Jack Milner
Thunee Playa took a while to get going last time but when he finally did, the four-year-old made up ground quickly but the line came too soon.
In the end, he finished third, beaten just 0.85 lengths by Diesel’s Shadow.
The Lorenzo Karriem-trained runner has a chance to get back into the winners’ enclosure when he lines up in Race 4 at the Vaal on Thursday, a Middle Stakes over 2000m.
The four-year-old colt is really bred in the purple as he is by South Africa’s current leading sire Vercingetorix out of a Galileo mare and he has demonstrated that he can really run. However, he has been very inconsistent so hopefully he does not have an off day at the Vaal.
But everything points to a top run from Thunee Playa who has come back really well from a layoff.
Karriem felt he was good enough to take on the best three-year-olds in the country last season and allowed him to run in both the Listed Derby Trial over 2000m and the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m.
He finished fifth in the Derby Trial behind Marauding Horde but was well beaten in the Derby. He might have found the trip a touch far and after that run he was given a break of just under four months.
Running over 1600m on his comeback run, he sat up with the pace and kept going strongly to beat Gimmeachoice by one length.
One could make a case that he could have been negatively affected by the second-race-after-a-rest Syndrome last time and if that is the case Thunee Playa should be perfectly primed for this event which is over 200m further. As he won his maiden over 2000m this race should be ideal.
He does take a jump in class this time and he does not get the 2.5kg apprentice allowance this time but he will still carry 4.5kg less than he did last time.
Kaidan Brewer has been riding well and he has picked up the ride for this event.
This is no shortage of opposition and perhaps the main threat will come from Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Strewn Sky. This four-year-old gelding has run nine times for just one win but he has also run into the top three on six other occasions.
He actually is his own worst enemy as he fails to come out of the pens on even terms and always tends to be chasing. When he did break on terms, it resulted in a very easy win so that is the issue that could make all the difference for the son of Potala Palace.
S’manga Khumalo takes the ride for the first time and maybe he will be able to make the difference on this occasion.
Sugar Blast has had two runs since joining Tony Peter’s yard and they have resulted in a second place and a victory.
They came against the same horse, Total Surrender, who won by 0.75 lengths the first time and then finished a one-length second behind Sugar Blast in their next start.
This four-year-old Erupt gelding is another who can bring about his own demise as he tends to be stubborn in most of his races.
If Peter can sort out that problem Sugar Blast could be a contender, even though he has been allotted top weight of 62kg.
Calvin Habib takes the ride.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 5 Fireburst, 7 Shadow Of The Moon, 1 Hey Hey Julia, 8 Lilac Snow
Race 2: 1 One And All, 6 Captain Clever, 7 Chariot Of Fire, 10 Mizzen Sword
Race 3: 3 Captain Jim, 2 Red Legend, 1 Roll Of The Dice, 9 Blurred Vision
Race 4: 8 Thunee Playa, 6 Strewn Sky, 1 Sugar Blast, 4 Poets Warrior
Race 5: 5 Risky Business, 3 Calida, 9 Cartagena, 8 Zoombomber
Race 6: 1 Nordic Rebel, 2 Rock Of Bismantova, 13 Shinto Shrine, 6 Deception Pass
Race 7: 3 Secret Chord, 11 Warm Winter Nite, 4 Vegas Hi Rise, 5 Coppola
Race 8: 8 Samoa, 9 Red Carpet Girl, 4 Dancing Dora, 2 Together Again
BEST BET
Race 5 No 5 Risky Business
VALUE BET
Race 8 No 8 Samoa
BEST SWINGER
Race 3 2x3
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 1, 5, 7
Leg 2: 1, 6, 7
Leg 3: 2, 3
Leg 4: 1, 4, 6, 8
Leg 5: 5
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 1, 6
Leg 2: 2, 3
Leg 3: 1, 6, 8
Leg 4: 5
Leg 5: 1, 2, 13
Leg 6: 3, 11
Leg 7: 4, 8, 9
PICK 6
R2160
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3
Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
Leg 3: 5
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 6, 13
Leg 5: 3, 4, 5, 11
Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9
JACKPOT 1
R120
Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
Leg 3: 5
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 6, 13
Leg 5: 3, 4, 5, 11
JACKPOT 2
R120
Leg 1: 5
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 6, 13
Leg 3: 3, 4, 5, 11
Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9