Eiger Sanction aims for five in a row

Jack Milner

There is a belief among many horseplayers that as long as a horse keeps winning, one should keep following it until it loses.

That looks to be the case with St John Gray’s Eiger Sanction who on his fourth successive race at the Vaal last week.

Gray and jockey Muzi Yeni have been in remarkable form of late and this four-year-old son of Potala Palace has just kept winning.

They will be looking to extend that to five at Turffontein on Tuesday when Eiger Sanction lines up in Race 3, a MR 80 Handicap over 1800m on the Inside track.

He obviously took last week’s run very well when he showed tremendous courage to get up close home to beat Total Surrender by a long head.    

He did get a five-point penalty for that win so he will carry 2.5kg more than the carded weight of 59kg.

That does mean that his merit rating will have gone up 20 points since the winning run began on 31 August, and clearly means it will get tougher as his opposition gets stronger.  

It is worth noting that Eiger Sanction’s improvement came after Gray took the decision to remove the blinkers.

Yeni could also get punters off to a winning start in Race 1 where he rides Panning Gold for trainer Alson Ndzilana in this Maiden Plate over 2000m.

This gelding may have been a big disappointment last time after being heavily backed to win over this distance against winners. He did have excuses in that he was reported not to be striding freely, and he is now drops back to maiden company.

In fact, based on merit ratings he is at least 7.5kg better off with any of his opposition.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 4 Panning Gold, 9 Yojimbo, 5 Cliffie Clavin, 2 The Merciful

Race 2: 3 Zoombomber, 1 Callaburn, 2 Guy Alexander, 5 Rainy Season

Race 3: 4 Eiger Sanction, 12 The Octagon, 5 DJ Junior, 6 Hazlo Grande

Race 4: 3 Pacific, 1 Basingstoke, 9 Twice As Wild, 11 Tibetan Voyage

Race 5: 5 Kia Kaha, 3 Arilena, 1 Autumn Var, 7 Stroopsoet

Race 6: 1 Nettleton, 2 Green Flash, 8 Poblano, 4 Bosum Buddy

Race 7: 5 Andi's Girl, 8 Across The Pond, 10 Risky Business, 1 Duenna

Race 8: 5 Say It Loud, 4 Queen Of Love, 7 Future Date, 8 Honorable Member

Race 9: 7 Palace Dancer, 5 Oxalis Gold, 2 Twostep Queen, 1 Courageous

BEST BET

Race 7 No 5 Andi's Girl

VALUE BET

Race 3 No 4 Eiger Sanction

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 4x9

BIPOT

R216

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3

Leg 2: 4, 5, 6, 12

Leg 3: 1, 3, 9

Leg 4: 1, 3, 5

Leg 5: 1, 2

Leg 6: 5

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 4, 5, 12

Leg 2: 1, 3, 9

Leg 3: 1, 2, 8

Leg 4: 1, 2

Leg 5: 5

Leg 6: 4, 5

Leg 7: 5, 7

PICK 6

R720

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 9, 11

Leg 2: 1, 3, 5, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 8

Leg 4: 5

Leg 5: 4, 5, 7

Leg 6: 1, 2, 5, 7

JACKPOT 1

R36

Leg 1: 1, 3, 5, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 8

Leg 3: 5

Leg 4: 4, 5, 7

JACKPOT 2

R36

Leg 1: 1, 2, 8

Leg 2: 5

Leg 3: 4, 5, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 7