Drop in class favours Barbaresco

Jack Milner

Barbaresco takes a massive drop in class at the Vaal on Tuesday and looks hard to oppose in Race 6, a Graduation Plate over 1400m up the Vaal straight.

Other than his last race, the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained three-year-old has been ultra-consistent, notching up two wins, three seconds and a third in his first six starts. Those runner-up positions in particular were impressive as they were against Pure Predator, Sandringham Summit and Main Defender, three of the best three-year-olds in the country.

The 1.10-length second behind Main Defender was particularly noteworthy as it came in the Grade 3 Betway Got The Greenlight Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein. That performance looked even more significant when Main Defender came out to win the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m, beating some of the best milers around.

Under the race conditions of the Got The Greenlight Stakes, the penalty given to Barbaresco was restricted, despite having run way above that rating. That meant when he ran his next race in a MR 96 Handicap over 1600m, he was thrown in at the weights and it came as no surprise that he was sent out at odds of around 6-10.

He duly obliged, and easily beat Slinky Mapimpi by 2.50 lengths.

Barbaresco was then entered for the Grade 1 SA Classic for three-year-olds over 1800m but he disappointed when finishing eighth, 6.50 lengths behind Purple Pitcher. There were excuses, however, he was drawn widest of all, ended up too far back and trying 1800m for the first time the Gimmethegreenlight gelding did pull.

It is possible he may have found 1800m a touch too far.

Barbaresco should relish the drop to 1400m and the fact he is reunited with jockey Gavin Lerena.  

It is also worth noting that he has had two excellent seconds in soft going. The first was behind Sandringham Summit and the second was that run behind Main Defender.  

He is not, however, the best weighted runner. That role belongs to The Africa House who is 2kg better handicapped. That is because as a one-time winner he gets to carry 57kg while two-time winners are allotted 60kg.

Nevertheless, on the form of the Got The Greenlight Stakes, Barbaresco still has the edge. In that race he finished 4.65 lengths ahead of The Africa House and the weight turnaround should not be enough to reverse the result.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 5 Cymric, 2 King Of Kildare, 6 Global Zee, 7 Varace

Race 2: 1 Golden Chandelier, 6 Peace Of Mind, 7 Valieva, 2 Force Eight

Race 3: 7 Wings Within Me, 2 Rockets Red Glare, 11 War Queen, 10 Women Of Fame

Race 4: 1 Mia Fiore, 2 Alesia's Love, 4 Quick Trip, 11 Raining Rubies

Race 5: 2 Twin Turbo, 7 Sugar Blast, 10 Poorlittlerichgirl, 8 Trois Trois Quatre

Race 6: 1 Barbaresco, 4 The Africa House, 7 Sabre Strike, 2 Wyzeact

Race 7: 3 Cerulean Dancer, 5 Dancing Dora, 11 Bad Hair Day, 9 Kittyboys Girl

Race 8: 1 Bob's Your Uncle, 12 Open Highway, 13 Holocene, 11 Kashkaval

BEST BET

Race 6 No 1 Barbaresco

VALUE BET

Race 5 No 2 Twin Turbo

BEST SWINGER

Race 6 1x4

BIPOT

R120

Leg 1: 5

Leg 2: 1, 6

Leg 3: 2, 7, 10, 11

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4

Leg 5: 2, 7, 8, 10, 11

Leg 6: 1

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R324

Leg 1: 1, 6

Leg 2: 2, 7, 11

Leg 3: 1, 2

Leg 4: 2, 7, 10

Leg 5: 1

Leg 6: 3, 5, 11

Leg 7: 1, 12, 13

PICK 6

R1875

Leg 1: 1, 2, 7, 10, 11

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4

Leg 3: 2, 3, 7, 8, 10

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 2, 3, 5, 9, 11

Leg 6: 1, 9, 11, 12, 13

JACKPOT 1

R75

Leg 1: 1, 2, 4

Leg 2: 2, 3, 7, 8, 10

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 9, 11

JACKPOT 2

R125

Leg 1: 2, 3, 7, 8, 10

Leg 2: 1

Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 9, 11

Leg 4: 1, 9, 11, 12, 13