Isn’t She Bonny to shed maiden tag

Jack Milner

Isn’t She Bonny should get bettors off to an early win at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday when she lines up in Race 2, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1000m.

She did not appear to take to the Polytrack last time and back on the turf Michael Roberts’ charge should get off the mark in the fourth race of her career.

To add to her chances the combination of trainer Michael Roberts and apprentice Rachel Venniker is currently churning out winners.

Classical Chord was expected to need a lot more ground as she is out of a Galileo mare and her half-brother, Tommy The Kidd, who needs a few kilometres, who has yet to win a maiden in umpteen starts, is testament to that.

She didn’t show in that 1200m event but next time out, over an even sharper 1000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville, she finished a prominent fourth and was only 1.20 lengths off subsequent Grade 1 winning Canadian Summer among other horses who are now running in handicaps. Strong form indeed.

Interestingly, she is running after a 309-day layoff but the comment from the Mike Miller yard is ‘working well at home’. She may have progressed since and looks the likely candidate to follow home Isn’t She Bonny.

El Rey Viene should be another strong runner for the bang-in-form Duncan Howells yard. However, in his last race the bay gelding didn’t like having the pace dictated to him. The horse, whose Spanish name means ‘The King is coming’, had to work with the pace handed to him by eventual impressive winner El Dante.

He is now back in Race 3, a MR 78 Handicap over 1750m, where there looks to be no other Scottsville frontrunning specialists and he could bounce back to winning ways.

Trainer Fanie Bronkhorst is one of two Highveld-based trainers who is bringing a raiding party down to KwaZulu-Natal. He has Flag Bearer in the above-mentioned race, and he has won from the front, but this distance could be sharp for him.

Bronkhorst’s best runner on the day could be Tinder Dry (Race 8) who is in very good form. She had a few useful geldings beaten in her penultimate and that form line could be too good for steadily improving youngster Sea Goddess.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 8 Dressedtothenines, 6 African Folklore, 5 Givers Grace, 1 She Can

Race 2: 8 Isn't She Bonny, 7 Classical Chord, 4 La Prestissimo, 2 Fiery Filly

Race 3: 3 El Rey Viene, 4 Pascali, 1 Flag Bearer, 2 Family Favourite

Race 4: 2 Mythical Tune, 11 Salient Point, 10 Nonoti, 4 Manic Monday

Race 5: 2 Reefway, 3 Red Roses Too, 7 La Pura Vida, 4 Shipholia

Race 6: 1 Wylie Riley, 3 Mccartney, 8 Lazy Guy, 2 Lord Edward

Race 7: 2 Masterbling, 1 Beyondtheboundary, 3 Lord Varys, 8 Eddie The Mover

Race 8: 5 Tinder Dry, 1 Sea Goddess, 2 Leopard Lady, 9 Malcolm's Dream

BEST BET

Race 2 No 8 Isn’t She Bonny

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 2 Masterbling

BEST SWINGER

Race 5 2x3

BIPOT

R192

Leg 1: 1, 5, 6, 8

Leg 2: 8

Leg 3: 3, 4

Leg 4: 2, 10, 11

Leg 5: 2, 3

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 8

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 8

Leg 2: 3, 4

Leg 3: 2, 10, 11

Leg 4: 2, 3

Leg 5: 1, 3, 8

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3

Leg 7: 1, 5

PICK 6

R1920

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4

Leg 2: 2, 4, 10, 11

Leg 3: 2, 3

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

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 8

Leg 6: 1, 2, 5

JACKPOT 1

R160

Leg 1: 2, 4, 10, 11

Leg 2: 2, 3

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

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 8

JACKPOT 2

R120

Leg 1: 2, 3

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

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 8

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5