Peter, Habib a hot combo at the Vaal

Jack Milner

Jockey Calvin Habib may only have been filling in for Craig Zackey at Fairview on Tuesday but after winning four of the eight races on the card, he is likely to be welcomed back whenever he wants to go there.

Zackey is normally first-choice jockey for Gavin Smith, but Habib took the reins for the stable at Tuesday’s Polytrack meeting with great success.

Habib has now ridden seven winners in the first two weeks of the new season but he could pick up a few more at the Vaal on Thursday when they race on the Classic track.

And despite having to put up 0.5kg overweight, Kisshoten could be on of his best on the nine-race card.

The five-year-old mare is trained by Tony Peter and she looks well positioned to notch up a fourth career win when she lines up in Race 7, a MR 99 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m.

The daughter of Erupt has only had four runs for the yard and they have resulted in one win, two thirds and a second place last time.

She found massive betting support on that occasion to go off at 13-10 but was beaten just 0.20 lengths by Twostep Queen.

St John Gray’s filly will be reopposing this time but finds herself 5.5kg worse off for that run. The difference comes in the 4kg apprentice claim as in her last outing Twostep Queen was ridden by exciting apprentice Mxoli Mbuto who is turning out to be excellent value for his claim, which has now dropped to 2.5kg.

On paper, of course, that gives Kisshoten a massive advantage and she should easily reverse the form of that last race. However, Muzi Yeni replaces Mbuto so Twostep Queen must still be respected.

Habib takes the ride on Kisshoten for the first time but he is riding with such confidence that it would comes as a surprise if that needs to be a concern

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 3 Lady Blunt, 4 Frangipani, 1 Hollywood Madam, 5 Madame Pompadour

Race 2: 2 Winds Of Grace, 3 Greenlight Racer, 1 Seventh Fleet, 5 Dondoyaki

Race 3:  2 Deal Maker, 3 Faithful Neo, 1 Nkandla Gold, 5 Lonely As A Cloud

Race 4:  9 Hemisphere, 2 Fully Loaded, 1 Sylvan Warrior, 6 Red Penny

Race 5:  1 Hong Kong, 5 King Of Numbers, 3 Open Highway, 8 Guerilla Warfare

Race 6:  6 Obsidian, 1 Soldier's Eye, 3 Master Christmas, 7 Jury's Out

Race 7:  4 Kisshoten, 1 Miss Hannigan, 2 Last Car To Pass, 6 Avoontoast

Race 8:  3 Kissing Machine, 6 Future Date, 2 Way To Burn, 4 Boom Boom

Race 9:  1 Sunshine Day, 6 Can't Catch Me, 2 Sail The Sky, 4 Libeccio

BEST BET

Race 3:  2 Deal Maker

VALUE BET

Race 9:  1 Sunshine Day

BEST SWINGER

Race 2 2x3

BIPOT                          

R162

Leg 1: 2, 3

Leg 2: 2

Leg 3: 1, 2, 9

Leg 4: 1, 3, 5

Leg 5: 1, 3, 6

Leg 6: 1, 2, 4

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 2

Leg 2: 1, 2, 9

Leg 3: 1, 5

Leg 4: 1, 3, 6

Leg 5: 1, 4

Leg 6: 3, 6

Leg 7: 1, 2, 6

PICK 6

R2025

Leg 1: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9

Leg 2: 1, 3, 5

Leg 3: 1, 3, 6

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4

Leg 5: 2, 3, 6

Leg 6: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8

JACKPOT 1

R81

Leg 1: 1, 3, 5

Leg 2: 1, 3, 6

Leg 3: 1, 2, 4

Leg 4: 2, 3, 6

JACKPOT 2

R135

Leg 1: 1, 3, 6

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4

Leg 3: 2, 3, 6

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8