Jack Milner
Total Surrender only started racing in May this year, but the son of Flower Alley has been very impressive.
He has gone on to run four times for two wins and two seconds but in retrospect the connections may have been disappointed that he missed out on so many of the Classic races available to three-year-olds.
Interestingly, he was gelded some 10 months prior to his starting to race but there is little doubt Total Surrender has tons of ability and will provide lots of fun for owner Dave Shawe and trainer Lucky Houdalakis.
He winning form is expected to continue when he lines up in Race 7 at the Vaal on Tuesday, a MR 80 Handicap over 2000m.
His first two runs were over 1400m and produced a second on debut followed by an easy victory over the Vaal straight.
He was then tried over further and may have been a touch unlucky when going down a short head to Over To You over 1800m, but there was a lot to like about the manner of his last victory in which he coasted home over 2000m on the Turffontein Inside track in June, easily taking care of Banha Bridge by 2.20 lengths.
Fourth in that race, beaten 4.70 lengths, was stable companion Battleground, and he came out on 12 August to score a facile 2.75-lengths victory over Absolute Value.
But while there might only have been one winner from Total Surrender’s last triumph, there have been some very decent performances coming out of that form line.
Silvano’s Song, who finished a 4.90-length fifth, failed in his next start but last time improved to run a one-length second behind Celtic Rush.
Coromandel, who ended up in sixth place, has followed up with two highly respectable efforts. Two runs back he finished a 1.25-length third behind Trois Trois Quatre while last Saturday at Turffontein, the Kobus Roux-trained entire finished a 2.20-length second to Every Cloud over 2000m on the Inside track.
Even 10th placed Youcanthurrylove, beaten 7.70 lengths by Total Surrender, put up an improved display in his next run as he finished a 0.90-length second to Trois Trois Quatre.
Silvano’s Song reopposes in this event and on paper has to be a big runner. With the assistance of a 2.5kg apprentice allowance claimed by Siyande Sosibo, he is now 7kg better off for a 4.90-lengths beating.
However, Sosibo replaces Keagan de Melo and that alone might negate the value of the apprentice allowance and Total Surrender had plenty in hand when winning last time and could still show far more improvement.
Craig Zackey has ridden the gelding in three of his four starts, including the two wins, and even with the weight turnaround the pair are unlikely to surrender.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 8 Kinshin Sha, 11 Moola Man, 14 Southern Style, 10 Mentality Monster
Race 2: 8 Ideal Future, 3 Nuclear Force, 5 Coromandel, 1 Wonderworld
Race 3: 5 Flying Puma, 10 Jumping Analia, 15 War Queen, 8 Arctic Commander
Race 4: 5 Sunshine Day, 9 Bees And Honey, 1 Shiny Silva, 4 On The Horizon
Race 5: 12 Wazzup, 11 Royal Edition, 1 Lt Alexander, 6 Horsefly
Race 6: 7 Archimides, 2 Captain Of Grit, 6 French Impact, 1 Now I Got You
Race 7: 2 Total Surrender, 8 Silvano's Song, 6 Over Two You, 4 Pewter Sky
Race 8: 3 Berengaria, 2 What A Honey, 1 Lucy In The Sky, 4 On Cue
Race 9: 1 Ice Star, 7 Raining Rubies, 11 Meet The Captain, 3 Alabama Anna
BEST BET
Race 7 No 2 Total Surrender
VALUE BET
Race 2 No 8 Ideal Future
BEST SWINGER
Race 5 11x12
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 1, 3, 5, 8
Leg 2: 5, 10, 15
Leg 3: 1, 5, 9
Leg 4: 11, 12
Leg 5: 2, 3, 6, 7
Leg 6: 2
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R243
Leg 1: 5, 10, 15
Leg 2: 1, 5, 9
Leg 3: 12
Leg 4: 2, 3, 7
Leg 5: 2
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3
Leg 7: 1, 7, 11
PICK 6
R1960
Leg 1: 1, 4, 5, 9
Leg 2: 11, 12
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 4: 2
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 7, 11
JACKPOT 1
R98
Leg 1: 11, 12
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 3: 2
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
JACKPOT 2
R245
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 2: 2
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 7, 11