Jack Milner: With the Gauteng Summer Cup just three-and-a-half weeks away, time is now running out for those still needing to qualify for this Grade 1 race over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday 27 November.
One of those is Cape Town-based Majestic Mozart.
In order to achieve this, trainer Candice Bass-Robinson has sent her charge up to the Highveld already and the six-year-old son of Dynasty is currently with Ashley Fortune at the Vaal.
Fortunately for his connections, Majestic Mozart, despite a number of good places, is still only a two-time winner and that allows him to make his Highveld debut in a Graduation Plate. He will line up in Race 6 over 1400m, and if it was run on paper, they could give him the first-place stake and the merit-rating points already.
Although he carries 60kg, Majestic Mozart is the best weighted runner by at least 7kg. That second position is held by Sean Tarry-trained Rock The Globe who is actually 2.5kg better off than that, thanks to the allowance claimed by apprentice Rachel Venniker.
The third best handicapped runner, based on merit ratings, is Paul Peter-trained Balouchi who is 9.5kg under sufferance with Majestic Mozart.
Although he has won over 2000m and tends to race over further, Majestic Mozart has a decent enough record over 1400m, having run eight times for a win, two seconds and four fourths.
Calvin Habib takes the ride and as long as he has settled down in his new surroundings, Majestic Mozart will be very hard to peg back in this field.
Runners from the Paul Peter stable are always dangerous, so despite the discrepancy in the weights, Balouchi must be considered the main danger. He has only raced three times for a win and a second place, the latter coming over this course and distance, so he could be a lot better than his merit rating suggests.
Warren Kennedy is carded to ride.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 8 Goddess Of Light, 1 Moonstrike, 5 Dancing Dora, 6 Five Fortunes
Race 2: 1 General Hancock, 6 Fire Lord, 4 Castle Of Glass, 2 Coming In Hot
Race 3: 2 Muleta, 3 Seemyvision, 6 Captain’s Run, 1 All Of Me
Race 4: 5 Waya Yire, 2 Alabama Anna, 3 On Cue, 8 Zodiac Princess
Race 5: 5 Lemon Delight, 1 Caralluma, 9 La Valliere, 8 Warship
Race 6: 1 Majestic Mozart, 6 Balouchi, 3 Rock The Globe, 2 Funky Music
Race 7: 1 Theory Of Flight, 5 Ivalo’s Prince, 4 Purple Panther, 3 Nordic Rebel
Race 8: 3 Sergei, 2 Waqaas, 10 English Primrose, 5 Grand Escape
BEST BET
Race 1 No 8 Goddess Of Light
VALUE BET
Race 7 No 1 Theory Of Flight
BEST SWINGER
Race 1 1×8
BIPOT
R144
Leg 1: 8
Leg 2: 1, 4, 6
Leg 3: 2, 3, 4
Leg 4: 2, 5
Leg 5: 1, 5, 8, 9
Leg 6: 1, 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R144
Leg 1: 1, 6
Leg 2: 2, 3
Leg 3: 2, 5
Leg 4: 1, 5, 9
Leg 5: 1, 6
Leg 6: 1, 4, 5
Leg 7: 3
PICK 6
R1296
Leg 1: 2, 3, 6
Leg 2: 2, 5
Leg 3: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Leg 4: 1, 3, 6
Leg 5: 1, 3, 4, 5
Leg 6: 2, 3, 10
JACKPOT 1
R144
Leg 1: 2, 5
Leg 2: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Leg 3: 1, 3, 6
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 5
JACKPOT 2
R216
Leg 1: 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Leg 2: 1, 3, 6
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 5
Leg 4: 2, 3, 10