Jack Milner: Lucy In The Sky can close off Tuesday’s meeting at the Vaal on a high note for punters.
The Brett Webber-trained filly has been ultra-consistent in her last five races with a record of two wins, two seconds and a third, all of them over 1200m.
It says a lot for this three-year-old daughter of Noble Tune that she has managed these good runs on three different courses, three of them were around the turn and two up the straight at the Vaal, where she will be competing in this MR 76 Handicap for fillies and mares.
Her last run was particularly impressive as she was drawn widest of all on the Vaal Classic track where they start on the bend and then produced a flying finish to go down just 0.20 length to Certifiable.
This time she also has a wide draw but up the straight at the Vaal that should be ideal.
champion jockey Warren Kennedy has been aboard in her last two races and he will be taking the ride once again.
The main threat is likely to come from Dorrie Sham-trained Bat Out Of Hell who actually won her maiden beating Lucy In The Sky into a 2.10-length second.
The three-year-old Querari filly is only 0.5kg worse off but she has not raced since then and will be having her first outing in 117 days.
In addition, Lucy In The Sky played up at the start that day and proved stubborn to load. She appears to have overcome that problem and as she is the fitter of the pair, is expected to turn the tables on Bat Out Of Hell this time.
Exactas and Swingers with the two fillies looks an investment that should yield a decent return.
Warren Kennedy makes the trip to the Vaal and he appears quite happy to have taken the ride on Warship in Race 2 for the Candice Dawson stable for the second time.
There was no real money for the filly on debut but there must have been some talk as she opened around 8-1 but drifted to 12-1 by the off. The daughter of Coup De Grace was taking on winners in this Juvenile Plate over 1000m and was not disgraced in running a two-length second behind Cold Fact, a three-time winner from five starts.
Warship drops to maiden company this time against juvenile fillies over 1000m and she should be too good for this field.
It is interesting to note that Paul Peter saddles What A Miracle who found support on debut last December to go off at 28-10 but faded out late to finish sixth, beaten 10.25 lengths.
The winner was Sean Tarry-trained Under Your Spell who has won three of four starts, including the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Scottsville last time.
Peter’s charge is well bred and is a half-sister to Mythical Bolt and Miracle Bird. She could well improve on that last effort and Peter has engaged Luke Ferraris to ride the filly.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Alesian Chief, 7 Wings Of Nike, 2 Brief Crusade, 6 Song Of Liberty
Race 2: 7 Warship, 8 What A Miracle, 6 Turn Tide, 9 Winter Renegade
Race 3: 5 Dyce, 4 Never No Way, 8 General Hancock, 1 Lazy Guy
Race 4: 1 Lady Of The Flame, 4 Frosted Ice, 11 Meteoric, 10 Mckenna Skye