Jack Milner
With some quality feature races coming up on the Highveld over the next few months, it is good to see trainers starting to bring their top runners out of hibernation and begin to prepare them for bigger events to come.
Saturday’s card on the Turffontein Inside track is loaded with talented horses but at this stage one is unsure about the level of their fitness. With the main events not too far away one can be certain that the majority of these runners will not be far off their best so hopefully the form will work out well.
One of the more interesting contests comes up in Race 4, a Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares over 1450m.
Although just seven runners are carded to go to post, the field is made up of a number of Graded races winners, headed up by Homely Girl, who captured the Grade 2 Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m at Greyville.
Originally trained by Justin Snaith in Cape Town, this daughter of Querari moved up to Johan Janse van Vuuren in December last year. However, she did not make her first appearance on the Highveld until the end of March when she finished a 1.50-length second to stable companion Tuscan Winter over 1160m on the Turffontein Standside track.
Following two more runner-up finishes, Janse van Vuuren took her off to Durban for the Tibouchina Stakes, on this occasion adding a set of blinkers to her equipment for the first time. It was a move which paid dividends as she grabbed the victory in quite a competitive field.
She makes her return to the track in this Pinnacle Stakes following a 91-day break and comes into the race as one of the three best-weighted runners.
She has placed over the course and distance and if not in dire need of the run is expected to contest the finish. The blinkers have been retained and Keagan de Melo, who has ridden Homely Girl in all of her starts since she changed stables, is back on board again.
The two other best-weighted runners are Supreme Quest and Freed From Desire.
Supreme Quest ran last Saturday in the Listed Spring Spree takes against the colts but probably found 1200m a touch sharp. Corne Spies’ runner did produce the fastest final 400m and will no doubt be suited by the additional 250m this time.
S’manga Khumalo, who is in hot form, has picked up the ride this time.
Freed From Desire has not run since April but if champion trainer Paul Peter has her anywhere close to her best, she will be very hard to beat.
She has raced against some of the best in the country and in January caused an upset in the Listed Swallow Sakes over 1160m when she beat both stable companion Big Burn and Supreme Quest.
Her next start was against the colt in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m where she was just touched off by Mike de Kock-trained Al Muthana, a runner who went on to beat the best milers in the land in the Grade 1 Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville.
Gavin Lerena has an excellent record on this filly and Peter has engaged him to ride the four-year-old daughter of Jackson.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Northern Tune, 2 Once In A Lifetime, 5 Fostinovo, 9Don't Tell Ash
Race 2: 6 Maggie Smith, 5 Madame Vicki, 3 Tried And True, 9 Sky Velocity
Race 3: 4 Stepping Out, 5 Mr Bodacious, 9 Promontory, 8 Bronze Sword
Race 4: 2 Homely Girl, 3 Supreme Quest, 1 Freed From Desire, 4 Follow Me
Race 5: 6 Sound Of Summer, 1 William Robertson, 10 Sir Michael, 3 Bingwa
Race 6: 3 Admiral Dooley, 1 Back To Black, 2 Tuscan Winter, 6 Another Level
Race 7: 2 Glittering Girl, 1 Feather Boa, 5 Rockets Red Glare, 6 Typeset
Race 8: 8 Qunetra, 9 Romeo's Magic, 3 Fifth Of July, 1 Great Affair
Race 9: 1 Call Me Master, 2 Don’t Touch Me, 7 Irrevocable Dream, 8 Twice As Wild
BEST BET
Race 7 No 2 Glittering Girl
VALUE BET
8 No 8 Qunetra
BEST SWINGER
Race 5 1x6
BIPOT
R18
Leg 1: 6
Leg 2: 4, 5, 9
Leg 3: 2
Leg 4: 1, 6
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3
Leg 6: 2
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R162
Leg 1: 4, 5, 9
Leg 2: 2
Leg 3: 1, 6
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3
Leg 5: 2
Leg 6: 3, 8, 9
Leg 7: 1, 2, 7
PICK 6
R810
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3
Leg 2: 1, 6, 10
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3
Leg 4: 2
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8
JACKPOT 1
R45
Leg 1: 1, 6, 10
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3
Leg 3: 2
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9
JACKPOT 2
R90
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3
Leg 2: 2
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8