Jack Milner
There is always a thrill in the air when the the Gauteng Guineas and Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas comes around because they kick off the SA Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara.
One always approaches the races looking for any horse that can win all three races – the Guineas, Classic and Derby/Oaks.
There is also a Pick 6 carryover of R500,000 with an estimated pool of R3 million and punters will be looking for bankers.
Topping that list is clearly super-filly Quid Pro Quo. Just as Gimme A Nother captured the imagination of the South African racing public last year, Quid Pro Quo has followed in her footsteps.
And like Gimme A Nother, the daughter of Lance will shortly be embarking on an international career and we were earlier informed that this would be her final appearance on a South African racetrack.
However, at Wednesday’s launch of The Championships, the four days of major features coming up at Turffontein in the next couple of months, Clyde Basel announced that as Quid Pro Quo was only due to leave in May there is a plan to run her in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Classic and the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes.
However, Barry Irwin of Team Valor, the consortium that purchased the filly, said the plan is to get her out as soon as possible and while she is booked to fly out on May, should an earlier flight become available Quid Pro Quo will be on board.
But, we have her in action at Turffontein on Saturday, and the manner in which she destroyed the colts in the Grade 2 Dingaans, the Barend Botes-trained filly looks impossible to oppose coming up against her own sex in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Fillies Guineas over 1600m, even though she is drawn slightly wide in gate No 9.
Piere Strydom could not believe the manner of her victory last time, especially as he knew he had the race won at the top of the straight.
She has stayed with Botes while still in the country and he has done an amazing job with her.
There does not look like anything in the field who can beat her, but it will be exciting to see how unbeaten Spumante Dolce, a half-sister to HWB Durban July winner Sparkling Water, will fare.
She has looked very impressive when winning her two starts to date and although on paper she is well out at the weights, she is clearly better than her merit rating of 89 suggests and looks the runner likely to follow Quid Pro Quo home.
She is trained by Mike and Mathew de Kock who send out Greaterix in the R1-million Gauteng Guineas. There is little doubt that he is a top-class performer and is highly regarded by both the stable and jockey Muzi Yeni.
However, he is very speedy and that cost him dearly in the Dingaans as he had nothing left when Quid Pro Quo moved up to challenge and, in fact, dropped into third.
He was made a lot of use of early one and on his last start in the Grade 3 Got The Greenlight Stakes over 1400m, Yeni managed to settle him for a while but he skipped away early in the straight and stayed on easily enough to hold Fire Attack, who was runner-up in the Dingaans, at bay by 0.75 lengths.
A lot will depend on whether Muzi will be able to settle the Vercingetorix colt, who will need to overcome No 9 draw, early on. However, his chances were increased on Saturday morning with the news Alec Laird-trained Fire Attack has been scratched suffering from a virus.
However, Laird also has two other interesting runners in Parisian Walkway and Aristotle.
On form Parisian Walkway has his work cut out to win this as he finished fourth in the Dingaans and will need to have made a lot of improvement to turnaround some five lengths with Fire Attack, but he is one to watch in the other two legs of the Triple Crown.
Aristotle has the distinction of running second to One Stripe on debut, although beaten six lengths, and is unbeaten in two starts since gelded. This will be his first start in Joburg and he is drawn No 12, but he could be horse to put in Trifectas and Quartets.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Mighty Eagle, 2 Tenjiku, 3 Elegantrix, 8 Vipingo
Race 2: 8 Dupont Emerald, 6 Satyagraha, 1 Flight Engineer
Race 3: 5 Total Surrender, 2 Tamarisk Tree, 6 Vesuvio, 7 Douglas Dragon
Race 4: 1 Main Defender, 2 Barbaresco, 5 White Pearl, 3 Purple Pitcher
Race 5: 1 Golden Sickle, 4 Chocolate Soldier, 6 Elegant Ice, 7 Time Fo Orchids
Race 6: 2 Quid Pro Quo, 13 Spumante Dolce, 1 VJ's Angel, 5 Fiery Pegasus
Race 7: 3 Greaterix, 2 Legend Of Arthur, 12 Aristotle, 9 Parisian Walkway
Race 8: 4 Nettleton, 3 One Fell Swoop, 10 Francilien, 6 Passage Of Power
Race 9: 9 Gregarious, 1 Skittles Skies, 2 Salute The Flag, 7 Alone Time
Race 10: 3 Just Var, 1 Top Seed, 4 Exceedingly Glam, 6 Sail The Sky
BEST BET
Race 4: 1 Main Defender
VALUE BET
Race 10: 3 Just Var
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 6x8
BIPOT
R96
Leg 1: 6, 8
Leg 2: 2, 5, 6, 7
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1, 4, 6, 7
Leg 5: 2
Leg 6: 2, 3, 12
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R162
Leg 1: 2, 5, 6
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 1, 4, 6
Leg 4: 2
Leg 5: 2, 3
Leg 6: 3, 4, 10
Leg 7: 1, 2, 9
PICK 6
R625
Leg 1: 1
Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 3: 2
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 9, 12
Leg 5: 3, 4, 5 ,6, 10
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9
JACKPOT 1
R100
Leg 1: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 2: 2
Leg 3: 2, 3, 9, 12
Leg 4: 3, 4, 5 ,6, 10
JACKPOT 2
R300
Leg 1: 2, 3, 9, 12
Leg 2: 3, 4, 5 ,6, 10
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4