Jack Milner: Trainer Alan Greeff should have a good day at Fairview on Tuesday when they race on the Polytrack.
He sends out two of his best Polytrack performers in Marmara Sea in Race 5 and Viking Moon in Race 7. Both run in Pinnacle Stakes events over 1600m and 1000m respectively, both are the top-rated runners, and both are expected win.
Marmara Sea arrived in Port Elizabeth as a maiden but immediately took to the Polytrack where he notched up eight successive victories. His first defeat on the surface came in the second leg of the East Cape Poly Challenge over 1400m where he went down by a neck to Earth Hour. He followed that up with a 1.75-length third behind Thomas Tucker in the final leg of the Challenge, this time over 1600m.
Unfortunately, the four-year-old gelding has a tendency to lose ground at the start and as his merit rating has gone up and the opposition has got stronger, it is starting to prove costly.
However, the son of Soft Falling Rain does have a devastating finish and if he can get a decent pace, he is quite capable of making up the leeway.
A sedate pace cost him in his last race but there does look to be more speed in this line-up.
In Race 7, Viking Moon has by far the best form and at the weights looks to have both What A Winner and Wolfgang firmly held. He beat the former by 2.25 lengths over this course and distance and is now 3kg better off, while he meets Wolfgang at the same weights as last time over 1200m where Viking Moon won by 0.75 lengths.
The drop to 1000m will also benefit Greeff’s charge.
Richard Fourie takes the ride on both Greeff runners.
Jack Milner’s selection
Race 1: 5 The Black Manx, 1 Ownyourfate, 2 Sonny Quinn, 6 Ruby Woo
Race 2: 1 Jo Loves, 2 Sumida, 9 Derecho, 6 Sea Island