Jack Milner
The Lakeside Handicap over 2400m, Race 7, tops the card at Fairview on Friday and it will all come down to which of the nine runners will best see out the distance.
Glan Kotzen is the only trainer raiding from the Western Cape and he brings Han Solo to Fairview where they will race on the turf track.
This will be the eight-year-old gelding’s fourth trip to the Eastern Cape to race on a track that he really does enjoy. He has had three runs on this turf track for two wins and a second place and two of those races were in the province’s biggest race, the Algoa Cup. His first run was in a handicap over 1400m in June 2022 and that enticed Kotzen to bring him back for the Algoa Cup over 2000m in October that year which he won. He came back to contest the same race a year later and finished runner-up to Justin Snaith-trained Future Swing, a very decent horse who last week contested the Grade 1 Cape Town Met at Kenilworth.
After that second place in the 2023 Algoa Cup Han Solo was out of action for 13 months and has had two decent enough runs since returning.
However, the main concern about this gelding is that he has yet to prove he is able to win over 2400m. He has had one run over the distance at HWB Durbanville where he finished fifth and the two runs over 2500m at HWB Kenilworth where he finished down the field.
He does have the required class, but it might be better to look at two horses who have proven staying power – and they are Runaway Song and Harold The Duke.
Trained by Dean Kannemeyer, Runaway Song won the KZN Derby over this distance at HWB Scottsville, beating SA Derby winner Aragosta. He then joined Gavin Smith’s yard at Fairview where he finished a 0.50-length second behind Ellis Island in a Pinnacle Stakes over this course and distance, giving the winner 9kg.
But it could be wise to go with lightly weighted Harold The Duke who has two wins over the distance, one of them at this course.
This Kelly Mitchley-trained gelding showed his wellbeing with a courageous victory over 2000m last time out. He comes into this race with just 52kg on his back and Muzi Yeni, who won on him last time, back in the irons.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 10 Winter In Paris, 8 Miss Prior, 7 Sweet Cake, 2 And Action
Race 2: 4 Global Scene, 3 Fire Alarm, 5 De Vlugge, 11 Canford's Beauty
Race 3: 8 Ono No Komachi, 3 Silvery Surfer, 4 Grand Oasis, 7 Mayor Of Merrivale
Race 4: 6 Catch Your Breath, 9 Highlyconfidential, 5 Montelena, 4 Vihaan's Queen
Race 5: 4 Smashing, 2 Free World, 1 String Of Lights, 7 Komesans Passion
Race 6: 10 Captain Tik Tok, 11 Impact Investor, 5 Cool Winter, 3 Tuscan Gold
Race 7: 9 Harold The Duke, 5 Runaway Song, 4 Han Solo, 6 Bournemouth
Race 8: 9 Jack In The Green, 11 Ardabil, 10 Four Jacks, 12 Silver Tycoon
BEST BET
Race 5: 4 Smashing
VALUE BET
Race 7: 9 Harold The Duke
BEST SWINGER
Race 1 8x10
BIPOT
R72
Leg 1: 8, 10
Leg 2: 3, 4, 5
Leg 3: 3, 8
Leg 4: 6, 9
Leg 5: 4
Leg 6: 5, 10, 11
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 3, 4, 5
Leg 2: 3, 8
Leg 3: 6, 9
Leg 4: 4
Leg 5: 5, 10, 11
Leg 6: 4, 5, 9
Leg 7: 9, 11
PICK 6
R432
Leg 1: 3, 4, 8
Leg 2: 5, 6, 9
Leg 3: 4
Leg 4: 3, 5, 10, 11
Leg 5: 4, 5, 6, 9
Leg 6: 9, 10, 11
JACKPOT 1
R48
Leg 1: 5, 6, 9
Leg 3: 4
Leg 4: 3, 5, 10, 11
Leg 5: 4, 5, 6, 9
JACKPOT 2
R48
Leg 1: 4
Leg 2: 3, 5, 10, 11
Leg 3: 4, 5, 6, 9
Leg 4: 9, 10, 11