Jack Milner
Two days of rain put paid to Tuesday’s race meeting at Turffontein but the sun shone brightly on Wednesday and no rain is being forecast for Thursday.
That indicates it should be all systems go for Thursday’s meeting on the Inside track at Turffontein. However, although Turffontein has decent drainage the going is likely to be on the yielding side so bettors will need to take that into account.
The card does look quite competitive and the scratching of Mike de Kock-trained Silver Sanctuary who lines up in Race 6, a MR 88 Handicap for fillies and mares over 2000m.
This three-year-old filly, who is a full sister to Safe Passage, has only raced four times for two wins and an extremely unlucky second place last time out. She looks a filly to follow but we will have to wait a little longer as she was found to have mucus in the trachea as was De Kock-trained Beamonesque who was due to run in Race 2.
He looked to be the other good bet on the card.
There only other three-year-old in the field is Damostar, trained by Tyrone Zackey and with Silver Sanctuary now out of the racing she could be the runner to beat.
She had been campaigning mainly in sprints in her first six races, but after a couple of failures Zackey opted to try her over 1800m and added a compression hood. That made a remarkable difference, and she belied her starting price of 66-1 by flying past Lady Calavera to win going away by 0.75 lengths.
While the result might have been a shock owing to her form, the fact she stayed on well over distance should not have been as she is a daughter of Flower Alley and is out of a Silvano mare.
However, the strength of that field was not all that great, and she will take a rise in class running in this event. While she does carry bottom weight of 52kg based on her merit rating she is 1kg under sufferance.
Kaidan Brewer gets the ride this time.
Quiet Rebellion for the Stuart Pettigrew yard looks the main threat and needs to be included in all the exotics.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 3 Courageous, 2 Heart Peaks, 9 Springer, 5 Darling Harbour
Race 2: 3 Pure Predator, 4 Ziyasha, 2 Wind Water, 1 Swing Upon A Star
Race 3: 2 Chocolate Bomb, 4 Kinshin Sha, 5 There She Goes, 9 Law Of Success
Race 4: 9 Ampersand, 4 Silver Tudor, 6 Cosmic Star, 8 Sea Anemone
Race 5: 3 Ariel's Jet, 5 Ideal Future, 7 Universal Love, 6 Kind Judy
Race 6: 8 Damostar, 7 Quiet Rebellion, 1 United Council, 9 Pretty In Pearls
Race 7: 3 Celtic Rumours, 6 Good Queen Bess, 2 What A Honey, 8 I Am Regal
Race 8: 2 Trentino, 4 Sunshine Day, 1 Paton's Tears, 3 Primrose Path
BEST BET
Race 2 No 3 Pure Predator
VALUE BET
Race 8 No 2 Trentino
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 3x4
BIPOT
R216
Leg 1: 2, 3, 9
Leg 2: 3
Leg 3: 2, 4, 5
Leg 4: 4, 6, 9
Leg 5: 3, 5, 6, 7
Leg 6: 7, 8
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R192
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 2, 4
Leg 3: 4, 9
Leg 4: 3, 5, 6, 7
Leg 5: 7, 8
Leg 6: 3, 6
Leg 7: 1, 2, 4
PICK 6
R1800
Leg 1: 2, 4, 5, 9, 11
Leg 2: 4, 6, 9
Leg 3: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Leg 4: 7, 8
Leg 5: 3, 6
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7
JACKPOT 1
R72
Leg 1: 4, 6, 9
Leg 2: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Leg 3: 7, 8
Leg 4: 3, 6
JACKPOT 2
R120
Leg 1: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Leg 2: 7, 8
Leg 3: 3, 6
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7