Drink  a toast to Soma

Jack Milner

Trainer Joe Soma has openly admitted his current group of runners is about the best he has ever had. He is also not a person who overly elaborates the ability of his horses so when he talks highly about an individual, one needs to stand up and take notice.

Avoontoast is one of those horses. This half-sister to another of Soma’s inmates, Grade 1 World Sports Betting SA Classic winner Red Saxon, has only run twice, finishing third on debut and then scoring a runaway win in her second outing.

There was talk for the daughter of Twice Over on debut, but she drifted from an opening call of 5-2 to go off at 7-1. She lost ground at the start of this race over 1160m at Turffontein but ran on powerfully to finish just 0.35 lengths behind Rockingthetimeaway.

The money poured on to her for her second outing over 1400m at Turffontein and there was confidence oozing from the stable. However, those who took the 12-10 must have felt somewhat concerned when Avoontoast again lost quite a bit of ground at the start and turned for home 11 lengths off the leader. They were probably even more concerned when she was still some seven lengths back at the 400m mark.

But when S’manga Khumalo asked for an effort she responded like a top horse and in a matter of strides hit the front and put the race to bed, beating Call To Glory by 5.50 lengths.

She is clearly still learning her trade but Soma has enough confidence to throw her into the deep end on Thursday when she will line-up in Race 6, a MR 90 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1450m on the Inside track.

She will be coming up against some highly experienced runners such as Wokonda, Princess Philippa and National Star, but Khumalo has stuck with her and Avoontoast could justify Soma’s faith in her ability.

Hopefully, she doesn’t give away too much start because on the Inside track it will be tricky to make up the ground.      

Wokonda has been racing against some decent opposition and Roy Magner’s charge, with Muzi Yeni up, does stand out as the main danger.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 8 Spring In Heaven, 1 Soldier's Eye, 5 Key Element, 6 Leonessa

Race 2: 3 Miss Christmas, 4 Unyielding, 2 Idabelle, 7 Dame Colleen

Race 3: 2 Damned If I Do, 3 Southern Style, 7 Elusive Fire, 1 Ghost Ship

Race 4: 6 Cian The Conqueror, 7 Fostinovo, 5 Goliath Heron, 9 Smith And Wesson

Race 5: 3 Cosmic Star, 1 Stormy Seas, 7 Great Times, 4 Nettleton

Race 6: 4 Avoontoast, 1 Wokonda, 2 Princess Philippa, 5 National Star

Race 7: 8 Vanderbilt, 1 Forever Mine, 2 Outofthedarkness, 9 Norton Sound

Race 8: 4 Napoleon, 3 Mcebisi, 7 Tinder Dry, 8 Kwazzi's Lady

BEST BET

Race 3 No 2 Damned If I Do

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 8 Vanderbilt

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 6x7

BIPOT

R72

Leg 1: 1, 8

Leg 2: 2, 3, 4

Leg 3: 2

Leg 4: 6, 7

Leg 5: 1, 3, 7

Leg 6: 1, 4

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 2, 3, 4

Leg 2: 2

Leg 3: 6, 7

Leg 4: 1, 3

Leg 5: 1, 4

Leg 6: 1, 2, 8

Leg 7: 3, 4, 7

PICK 6

R720

Leg 1: 2

Leg 2: 5, 6, 7

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4

Leg 5: 1, 2, 8, 9

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8

JACKPOT 1

R144

Leg 1: 5, 6, 7

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 4

Leg 4: 1, 2, 8, 9

JACKPOT 2

R240

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4

Leg 3: 1, 2, 8, 9

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8