Form points to Countdown

Jack Milner

There is often a discussion whether form or proven course suitability should take preference when one is looking to find winners and that appears to be the case in Race 1 at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Monday.

Both Swing Upon A Star and Countdown have been nominated for the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m at the end of the month and so rate the ones to beat in this Juvenile Plate over 1600m.

The issue is that the race will be run on the Polytrack and while Swing A Star has had two runs on the surface for a win and a second place, Countdown has yet to race on that course.

However, the latter, after winning his maiden at Kenilworth in February, has contested three consecutive feature races since arriving in KwaZulu-Natal. He finished fourth in the first, the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville, he then ran unplaced in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion and again in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Greyville.

But there was a lot to like about that last race as he finished just 2.95 lengths behind preferred stable companion Cousin Casey.

Both horses come from in-form yards as Swing Upon A Star is trained by Paul Peter who on Thursday set the record for most winners trained in a season (216) while Glen Kotzen has been having a swinging time in KZN this season with a fair number of features coming his way.        

It could be an interesting race because Swing Upon A Star has been winning his races from the front while Countdown likes to come from off them so it could become quite a tactical race between Warren Kennedy on Peter’s runner, and Fourie on the Kotzen-trained Gimmethegreenlight colt.

However, although Countdown is untried on the Polytrack, he has run against stronger and could be ideally suited to the extra 200m this time and gets a confident nod – but the Exacta does look a highly attractive bet.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 7 Countdown, 6 Swing Upon A Star, 1 Zooberi, 5 Streets Of Sienna

Race 2: 5 Dawn Mission, 8 Duke Of Normandy, 3 Blazing Light, 4 Fill Your Boots

Race 3: 1 Admiral Birnham, 9 Clarkson, 5 Atomic Blonde, 2 Caesura

Race 4: 5 Captain Catman, 7 Cannatonic, 4 Geronimo, 10 Granddaddy Purple

Race 5: 3 All Of Me, 6 Petra, 8 Boldly Go, 4 Nikiya

Race 6: 4 African Skyline, 6 The Tinkerman, 5 Passage Of Power, 1 Justaguything

Race 7: 9 Magic Tycoon, 5 Beaded Gown, 8 Silver Clock, 2 Winter Journey

Race 8: 2 Galway, 5 Don't Touch Me, 7 Cape Eagle, 1 Lake Como

BEST BET

Race 1 No 7 Countdown

VALUE BET

Race 8 No 2 Galway

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 6x7

BIPOT

R162

Leg 1: 7

Leg 2: 5, 8

Leg 3: 1, 5, 9

Leg 4: 4, 5, 7

Leg 5: 3, 6, 8

Leg 6: 4, 5, 6

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 5

Leg 2: 1, 9

Leg 3: 4, 5, 7

Leg 4: 3, 6

Leg 5: 4, 5, 6

Leg 6: 5, 8, 9

Leg 7: 2, 5

PICK 6

R2160

Leg 1: 1, 5, 9

Leg 2: 4, 5, 7, 10

Leg 3: 3, 6, 8

Leg 4: 1, 4, 5, 6

Leg 5: 5, 8, 9

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7

JACKPOT 1

R144

Leg 1: 4, 5, 7, 10

Leg 2: 3, 6, 8

Leg 3: 1, 4, 5, 6

Leg 4: 5, 8, 9

JACKPOT 2

R180

Leg 1: 3, 6, 8

Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 6

Leg 3: 5, 8, 9

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7