Jack Milner: While there are no feature races on Saturday’s card at Turffontein, pundits will be entertained by a card laden with some of the best horses on the Highveld.
Desert Miracle, a 7.90-length winner of the Grade 2 Golden Slipper over 1400m at Greyville on Durban July day, makes her seasonal debut in Race 5, a Progress Plate for fillies and mares over 1450m on the Inside track.
This Mike de Kock-trained daughter of Dynasty has run four times for two wins and two close seconds and despite a 98-day layoff, is all the rage to notch up win No 3.
De Kock will have bigger fish to fry with this classy three-year-old and one would imagine the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth in December is etched into her calendar.
Nevertheless, she is the best-weighted runner in this field and with Gavin Lerena up jumping from No 2 draw, it will come as major shock were she to disappoint her supporters in this event.
A number of potential contenders for the Grade 1 Gauteng Summer Cup will be seen in Race 7, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1800m. Second Base appears to have secured his place in the Grade 1 showpiece over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday 27 November but hopefuls such as Matterhorn, Green Haze, Golden Pheasant, Imperial Ruby, Marchingontogether and Don’t Look Back are all looking to up their respective merit ratings and are carded to race in this Pinnacle Stakes.
Second Base will be among the favourites for the Summer Cup and will have no qualification worries as he is in fourth place on the log. The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained four-year-old has run 12 times for five wins and five places. He did find Malmoos too good in all three legs of the Triple Crown but he did run fourth in the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas, third in the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m and second in the Grade 1 SA Derby.
They could very well meet again as Malmoos is among the Summer Cup entries as is five-time Grade 1 winner Got The Greenlight and SA Triple Tiara champion War Of Athena.
He comes into the race as the best handicapped runner and has at least a 1.5kg advantage over his opposition. The Gimmethegreenlight gelding has already had one warm-up race and the fact he drifted alarmingly in the betting indicated to supporters he would be in need of the race.
Now with that race under his belt, Second Base should be very hard to beat on this occasion. Gavin Lerena takes the ride.
Matterhorn and Marchingontogether both had excellent preparation runs last time in a MR 104 Handicap over 1600m at this course. It was the latter who got the upperhand, beating Matterhorn by 1.10 lengths.
Marchingontogether is 0.5kg better off under the race conditions but Matterhorn looked would have come on with the run and there should be little to choose between the pair this time.
Paul Peter saddles Astrix and Green Haze. The former is preferred but Green Haze needs to win a race of this nature to improve his position on the Summer Cup log.
He has been running close recently and as long as he manages to break on terms, could be the runner to give some cheek, especially with just 54kg on his back.
Craig Zackey gets the ride for the first time.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 8 Pinky Levine, 2 Chutzpah, 7 Capri Gold, 9 Shezafox
Race 2: 6 Smorgasbord, 1 Forever Mine, 3 Tuscan Winter, 2 Sparkling Water
Race 3: 1 Coral Dawn, 2 Golden Aspen, 8 Queen Theodora, 5 Bella Swan
Race 4: 6 Indus Knight, 8 Wokonda, 2 With Pleasure, 9 Scottadito
Race 5: 4 Desert Miracle, 6 Freedom Of Choice, 1 Golden Spoon, 3 Only The Brave
Race 6: 9 Lilliana, 5 Fire Flower, 1 Ancestral Prayer, 3 You Deserve It
Race 7: 1 Second Base, 6 Matterhorn, 8 Marchingontogether, 2 Astrix
Race 8: 2 Love Lies, 1 About To Storm, 9 Samoa, 3 Flower Of Scotland
Race 9: 5 Val D’Orcia, 4 Bold Act, 6 Say When, 9 Fisher King
BEST BET
Race 5 No 4 Desert Miracle
VALUE BET
Race 8 No 2 Love Lies
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 1×6
BIPOT
R162
Leg 1: 1, 6
Leg 2: 1, 2, 8
Leg 3: 2, 6, 8
Leg 4: 4
Leg 5: 1, 5, 9
Leg 6: 1, 6, 8
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R108
Leg 1: 1, 2, 8
Leg 2: 2, 6, 8
Leg 3: 4
Leg 4: 5, 9
Leg 5: 1, 6
Leg 6: 1, 2, 9
Leg 7: 5
PICK 6
R1296
Leg 1: 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Leg 2: 4
Leg 3: 1, 5, 9
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9
Leg 6: 4, 5
JACKPOT 1
R108
Leg 1: 4
Leg 2: 1, 5, 9
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9
JACKPOT 2
R216
Leg 1: 1, 5, 9
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9
Leg 4: 4, 5