Jack Milner
While it might not contain the quality of fields racing fans will see at the L’Ormarins King’s Plate meeting on Saturday 7 January, Monday’s card at Turffontein on the Standside track comprises three decent Grade 3 races.
The Tony Ruffel Stakes and the Three Troikas Stakes for fillies are both for three-year olds and are over 1400m. The third feature is the London News Stakes over 1800m.
This is a particularly interesting race because it contains Betway Summer Cup champion Puerto Manzano coming up against Red Saxon again, as well as a promising three-year-old in Electric Gold.
Puerto Manzano and Red Saxon have met three times and their head-to-head reads 3-0 to the Summer Cup winner. At the weights he should make it 4-0 but closer scrutiny of form reveals it is not all that cut and dried.
They met in the Hollywoodbets Durban July where both finished down the field while in the Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile they finished second and fourth respectively with 1.75 lengths separating them.
Their third meeting came in the Summer Cup which was won by Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge while Joe Soma’s runner failed to overcome a wide draw in his second run after a layoff and was well beaten.
However, Red Saxon finally got it right in his next start, a Pinnacle Stakes over this course and distance which he won more convincingly than the 1.25-length margin suggests.
It is worth noting that 1800m is his favourite distance as his Grade 1 victory in the SA Classic, was over this course and distance as well.
With S’manga Khumalo up he should turn the tables on his nemesis this time, although one has to have the utmost respect for Puerto Manzano and a very in-form stable.
However, both could be upstaged by Electric Gold. This three-year-old was formerly trained by Paul Peter who rated him top class and saw him as a Dingaans prospect. The son of Flying The Flag suffered a setback when Peter gave up training. That resulted in a break in his routine but he moved to Sean Tarry who did run him in the Dingaans.
He was probably not yet ready and could only finish 5.25 lengths behind Union Square but he put the record straight in no uncertain terms last time out as he romped to a 3.50-length victory over Flashy Apache.
He does have a habit of making a respiratory noise in his races but that did not stop him last time. Hopefully that win has restored Electric Gold’s confidence and with just 51kg and Muzi Yeni on his back, he can pick up his first feature success.
The Tony Ruffel Stakes appeared a two-horse contest between top-rated Royal Victory and Thunderstruck but the scratching of the latter on Monday morning has cleared the path for Nathan Kotzen’s charge. Royal Victory should prove too good for this field and does look the best banker on the card.
The Three Troikas Stakes is far more competitive and there are a number of runners with winning chances. Rock The Fox probably has the strongest recent form as Tarry’s charge ran third in the Grade 3 Fillies Mile.
She has been fitted with blinkers for the first time and with Calvin Habib up, looks the pick of Tarry’s two runners, although he has put Khumalo on Bless My Stars.
But one needs to have a close look at Miss Cool’s last run as she ran well to finish a 2.75-length fourth behind Alula’s Star in the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap. She will prefer this distance in what will be her third start for Candice Dawson.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 11 Rockingthetimeaway, 12 Civil Princess, 2 Iron Sky, 3 Dungeons
Race 2: 11 October Fair, 12 Writteninthesand, 2 Powers That Be, 4 Misava
Race 3: 10 Free Movement, 8 Camlicourt, 7 Archimides, 12 Silvano's Song
Race 4: 6 Dyce, 8 Duke Of Sussex, 3 Under Your Spell, 1 Prince Of Fire
Race 5: 2 Royal Victory, 3 Now I Got You, 4 Golden Prospect, 5 Arividicio
Race 6: 3 Rock The Fox, 1 Miss Cool, 2 Bless My Stars, 5 Moraine
Race 7: 5 Electric Gold, 2 Red Saxon, 1 Puerto Manzano, 3 Second Base
Race 8: 8 Tulip Tree, 9 Silver Hills, 5 Wokonda, 2 Magical Flight
Race 9: 3 Paschals Samore, 2 Gimmealight, 1 Princess Ozma, 5 Quantum
BEST BET
Race 5 No 2 Royal Victory
VALUE BET
Race 7 No 5 Electric Gold
BEST SWINGER
Race 5 1x2
BIPOT
R324
Leg 1: 2, 4, 11, 12
Leg 2: 7, 8, 10
Leg 3: 3, 6, 8
Leg 4: 2
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3
Leg 6: 1, 2, 5
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 7, 8, 10
Leg 2: 6, 8
Leg 3: 2
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3
Leg 5: 2, 5
Leg 6: 8, 9
Leg 7: 1, 2, 3
PICK 6
R1875
Leg 1: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8
Leg 2: 2
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
Leg 4: 1, 2, 5
Leg 5: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
JACKPOT 1
R75
Leg 1: 2
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
Leg 3: 1, 2, 5
Leg 4: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9
JACKPOT 2
R375
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
Leg 2: 1, 2, 5
Leg 3: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7