Muzi has a majestic touch

Jack Milner

With R1-million up for grabs for any jockey who can break Anthony Delpech’s record of 334 winners in a season, a number of jockeys have come flying out of the starting stalls.

With Keagan de Melo preparing to ride in Hong Kong this season, Richard Fourie is the ruling favourite to wrest the title, but nobody has been faster out of the blocks than Muzi Yeni.

Although just a few weeks into the new season, Yeni (at the time of writing) has already ridden 21 winners and is nine ahead of Fourie with Gavin Lerena in third place.

What is also remarkable as that he is riding winners at a rate of 22.83% despite not riding for one of the major stables.

And anyone who watched him win on Emirate Gina at Turffontein last Thursday, Dawn Of A New Era at Fairview on Friday and Corapi at the Vaal on Tuesday can only marvel at the calibre of those performances.

Yeni and Magner have struck up a good relationship of late and they team up on Thursday with Majestic Touch in Race 6 on the Vaal Classic track, a MR 82 Handicap over 1450m.

This Pathfork colt will be having his first run as a three-year-old, his last race coming up in Durban July day in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville. He did not feature in that race won by Sandringham Summit, but he did have to travel and may not have enjoyed the yielding track.

However, his race prior to that saw him win his maiden over this course and distance and he does look the runner who could make the most improvement in this line-up. Yeni has ridden him in all three of his starts.

The main danger could come from Tony Peter-trained Silent War. The five-year-old Gimmethegreenlight gelding started his career in the Western Cape before moving up to the Highveld where he has raced three times in sprints for one win and a second place.

He will be having his first run for the Peter stable and has Craig Zackey in the irons.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 9 Universal Love, 7 Andi's Girl, 2 The Work Of Life, 4 Azaleas For All

Race 2: 9 House Of Romanov, 10 Mondial, 7 Holocene, 6 Mambo's Call

Race 3: 1 Callmewhenuneedme, 2 Key Element, 3 Tamil Tigress, 4 Dakota Cat

Race 4: 8 Tree Fairy, 7 Pretty In Pearls, 1 Quiet Rebellion, 2 I Am Regal

Race 5: 5 Destiny Of Souls, 1 Stratospheric, 8 Luthuli, 7 Ballroom Bliss

Race 6: 7 Majestic Touch, 3 Silent War, 5 Mini Coop, 2 Funky Music

Race 7: 5 Toffas, 2 Bloomington, 6 Back To Basics, 1 Nordic Rebel

Race 8: 4 Tizona, 2 Crimson Princess, 5 Zuzan, 7 Whispers Of War

Race 9: 9 Mia Regina, 4 Inventrix, 1 Samoa, 3 Insatiable

BEST BET

Race 8 No 4 Tizona

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 5 Toffas

BEST SWINGER

Race 2 9x10

BIPOT

R216

Leg 1: 9, 10

Leg 2: 1, 2

Leg 3: 1, 7, 8

Leg 4: 1, 5, 8

Leg 5: 3, 7

Leg 6: 2, 5, 6

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 1, 2

Leg 2: 1, 7, 8

Leg 3: 1, 5

Leg 4: 3, 5, 7

Leg 5: 2, 5, 6

Leg 6: 4

Leg 7: 4, 9

PICK 6

R2304

Leg 1: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 11

Leg 2: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8

Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 5: 4

Leg 6: 1, 3, 4, 9

JACKPOT 1

R96

Leg 2: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8

Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 5: 4

JACKPOT 2

R64

Leg 1: 2, 3, 5, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 3: 4

Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 9