Pinnacle Stakes looks a real Humdinger

Jack Milner

An interesting tussle between two talented fillies and two top trainers looks the highlight on the card at Turffontein on Monday when they race on the Standside track.

Humdinger, trained by Mike de Kock, and Under Your Spell, trained by Sean Tarry, line up in Race 4, a Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares over 1400m.

Humdinger has performed remarkably well since joining De Kock in February last year, with three wins and five places from nine runs. While the four-year-old daughter of What A Winter has always been an honest performer, she did cause a major upset when winning the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Fillies & Mares Challenge over 1450m on the Inside track.

That event is run at weight-for-age terms and Humdinger was heavily under sufferance in a strong field. As a result, she was allowed to go off at 33-1. Jockey JP van der Merwe took her off to the front and she held off all challengers, including well-fancied stable companion Desert Miracle who Humdinger held off to win by 0.20 lengths.

In terms of the race conditions she could not get more than a 4kg penalty so she was still well weighted when she then ran in the Grade 2 Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile but produced a very rare bad performance, pulling up fatigued to finish 11.75 lengths behind Bingwa.

However, she bounced back to her usual consistent best on 2 January when running in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m on the Standside track against the colts, finishing a one-length second behind Outofthedarkness.

Fifth in that race came Under Your Spell, beaten just two lengths by Humdinger. On that occasion the four-year-old Capetown Noir filly landed No 12 draw, which is a bit of a nightmare over 1400m as the race starts on the turn.

Under Your Spell ended up at the back of the field and had to come from last to finish fifth.

On paper she has all the necessary credentials to turn the form around with Humdinger. Firstly, she is the best weighted runner and is now 2kg better off. Most relevant is that she is far better drawn at No 5 and that should help jockey Calvin Habib to get a much better position early in the race.

Nevertheless, Humdinger could well have the edge again, especially as log-leading rider Keagan de Melo will be in the irons this time and they will jump from No 3 draw.

They are expected to fight out the finish but if Supreme Quest can recapture her form, she could give them both a run for their money.

The Corne Spies-trained filly is held by both Humdinger and Under Your Spell on their last run but she was just 1.25 lengths behind Under Your Spell in that race and Gavin Lerena gets the ride for the first time.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 1 Phantomoftheforest, 9 Mother Of Pearl, 6 Edward Rye, 3 Air Fusion

Race 2: 4 Total Protection, 2 Flashy Apache, 3 Diesel And Dust, 1 Expressfromtheus

Race 3: 9 Vitellius, 2 Stepping Out, 1 Gimme A Diamond, 8 Marquez

Race 4: 2 Humdinger, 1 Under Your Spell, 3 Hollywoodbound, 4 Supreme Quest

Race 5: 9 Rule By Force, 2 Fast Love, 11 Destiny Of Souls, 1 Bey Suyay

Race 6: 9 Aunt Pittypat, 2 Last Cheer, 4 Go Flichity, 3 Liverpool Legend

Race 7: 2 Southern Song, 4 Trump My Queen, 5 Dark Travel, 6 Mirren

Race 8: 11 Power Ranger, 5 Written In Stone, 7 Back To Basics, 4 Timbavati River

BEST BET

Race 3 No 9 Vitellius

VALUE BET

Race 6 No 9 Aunt Pittypat

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 1x9

BIPOT

R192

Leg 1: 1, 9

Leg 2: 2, 3, 4

Leg 3: 9

Leg 4: 1, 2

Leg 5: 1, 2, 9, 11

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 9

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 2, 4

Leg 2: 9

Leg 3: 1, 2

Leg 4: 2, 9, 11

Leg 5: 2, 4, 9

Leg 6: 2, 4

Leg 7: 5, 7, 11

PICK 6

R1500

Leg 1: 9

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3

Leg 3: 1, 2, 7, 9, 11

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10

Leg 5: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 6: 4, 5, 7, 11

JACKPOT 1

R375

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3

Leg 2: 1, 2, 7, 9, 11

Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

JACKPOT 2

R500

Leg 1: 1, 2, 7, 9, 11

Leg 2: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10

Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 4: 4, 5, 7, 11