Mosia chases title defense

Jack Milner

The first leg of the Work Riders’ Challenge takes place on the Vaal Classic track on Tuesday and Sam Mosia is back in the line-up in his attempt to defend the title he won last season.

The Challenge is run over three legs with the second taking place on 26 January with the finale on Thursday 13 April.

Work riders score points for each top-four finish with 10 points for a win, seven points for second, five for third and three for fourth.

Mosia rides a first-timer in Race 1 while his Race 2 mount has only run once and while showing early pace, faded out badly to finish last of the 10 runners.

He does not have a ride in Race 3, but he does have an excellent opportunity to open his account in Race 4 where he rides Prime Example for trainer Ashley Fortune in a Maiden Plate over 2400m.

This Canford Cliffs three-year-old was touched off by strong favourite Otto Luykens last time over 1800m and looks the runner best suited to the additional 600m this time.

He went off at 20-1 last time which was a slight surprise as his form had improved markedly since Fortune started racing him in blinkers two runs prior to that.

Based on that last run Prime Example is likely to go off a very short-priced favourite but does look to be the stand-out bet on the card, especially as most of his opposition has extremely moderate form and will need major improvement to win this race.

Joe Gwingwizha won the Work Riders’ Challenge a couple of years back and he has picked up some decent rides for trainer Sean Tarry.

His best ride comes up in Race 8, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1450m, where he rides National Star.

This three-year-old daughter of Pomodoro has run two seconds and two thirds in her last four starts, all over 1600m, and it appears this slight drop in distance could prove ideal for her.

The only concern is that she has not raced since June but Tarry does not have his runners come out unfit and as this is not the strongest field around, she should not have too many problems dealing with the opposition.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 13 War Empress, 8 Count Your Chances, 6 Heart And Mind, 10 Pompom Queen

Race 2: 9 Inventrix, 7 Mandalay, 10 Southern Style, 2 Last Survivor

Race 3: 3 Integrate, 2 In Cahoots, 8 After Hours, 4 Lulu's Boy

Race 4: 4 Prime Example, 7 Ballycotton, 1 Harold The Duke, 3 Twice In Camden

Race 5: 3 Ponderosa Pine, 4 Sassy, 7 Aunt Pittypat, 8 Broadlands

Race 6: 3 Future Pearl, 1 Spring Will Come, 4 Break Point, 5 Black Lightning

Race 7: 5 Thermopylae, 3 Warbonnet Creek, 1 Robert Burns, 6 What Say You

Race 8: 4 National Star, 9 Alice May, 5 I Am Who I Am, 11 Royalgreenlight

BEST BET

Race 4 No 4 Prime Example

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 5 Thermopylae

BEST SWINGER

Race 5 3x4

BIPOT

R54

Leg 1: 13

Leg 2: 7, 9

Leg 3: 2, 3, 8

Leg 4: 4

Leg 5: 3, 4

Leg 6: 1, 3, 4

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R108

Leg 1: 9

Leg 2: 2, 3

Leg 3: 4

Leg 4: 3, 4

Leg 5: 1, 3, 4

Leg 6: 1, 3, 5

Leg 7: 4, 5, 9

PICK 6

R720

Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8

Leg 2: 4

Leg 3: 3, 4, 7, 8

Leg 4: 1, 3, 4

Leg 5: 1, 3, 5, 6

Leg 6: 4, 5, 9

JACKPOT 1

R48

Leg 1: 4

Leg 2: 3, 4, 7, 8

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4

Leg 4: 1, 3, 5, 6

JACKPOT 2

R192

Leg 1: 3, 4, 7, 8

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4

Leg 3: 1, 3, 5, 6

Leg 4: 4, 5, 9