but to use his speed to overcome the draw. But once again he failed to sustain the effort and ended up 4.90 lengths behind winner Surjay at level weights.
Now he is back home with Smith in the Eastern Cape and this race should be right up his sleeve.
He has won three of his four starts over the course and distance but even more significant Louie Mxothwa, who is in the irons once again, has ridden this gelding four times for four wins.
Justin Snaith is in town and his charge, Speed Machine, looks the main threat to Cruise Control. However, this seven-year-old has not won for some time now and will probably need a soft track to find his best form.
Snaith has some decent contenders on this card and looks unlikely to go home empty handed.
Jack In The Green has run against stronger and looks hard to beat in Race 4 with Muzi Yeni up but the better bet from the Snaith yard is Innamorare in Race 8, a Middle Stakes over 1400m.
This Master Of My Fate gelding has won four times over this trip and comes to the Eastern Cape in good form. The gelding found interference last time out and Yeni replaces Grant van Niekerk this time.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Sweet Cake, 4 Audacious, 3 Fire Festival, 8 Summer Heat
Race 2: 2 Runaway Song, 1 Zatara Magic, 4 Bournemouth, 5 Harold The Duke
Race 3: 4 Coral Creek, 1 Kohana, 6 Oliver Twist, 2 Lucky Spirit
Race 4: 1 Jack In The Green, 4 Anchor Man, 2 Storm Boulevard, 7 Donny's Boy
Race 5: 8 Lady Writer, 10 Arabian Red, 7 Beau Kala, 5 Catch Your Breath
Race 6: 7 Mo Flow, 5 Juan Carlos, 1 No Place Like Home, 2 Downing Seven
Race 7: 1 Cruise Control, 2 Speed Machine, 4 Slim Jannie, 6 Blue Holly
Race 8: 1 Innamorare, 7 Masked Vigilante, 2 Brenden James, 5 Alingalonga
Race 9: 5 Work Of Time, 1 Ellorix, 7 Ella's Delight, 10 Miss Shaivi
BEST BET
Race 7: 1 Cruise Control
VALUE BET
Race 9: 5 Work Of Time
BEST SWINGER
Race 8 1x7
BIPOT
R324
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 6
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4
Leg 4: 7, 8, 10
Leg 5: 1, 5, 7
Leg 6: 1
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R243
Leg 1: 1, 4, 6
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4
Leg 3: 7, 8, 10
Leg 4: 1, 5, 7
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 1
Leg 7: 1, 5, 7
PICK 6
R1440
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 7
Leg 2: 3, 5, 7, 8, 10
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 1, 7
Leg 6: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10
JACKPOT 1
R60
Leg 1: 3, 5, 7, 8, 10
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1, 7
JACKPOT 2
R72
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 1, 7
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10