Jack Milner
If you are in or near Joburg on Saturday, there is only one place to be – Turffontein Racecourse.
Twelve races, titillating fields, tremendous wagering options and a terrific racing – it will all be there.
Bettors can bet into the Hong Kong World Pool for the three grade 1 and there is a R1-million Pick 6 carryover with a projected pool of R4 million.
There are three Grade 1 races topping the card with a lot at stake, especially for three-year-olds Splittheeights and Hazy Dazy.
The pair were the winners of the first leg of the TAB SA Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara, with the next two pivotal races of the respective competitions – the HKJC World Pool SA Classic and the Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic. The two races, both over 1800m on the Standside track, are the only Grade 1 leg of the events.
Then four of the highest merit rated middle-distance runners in South Africa will be lining up in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m.
The highest rated runner in the country is Buffalo Storm Cody, but he is a sprinter and will next be seen in next month’s Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m.
However, the next two are See It Again and Main Defender, while just below them are The Real Prince and Atticus Finch.
See It Again is from the powerful yard of Champion Trainer Justin Snaith and comes off an emphatic victory in the Grade 1 WSB Cape Town Met over 2000m. He was transferred to Durban after that win and will be arriving in Johannesburg today.
He has had one run at Turffontein and that was in the 2024 Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m. He did arrive slightly underdone and sadly, while looking a winner 200m from home, just ran out of steam to finish fifth.
Nevertheless, he is a much-improved horse and while all three of his Grade 1 wins have been over 2000m, he has excellent form over a mile and will love the stiff Turffontein track with its 800m run-in. Former champion jockey Richard Fourie takes the ride.
But the horse to beat could well be The Real Prince. He has been one of the star performers over the past nine months with victories in the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and the Grade 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, one of the other Grade 1 races over 1600m.
A mile is his best distance and although this will be his first run at the course, based on his running style he will love the track. This Dean Kannemeyer-trained runner will be ridden by Craig Zackey who currently has a substantial lead in this year’s Champion Jockeys’ race.
Kannemeyer confirmed yesterday in a chat on Racing 240 that his charge was currently at Summerveld in KwaZulu-Natal and has put up a decent grass gallop over 1200m.
“He had a good workout, I was happy and Craig (Zackey) was happy.”
It is quite a while since Kannemeyer has brought a runner to Joburg but said: “I always said we would come if we have the right horse. I think we do have the right horse.”
Another runner to consider is Fire Attack. Alec Laird’s charge did not do well in Cape Town but he loves the Turffontein track and showed his true ability when winning the Grade 3 London News Stakes over 1800m last month.
He is another who would prefer a little further but he on this course, he should be a contender and has regular rider Calvin Habib in the irons.
The SA Classic is probably the most competitive of the three Grade 1 races. Splittheeights got up close from home to win the Guineas with authority and performed well enough to indicate he would have no problem with the additional 200m this time.
He is trained by the father and son team of Mike and Mathew de Kock and with four runners in this nine-horse field, they hold the key to this race.
However, the best of their quartet could well be Jan Van Goyen who is the only Grade 1 winner in this field.
He had a break after his two-year-old season and came back to contest the Grade 2 Dingaans over 1600m at Turffontein. He was caught late by Trust, but just two weeks later he won the Cape Guineas unextended.
He was tested against older horses in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate over 1600m but ran way below his best and was brought back to Johannesburg to prepare for this race.
He missed out on the Gauteng Guineas but despite the break, he is unquestionably the runner to beat. He will be reunited with jockey Callan Murray.
However, Mike de Kock said yesterday he was very happy with the colt’s progress. “It’s all good. Everything has gone well and I have no complaints. We’ve freshened him up nicely.”
Splittheeights, based on his Guineas win, deserves respect and stands out as the main danger. Raymond Danielson has won a Grade 3 and a Grade 2 aboard the son of Vercingetorix and he will be back in the irons once again.
As two whether they will stay the additional 200m this time De Kock responded: “I believe they will but at the end of the day, you don’t know until you try. Of course, if it rains and takes the sting out of the ground that adds another dimension.”
De Kock’s two other runners are One Eye On Vegas and Yippee Kiyay, who finished close up in the Guineas.
“One Eye On Vegas is a smart horse but he never gets a good draw and we elect to ride him cold. Yippee Kiyay would not be without a chance if his jockey can get him to settle,” added De Kock.
One of the better best on the card looks to be Hazy Dazy in the SA Fillies Classic. Trainer Corne Spies feels confident she can lift the other two legs and capture the Triple Tiara.
She has raced seven times for five wins and is clearly well above average. She will team up once again with regular rider, apprentice Trent Mayhew.
“She came through the Guineas perfectly and she’s had an uninterrupted prep for the Classic. There were no hiccups, so it is All systems go,” said Spies.
“This 1800m will be even better for her and I don’t see a problem with the Oaks distance of 2450m.
“But of course, it’s never over till it’s over.”
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 3 Onceinabluemoon, 1 Power Of Pearls, 2 Detailed Forecast, 9 Takeachanceonme
Race 2: 1 Highwayman Harry, 2 Arizona Magic, 5 Cool Gambler, 11 Greenandgold
Race 3: 3 World Attraction, 1 Gimme A Vodka, 4 Volcanic Heat, 2 Spirit Of Gabz
Race 4: 2 Griselda, Secretary Bird, 7 Lanzarote, 9 Staggerwing
Race 5: 9 Warm Reception, 2 Willy Meet Again, 6 Gerbera, 8 Care Forgot
Race 6: 1 Hazy Dazy, 3 Charge It, 5 Littlemissmillion, 2 Golden Palm
Race 7: 1 Jan Van Goyen, 2 Splittheeights, 4 Trust, 8 Errol Flynn
Race 8: 3 The Real Prince, 2 See It Again, 6 Fire Attack, 1 Main Defender
Race 9: 1 William Robertson, 13 Green Diamond, 3 Taxi To The Moon, 7 Mount Pinatubo
Race 10: 2 Precocious, 1 Poblano, 4 Alpine Jet, 3 Just The Two Of Us
Race 11: 5 Pretty Persuasive, 6 Hong Kong, 8 Too Late My Mate, 10 Vamanos
Race 12: 9 Traditional Belief, 1 Play With Fire, 7 Quiet Winter, 4 Royal Kailani
BEST BET
Race 3: 3 World Attraction
VALUE BET
Race 9: 1 William Robertson
BEST SWINGER
Race 8 2x3
BIPOT 1 (Races 2 to 7)
R144
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 9
Leg 2: 3
Leg 3: 2, 4, 7
Leg 4: 2, 6, 8, 9
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 1, 2, 4
BIPOT (Race 7 to 12)
R288
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4
Leg 2: 2, 3
Leg 3: 1, 3, 7, 13
Leg 4: 1, 2
Leg 5: 5, 6
Leg 6: 1, 7, 9
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R192
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 2, 4
Leg 3: 2, 6, 8, 9
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 1, 2, 4
Leg 6: 2, 3
Leg 7: 1, 3, 7, 13
PICK 6
R1680
Leg 1: 2, 4, 7, 9
Leg 2: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 8
Leg 5: 2, 3, 6
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9
JACKPOT 1
R144
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9
Leg 2: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 11
Leg 3: 3
Leg 4: 2, 4, 7, 9
JACKPOT 2
R60
Leg 1: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 8
Leg 4: 2, 3, 6
JACKPOT 3
R336
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 13
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4
Leg 3: 5, 6, 8, 10
Leg 4: 1, 4, 7, 9