Fillies to fight out Senor Santa

Jack Milner

Racing fans are in for an intriguing day at Turffontein on Saturday with the running of the Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m and three Listed races, the Derby Trial, the Ormond Ferraris Oaks trial, both over 2000m, and the Aquanaut Handicap over 2400m.

With fillies and mares getting a 2.5kg sex allowance, it come as no surprise the top four best weighted runners are the ladies and they are expected to fight it out.

The race could be fought out by the pair trained by Sean Tarry – Big Burn and Princess Calla.

Both have excellent form in sprints and both have run well against the colts.

Big Burn, in particular, catches the eye. She loves this course and distance, having run five times for two wins and two seconds.

Her one unplaced run is also best ignored as she pulled up fatigued, unable to show her true form. In total, she has run 11 times at Turffontein for four wins, four second and two thirds so there is much expectation she will be fighting out the finish.

However, there has been an interesting change in jockey arrangements as Richard Fourie, who rode her last time, has been engaged by Tarry to ride Princess Calla, while JP van der Merwe, who is in terrific form, will be aboard Big Burn for the first time.

It has been a shrewd move by Tarry to bring Princess Cala back to sprints as it has proved most successful.

Until then, she was racing over middle distance with some decent success. She finished second to War Of Athena in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 at Hollywoodbets Greyville and also won the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein.

It was after that run she moved to Tarry and he brought he back in distance. He took her to Cape Town where she first contested the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in December, her first run in seen months. Still seventh at the 400m mark, she swooped down to catch Iphiko in the final 50m to win by 0.50 lengths.

She was then well supported to win the Grade 2 Sceptre Stakes over 1200m in the Cape and this time she showed good pace throughout, going on to win by 0.75 lengths.

Tarry then put her back to 1000m in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship but this time she found the trip a touch short against the best sprinters of both sexes in the country but did well to finish fifth, beaten just 1.95 lengths.

Bon Vivant could provide the Trifecta for the fillies in the field.

Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge is another who has revelled in a return to sprinting and last time romped to a 3.25-length victory over Alula’s Star over tis course and distance.

She won with 60kg on her back and will carry 4.5kg less on this occasion. Keagan de Melo takes the ride.

However, Bon Vivant had not run for 77 days she could be in need of the run to win in this sort of company.

Of the males, Rollwiththepunches and Prophet could be the main dangers. Rollwiththepunches will be looking for a fifth successive victory and comes off a victory in the Grade 3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap over 1000m.

That run came after a six-month layoff and Roy Magner’s charge will come into this race far fitter.

Prophet had gone off the boil for a while but there was a lot to like about his last run when 3.25-length third behind stable companion William Robertson. The Corne Spies-trained gelding could trouble the opposition in this line-up.

Mike de Kock has two runners in the Derby Trial in Destiny Of Souls and Climate Control and it is the former who looks the runner to beat. He is the joint best weighted runner and looks to be improving the further he goes.

There was a lot to like about the manner of his last win, his first run over 1800m, when he came away from his field to win a MR 88 Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein. Ridden by Kabelo Matsunyane, the Master Of My Fate gelding moved up to the leaders at the 400m mark and then went on to beat Twin Turbo by 3.50 lengths.

He did carry 52.5kg in that event and will now have 7.5kg more on his back, but he does take a drop in class and will be racing against his own age group.

Matsunyane has picked up the ride again, but he did take a fall at the Vaal yesterday so one may need to check for any jockey changes,

African Torrent finished fourth behind Billy Bowlegs in the Grade 3 Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m and although well beaten, it is worth noting that Billy Bowlegs went on to finish third in the Grade 1 WSB SA Classic from a wide draw and will no doubt be strongly fancied to win the SA Derby.

Others to consider are Top Sail and Battleground, who could be turning into a useful stayer.

Ormond Ferraris won the SA Oaks on a number of occasions and it is great to see the race named in honour of one of the country’s best-ever trainers.

Raratonga Rose will have a lot of support in this event and is undoubtedly the runner to beat. She is coming down in distance and that might be the reason trainer Lucky Houdalakis has fitted blinkers for this event.

Keagan de Melo takes the ride.

However, on form, Ipso Facto is close to her at the weights and looks the likely danger.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 11 Pontiac, 1 Fish Eagle, 12 Sagan, 2 Insightful

Race 2: 3 Positive Attitude, 1 Bronze Sword, 4 Wonderworld, 2 Quantifier

Race 3: 3 Trompie, 7 Umthombo Wolwazi, 8 Wind Water, 6 Texas Red

Race 4: 1 Destiny Of Souls, 4 African Torrent, 3 Top Sail, 9 Battleground

Race 5: 2 Raratonga Rose, 4 Ipso Facto, 1 Littlemarysunshine, 8 Red Maple

Race 6: 5 Gimme A Shot, 2 Outofthedarkness, 1 Aragosta, 3 Cirillo

Race 7: 2 Princess Calla, 6 Big Burn, 8 Bon Vivant, 4 Rollwiththepunches

Race 8: 2 Zeus, 3 Marchingontogether, 4 Raiseahallelujah, 6 Arumugam

Race 9: 6 Namaqua Blossom, 3 Capetown Beauty, 1 Flying First Class, 8 Last Cheer

Race 10: 5 Tamarisk Tree, 1 Supreme Dance, 6 Invincible Warrior, 7 Southern Song

BEST BET

Race 10 No 5 Tamarisk Tree

VALUE BET

Race 3 No 3 Trompie

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 1x11

BIPOT

R288

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4

Leg 2: 3, 6, 7, 8

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 9

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4

Leg 5: 2, 5

Leg 6: 2

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R144

Leg 1: 3, 7, 8

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 9

Leg 3: 2, 4

Leg 4: 2, 5

Leg 5: 2

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4

Leg 7: 6

PICK 6

R1920

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 9

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 8

Leg 3: 1, 2, 5

Leg 4: 2, 4, 6, 8

Leg 5: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 6: 3, 6

JACKPOT 1

R240

Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 8

Leg 2: 1, 2, 5

Leg 3: 2, 4, 6, 8

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

JACKPOT 2

R40

Leg 1: 2, 4, 6, 8

Leg 2: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 3: 3, 6

Leg 4: 5