Jack Milner
Trainers Mike and Mathew de Kock might be regretting that Piere Strydom has decided to quit just three days before White Pearl takes to the track in another feature race.
The five-year-old daughter of Danon Platina will line up in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday and she could well pick up the fifth success of her career.
The interesting fact is that of her four wins, Strydom has been aboard in two of them including her biggest win, which was in the Grade 2 Ipi Tombe Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein.
However, he will be watching from the sidelines and it will be up to Callan Murray, who will ride her for the first time, to bring her home.
The grey mare has had to play second fiddle to horses such as globetrotting star Gimme A Nother and Mrs Geriatrix, and if she can find that form she would certainly be hard to beat. But she showed that she trained on this past season with her win in that gutsy Ipi Tombe Stakes victory.
White Pearl is weighted to win this and she has a full 3kg weight advantage over next best Callmegetrix who interestingly finished 0.30 lengths ahead of her in the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes. However, White Pearl was found to be in season and did not give of her best so should turn the form around.
For value at the meeting it could be worth following maidens Carnival Park (Race 4) and Cassandra (Race 6). The former may be easy to back as he did not back up the form with World Of Royalty against whom he ran on well to finish second behind over 1600m. The latter subsequently took his place in the Grade 1 Premiers Champions Stakes on Gold Cup Day.
Carnival Park, who should now relish 1800m, may have found 1400m a touch sharp in his last start where he, nevertheless, finished a decent third.
Cassandra has run well in all three starts and is running in a lower division handicap. She looked dangerous against a Highveld raider last time and that form may be good enough against batting handicappers.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Blazing Beauty, 7 Queen Fenn, 4 Bilingual, 9 Kali Bwana
Race 2: 4 Kanaal Skater, 1 That'll B The Day, 8 Trois Sept Huit, 5 Coccolina
Race 3: 4 Devoted, 8 Boardwalk Breeze, 1 Town Crier, 7 Barry's Boy
Race 4: 2 Carnival Park, 3 Call Me Wild, 7 Call Me Harriet, 14 Twilight Warrior
Race 5: 3 Another Dream, 2 Queen Amina, 4 Princess Palace, 1 Ginger Delight
Race 6: 7 Cassandra, 6 Amafort, 2 Roy Taking Off, 1 Mountainsofthemoon
Race 7: 3 White Pearl, 9 Callmegetrix, 2 Two G's, 4 Sovereign Grant
Race 8: 1 Rafa's Boy, 2 Trafalgar Square, 4 Catavar, 5 Chara Sands
BEST BET
Race 2 No 4 Kanaal Skater
VALUE BET
Race 4 No 2 Carnival Park
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 1x4
BIPOT
R108
Leg 1: 1, 7
Leg 2: 4
Leg 3: 1, 4, 8
Leg 4: 2, 3
Leg 5: 2, 3, 6
Leg 6: 2, 6, 7
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R108
Leg 1: 4
Leg 2: 1, 4, 8
Leg 3: 2, 3
Leg 4: 2, 3, 6
Leg 5: 2, 6, 7
Leg 6: 3, 9
Leg 7: 1
PICK 6
R1125
Leg 1: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8
Leg 2: 2, 3, 7
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Leg 4: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9
Leg 5: 2, 3, 9
Leg 6: 1
JACKPOT 1
R225
Leg 1: 2, 3, 7
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Leg 3: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9
Leg 4: 2, 3, 9
JACKPOT 2
R75
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Leg 2: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9
Leg 3: 2, 3, 9
Leg 4: 1