Fortune duo to fight it out

Jack Milner

Laetitia’s Angel is at her best on the Turffontein Inside track and can add another victory to her tally when she lines up in Race 5, a MR 75 Handicap over 1000m at the course on Tuesday.

She has raced four times over the course and distance for two wins, a second and a third and despite carrying top weight, a beating of this field looks well within her capabilities.

Trainer Ashley Fortune has done well with this five-year-old daughter of Potala Palace and although she is not going to Hollywood, with a career record of six wins and 17 places Laetitia’s Angel has been a good performer for her owner.

While she has won over a little further, her best efforts have been over 1000m and which might well explain her unplaced run over 1200m on the Vaal Classic track last time.

Fortune removed the blinkers last time, maybe because of the additional distance, and it will be interesting to see if they are put back for this run.

All races on the Turffontein Inside track are raced around the turn and as a result draw No 8 of the 10 runners is not ideal but jockey Raymond Danielson is highly experienced and should be able to overcome that hurdle.

Her biggest rival looks to be stable companion War Empress. The three-year-old daughter of Vercingetorix is lightly raced, and just comes off a victory in a Maiden Plate.

She started racing in October last year and has only run four times but has yet to finish out of the places. Her second race was in December, her third in March and she finally won a race in April.

She was not off the bit as she easily beat Glitterfox by 2.25 lengths. No winners from seven runners have come out of that form line, which is a little troubling, although the runner-up did run a close second in her next start.

Whatever the case, a horse can do no more than win and War Empress did that with aplomb.

Fortune has engaged Piere Strydom for the ride. She is drawn on the outside of Laetitia’s Angel but will receive 3.5kg from her stablemate.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 8 White Pearl, 1 Queen Of Camelot, 6 So Seductive, 7 Spring In Heaven

Race 2: 7 Hotarubi, 2 Chilli Moon, 4 Dr Faustus, 6 French Impact

Race 3: 7 Cicadidae, 1 Zoom Lady, 3 Glitterfox, 9 Neerah

Race 4: 8 Waitforgreenlight, 5 Joker Man, 7 Qhawe Lami, 2 Rainbow Reward

Race 5: 1 Laetitia's Angel, 5 War Empress, 2 Successful Secret, 6 Pendragon

Race 6: 10 Cosmic Star, 6 Aussenkehr, 8 The Mauritian, 3 Bard Of Avon

Race 7: 3 Avoontoast, 1 Raratonga Rose, 7 National Star, 5 Strange Magic

Race 8: 6 Lunar Ballade, 3 Radu, 4 Say Yes, 2 Lady Calavera

BEST BET

Race 1 No 8 White Pearl

VALUE BET

Race 8 No 6 Lunar Ballade

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 5x8

BIPOT

R162

Leg 1: 8

Leg 2: 2, 4, 7

Leg 3: 1, 3, 7

Leg 4: 5, 8

Leg 5: 1, 2, 5

Leg 6: 6, 8, 10

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R324

Leg 1: 2, 4, 7

Leg 2: 1, 3, 7

Leg 3: 8

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5

Leg 5: 6, 10

Leg 6: 1, 3, 7

Leg 7: 3, 6

PICK 6

R1620

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9

Leg 2: 5, 8

Leg 3: 1, 2, 5

Leg 4: 6, 8, 10

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8

Leg 6: 3, 4, 6

JACKPOT 1

R108

Leg 1: 5, 8

Leg 2: 1, 2, 5

Leg 3: 6, 8, 10

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8

JACKPOT 2

R162

Leg 1: 1, 2, 5

Leg 2: 6, 8, 10

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8

Leg 4: 3, 4, 6