Jack Milner
The Listed Betway Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m ushers in the start of the spring season on the Highveld and while only nine horses will go to post on Saturday, the race does look highly competitive.
As expected, the meeting has been mopved to the Vaal Classic course due to a fire at the landfill in Turffontein that has resuted in smoke enveloping the area.
The talking point for the race, however, is that Quantum Theory, who was an impressive winner of his last race, has changed stable and will be having his first run for Sean Tarry with S’manga Khumalo in the irons.
After running out a well-backed winner over 1000m on the Standside track on 2 August, the six-year-old son of Querari came under the hammer and was bought by Lawrence Wernars and transferred to Tarry.
As a result, the gelding will make his appearance in the red, white and black colours of the Wernars family.
Quantum Theory is no stranger to this race. He won it in 2023 and last year ran unplaced behind Back In Business. When victorious two years ago he beat Sheldon, ironically the runner he defeated last time out, by 0.50 lengths.
Sheldon will not be in action this year, but he is trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren, who has three runners in the field – Chyavana, Cosmic Star and Red Bomber.
The former looks to be the biggest threat as nine-time winner Chyavana comes off a solid victory over the course and distance last time with Calvin Habib up. Habib has retained the ride and in addition, the seven-year-old gelding will carry 3.5kg less than last time.
Candice Dawson has her yard in good form and she also sends out a runner who has only recently been introduced to her yard in Night Bomber.
The five-year-old Lancaster Bomber gelding finished a one-length third behind Chyavana last time and will carry 5kg less on this occasion which means he is also 1.5kg better off with his last-start conqueror.
Dawson has engaged Serino Moodley for the ride and the KwaZulu-Natal-based jockey has had great success on the Highveld recently. With just 53kg on his back, Night Bomber has to be respected.
The other feature on the card comes up in Race 6 and is the Non-Black Type Betway The Lady’s Stakes, also over 1200m.
This is another competitive race but it could be worth going with Tony Peter-trained Blizzard Snow. It will provide Moodley with another opportunity to crack a Highveld winner, especially because she has won her only race at this course which just happened to be over 1200m.
For those of you who follow numbers it is worth observing that the results of Blizzard Snow’s last seven races read as follows: 2nd, 1st, 6th, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 2nd. According to that progression, this has to be another victory!
Seriously though, this four-year-old Erupt filly is in top form and with just 53kg on her back, she could prove hard to peg back.
In her last start she took on the boys and was beaten just 0.80 lengths by Slinky Mapimpi who is racing in the Spring Spree Stakes. Back against her own sex Blizzard Snow will have a massive advantage.
This meeting will also include the first Pick 6 carryover of the season, with R500,000 kickstarting that bet and provide a pool likely to reach R3-million. Although the card is not easy, this is definitely a great opportunity to improve the bank balance.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Zahra Dominia, 5 Artifact, 7 Comic Artist, 2 Erebus
Race 2: 8 Onceinabluemoon, 4 My Lucky Charm, 2 Winchester, 1 Matroosberg
Race 3: 8 Winston's Wonder, 1 Silver Longsword, 9 Explosive Charm,
Race 4: 5 Fire In Her Soul, 7 Power Of Pearls, 6 Inspiration, 1 Rendevous In Rio
Race 5: 7 Sea Shanty, 6 Fostinovo, 3 Palace Revolt, 1 Vibe SA
Race 6: 6 Blizzard Snow, 2 That's My Baby, 1 Frozen Fantasy, 4 Famous Lady
Race 7: 1 Quantum Theory, 2 Chyavana, 8 Night Bomber, 9 Espinoza
Race 8: 6 Clever Trevor, 3 Mighty Eagle, 8 Chieftain's Shield, 7 Nazare
BEST BET
Race 4: 5 Fire In Her Soul
VALUE BET
Race 5: 7 Sea Shanty
BEST SWINGER
Race 4 5x7
BIPOT
R162
Leg 1: 1, 5, 7
Leg 2: 2, 4, 8
Leg 3: 1, 8
Leg 4: 5
Leg 5: 3, 6, 7
Leg 6: 1, 2, 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 2, 4, 8
Leg 2: 1, 8
Leg 3: 5
Leg 4: 3, 6, 7
Leg 5: 2, 6
Leg 6: 1, 2, 8
Leg 7: 3, 6
PICK 6
R720
Leg 1: 1, 8, 9
Leg 2: 5
Leg 3: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 6
Leg 5: 1, 2, 8, 9
Leg 6: 3, 6, 8
JACKPOT 1
R80
Leg 2: 5
Leg 3: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 6
Leg 5: 1, 2, 8, 9
JACKPOT 2
R240
Leg 1: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 6
Leg 3: 1, 2, 8, 9
Leg 4: 3, 6, 8