Jack Milner
Trainer Tony Peter will no doubt be delighted by the manner in which The Equator won a Graduation Plate at Turffontein on Sunday.
He thought 1600m might be too sharp and they also had to deal with “nail bind” which but this impeccably bred entire sat handier than expected, hot the front early in the start and after that the result was never in question.
Richard Fourie was full of praise for the UK-bred son of Galileo. “He gives you a lovely feel, he moves down well, he’s a gentleman. It was only his second run in a while so he hit a bit of flat spot towards the end but he’s just going to get stronger.”
Peter explained the concern with the Equator. “We’ve had a couple of sleepless nights with him the last couple of nights. He couldn’t put his foot down for two days but everyone dug down and we managed to get him right.”
The Betway Summer Cup on 29 November is his main mission and everything looks on track.
Buffalo Storm Cody also made a winning comeback but Fourie did struggle to find a gap. However, once he did, it was over in a matter of strides.
Peter has been bringing out a number of his top runners and a few of them will be running against one another in Race 3 at the Vaal on Tuesday, a Graduation Plate for fillies and mares over 1200m.
There are four runners from the yard carded, Rifle Queen, Rachel Wall, Arashi and Blindfire but Rifle Queen was scratched on Monday, leaving just three.
Arashi, who finished third behind Alan Greeff’s star Golden Palm in the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery, has had one run back so will be slightly fitter than some of the others, and has Callan Murray up, while Blindfire will have the advantage of a 4kg claimer in the irons.
However, Rachel Wall appears to be a really class act and will be having her first start since finishing a 0.50-length fourth behind Zalatoris in the Grade 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 27 July.
If close to her best, this three-year-old daughter of Buffalo Bill Cody should have the measure of this field. Calvin Habib takes the ride.
Muzi Yeni could also pick up a winner when he rides Constellation in Race 6, a MR 94 Handicap over 1000m.
This What A Winter colt has shown promise in his four starts, winning his last two, and was not beaten far in his first two outings.
It is worth noting that both of those defeats came on soft ground. The three-year-old colt returns from a break and will face a decent field, but it is likely we have not yet seen the best of him.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 13 Mme Huntress, 7 Echoes Of War, 11 One Summer, 10 Single Combat
Race 2: 4 Vamanos, 1 Rendevous In Rio, 5 Dondoyaki, 6 Inspiration
Race 3: 3 Rachel Wall, 5 Arashi, 6 Miss Novax, 1 Frozen Fantasy
Race 4: 10 Future Success, 8 Texas Missile, 5 Trip To Peace, 2 Cuzzie
Race 5: 3 Top Division, 1 Rafa Bay, 2 Twentytwentyvision, 8 Nou Praat Jy
Race 6: 11 Constellation, 10 War Of Kingdoms, 1 Gimmethegoodlife, 4 Dontshootthebarman
Race 7: 3 Shadowfax, 6 King Harald, 1 The Last Duke, 7 Blizzard Quest
Race 8: 5 Falcon Strike, 2 Maverick Queen, 3 Peregrine Falcon, 6 Phala Millions
BEST BET
Race 1: 13 Mme Huntress
VALUE BET
Race 8: 5 Falcon Strike
BEST SWINGER
Race 7 3x6
BIPOT
R108
Leg 1: 13
Leg 2: 1, 4, 5
Leg 3: 3, 5
Leg 4: 5, 8, 10
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3
Leg 6: 10, 11
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 1, 4, 5
Leg 2: 3, 5
Leg 3: 5, 8, 10
Leg 4: 1, 3
Leg 5: 11
Leg 6: 3, 6
Leg 7: 2, 3, 5
PICK 6
R1536
Leg 1: 3, 5, 6
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 8
Leg 4: 10, 11
Leg 5: 3, 6
Leg 6: 2, 3, 5, 6
JACKPOT 1
R128
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 8
Leg 3: 10, 11
Leg 4: 3, 6
JACKPOT 2
R64
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 8
Leg 2: 10, 11
Leg 3: 3, 6
Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 6