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