Jack Milner
Finding an obvious best bet on Thursday’s Vaal card is not easy but it could be worth going with the successful team of Lucky Houdalakis in Race 7 where they team up with Master Christmas.
On the surface, this MR 97 Handicap over 1600m on the Classic track looks quite open, but the scratching of Presley, who ran last Saturday, may well have paved the way for the four-year-old Master Of My Fate gelding.
Master Christmas has raced 14 times for three wins, but the significance of those victories is that two of them were on the Classic track.
The third came up on the normal Vaal track and was over 1600m, the same distance as this event, and was up the straight and in a field of similar strength to this event.
In fact, it looks a day to follow some currently hot combinations, particularly in the final four races.
Trainer Tony Peter and jockey Calvin Habib have had some fine successes, and they team up in five races on the day, but perhaps their best comes up in Race 6 where they team up with Gimmeachoice.
Gimmeachoice has finished second in back-to-back recent starts, both over 1600m. The latest of those was under Habib on the Vaal straight course when beaten 0.50 lengths by front-running Archimides, who re-opposes in Race 6 over the same distance.
The Peter-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt is 1.5kg better off with his familiar foe, so is weighted to turn the tables in his first outing on the Classic track from gate No 7.
Trainer Fabian Habib and jockey S'manga Khumalo have a win percentage nigh on 21% with nine wins from their 43 associations, and they should better those statistics at the meeting.
Miss Hannigan, a progressive four-year-old filly, has thrived since joining Habib's yard in mid-February. She has not finished worse than fourth in five starts for the stable, winning three, including her most recent outing over 1600m with Khumalo in the saddle.
This daughter of Canford Cliffs has, as a matter of fact, only once been beaten in four starts under the popular jockey.
Habib's charge won a 1600m Pinnacle Stakes on the Standside track at Turffontein in early August, beating Soldier's Eye (3.10 lengths) and Gimme A Shot (3.10 lengths) with whom she renews rivalry in Race 4, a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1450m.
Miss Hannigan races off a career-high mark, owing to the six-point penalty earned for her last-start win, and is 1.5kg worse off with those two familiar foes although that isn't likely to prevent her from adding to her tally, and that of the jockey-trainer combination.
The final one comes up in Race 8, a MR 76 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m where owner/trainer/breeder St John Gray teams up with Muzi Yeni. This combination has been one of the hottest since the star of the new season and they could keep the ball rolling with Across The Pond.
This three-year-old daughter of Bezrin has already notched up two wins from nine starts together with five places. She has proved a tour de force under Yeni who is on fire at the moment.
He has stated in his weekly column that his goal this year is to chase the championship and the manner in which he is riding proves the point. He rode Across The Pond to victory last time and with only a three-point penalty for that victory, a quick double could well be on the cards.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 7 Johnny Appleseed, 1 Remains Of The Day, 8 Tiger Storm, 9 Black Hole Sun
Race 2: 13 Endizayo, 5 Bellissivar, 1 Royal Horizon, 6 Future Date
Race 3: 8 The Navy Lark, 4 What A Tiger, 7 Sakhala Is'Cathulo, 3 Dontshootthebarman
Race 4: 5 Miss Hannigan, 1 Gimme A Shot, 6 Betula, 4 Soldier's Eye
Race 5: 2 Battleofbarberton, 3 Claw, 6 Diesel's Shadow, 5 Celtic Rush
Race 6: 3 Gimmeachoice, 1 Royal Edition, 8 Archimides, 2 Quatermain
Race 7: 2 Master Christmas, 6 Moola Man, 9 King's Ransom, 3 Viva Spirit
Race 8: 5 Across The Pond, 4 Mighty Goddess, 2 Princess Ilaria, 3 Doitwithdiamonds
BEST BET
Race 7 No 2 Master Christmas
VALUE BET
Race 5 No 2 Battleofbarberton
BEST SWINGER
Race 6 1x3
BIPOT
R216
Leg 1: 1, 7, 8
Leg 2: 5, 13
Leg 3: 4, 7, 8
Leg 4: 1, 5
Leg 5: 2, 3, 6
Leg 6: 1, 3
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R144
Leg 1: 5, 13
Leg 2: 4, 7, 8
Leg 3: 1, 5
Leg 4: 2, 3, 6
Leg 5: 1, 3
Leg 6: 2
Leg 7: 4, 5
PICK 6
R960
Leg 1: 3, 4, 7, 8
Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 6
Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8
Leg 4: 1, 5, 8
Leg 5: 2
Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 5
JACKPOT 1
R60
Leg 1: 1, 4, 5, 6
Leg 2: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8
Leg 3: 1, 5, 8
Leg 4: 2
JACKPOT 2
R60
Leg 1: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8
Leg 2: 1, 5, 8
Leg 3: 2
Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 5