Jack Milner: Feature-race winner Love Bomb makes her return to the racecourse on Thursday and if close to peak fitness, should make it a winning comeback.
Trained by Frank Robinson, the three-year-old filly lines up in Race 8, a Graduation Plate for fillies and mares over 1200m on the Polytrack at the Greyville.
Love Bomb caused a major upset when she flew up late to catch odds-on favourite Caralluma to win the Grade 2 Golden Slipper over 1400m on the Greyville turf track on Vodacom Durban July day. She went off at 35-1 and dispatched most Pick 6 tickets to the scrapheap.
She has only raced four times, and after winning her maiden on debut – over 1000m on the Greyville Polytrack – the daughter of Oratorio has only competed in Graded races. Her second start came in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship over 1200m at Scottsville where, after languishing well off the pace early on, produced the second fastest 400m to finish to end up a 4.25-length eighth behind Vernichey.
After her win in the Golden Slipper, Robinson put his charge into another Grade 1 race, the Thekwini Stakes over 1600m on the Greyville turf. She ended up running sixth, beaten 5.10 lengths, but if one considers the first four past the post were unbeaten Anything Goes, War Of Athena, Princess Calla and Trickster and that the latter pair went on to finish first and second respectively in the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Championship at Kenilworth last month, it makes the form line particularly noteworthy.
Love Bomb is the best weighted runner, she has won on the Polytrack and has Lyle Hewitson up. That should make her very hard to beat, although it is her first run in 75 days.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 4 Casadoro, 3 Trenadora, 7 Roy’s Slew Per Jet, 11 Good Girl
Race 2: 12 Mama Pyjama, 7 Corsage, 4 Theatrical Moment, 1 Silver Beauty
Race 3: 6 Time Taker, 9 Ibutho, 1 Hello Again, 12 Cabinet Shuffle
Race 4: 4 Freedom Of Speech, 9 Rock The Night, 2 Gentleman’s Way, 1 Master Tobe
Race 5: 4 Eightfolds Lass, 6 Kavian’s Cara, 2 Cherry Road, 8 Diamondsandpearls
Race 6: 2 African Sunrise, 9 Duc D’Orange, 8 Pearl Of Asia, 3 Enjoy The View
Race 7: 2 Purple Merchant, 5 Fort Royal, 6 Cersei, 9 Colour Of Light
Race 8: 8 Love Bomb, 1 Keep The Lights On, 3 Stella Act, 6 Dancing Feather
Race 9: 7 Hammam, 2 Alphamikefoxtrot, 6 Strikeitlikeamatch, 1 Stand By Me
BEST BET
Race 8 No 8 Love Bomb
VALUE BET
Race 5 No 4 Eightfold Lass
BEST SWINGER
Race 3 6×9
BIPOT
R432
Leg 1: 4, 7, 12
Leg 2: 6, 9
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 9
Leg 4: 2, 4, 6
Leg 5: 2, 9
Leg 6: 2, 5, 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 6, 9
Leg 2: 2, 4, 9
Leg 3: 2, 4, 6
Leg 4: 2, 9
Leg 5: 2, 5, 6
Leg 6: 8
Leg 7: 2, 7
PICK 6
R1344
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12
Leg 2: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
Leg 3: 2, 9
Leg 4: 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12
Leg 5: 8
Leg 6: 2, 7
JACKPOT 1
R210
Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
Leg 2: 2, 3, 7, 8, 9
Leg 3: 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12
Leg 4: 8
JACKPOT 2
R70
Leg 1: 2, 3, 7, 8, 9
Leg 2: 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12
Leg 3: 8
Leg 4: 2, 7