Jack Milner
Fans of the award-winning movie Chariots Of Fire will be familiar with the name Eric Liddell. He was the Scottish runner who, as a devout Christian, refused to contest the heats of the 100m at the 1928 Olympics because they were staged on a Sunday.
He did run in the 400m, which he won, because it was run on a weekday. Sadly, he died in an internment camp in China in 1945 at the age of 43, just five months before the camp was liberated.
His equine namesake takes his place in Race 5, a Maiden Plate over 2000m, at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday and appears ready to honour the man after whom he has been named.
This son of Futura is a half-brother to See It Again who is all set to line up in the Grade 2 Ridgemont Green Point Stakes over 1600m at this venue on Saturday and hopefully trainer Michael Roberts has sorted out his problems at the starting stalls.
Trained by Justin Snaith, Eric Liddell has raced four times and after two disappointing runs the decision was taken to geld him. His first run back after the surgery saw him finish strongly to end up a 3.45-length third behind Joshua over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.
The three-year-old was fitted with blinkers for his next start and again, racing over 1800m at Kenilworth this time, ran on well to finish a 1.70-length third behind Wehaveasituation. That race was still on the Winter course and the manner in which he races indicates the longer run-in on the Summer course will be right up his street.
JP van der Merwe has ridden Eric Liddell in his last two races and he will be in the irons once again.
Well enough drawn in gate No 5 and with this not looking to be the strongest of fields, his connections might have found the perfect race for Eric Liddell to shed his maiden tag.
Snaith has some other decent runners on the card and he should get bettors off to the perfect start in Race 1 where he sends out Vroom Vroom to contest this Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1200m.
The Gimmethegreenlight filly with Richard Fourie up found only one better in highly regarded Gimmeanotherviking on debut. A repeat of that performance will see her win but she is likely to go off at very short odds.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 7 Vroom Vroom, 1 Silver Salute, 4 Miss Attitude, 3 Lady Orbit
Race 2: 2 Black Erika, 5 Fantine, 3 Winter In Auckland, 7 Bluffton
Race 3: 5 Loui's Star, 6 Cassandra, 8 Pacific Waters, 2 Beautiful One
Race 4: 6 Homing Pigeon, 8 Peaches And Cream, 7 Reflect, 1 Her World
Race 5: 5 Eric Liddell, 6 Fast And Free, 11 Seafarer, 10 Phantom Man
Race 6: 7 Pushing Limits, 8 Claude Monet, 1 Country Time, 4 Morfeliha
Race 7: 4 Elusive Winter, 2 Black Cheetah, 3 Winter Snap, 5 October Storm
Race 8: 5 His Majesty, 3 Gallic Dream, 2 Legal Counsel, 7 I Salute You
Race 9: 3 Chance Encounter, 1 Charlie Bucket, 13 Perfect Impact, 10 Mercenary
BEST BET
Race 5: 5 Eric Liddell
VALUE BET
Race 3: 5 Loui's Star
BEST SWINGER
Race 4 6x8
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 2, 3, 5
Leg 2: 5, 6, 8
Leg 3: 6, 8
Leg 4: 5
Leg 5: 1, 4, 7, 8
Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 5
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R324
Leg 1: 5, 6, 8
Leg 2: 6, 8
Leg 3: 5
Leg 4: 1, 7, 8
Leg 5: 2, 3, 4
Leg 6: 2, 3, 5
Leg 7: 1, 3
PICK 6
R1125
Leg 1: 6, 7, 8
Leg 2: 5
Leg 3: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8
Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 5: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
Leg 6: 1, 3, 13
JACKPOT 1
R125
Leg 1: 5
Leg 2: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8
Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
JACKPOT 2
R375
Leg 1: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8
Leg 2: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
Leg 4: 1, 3, 13