Jack Milner: Reunion has the Grade 1 Summer Cup over 2000m later in the year on his agenda and he can start his campaign with a victory in Race 7 at Turffontein on Saturday, a MR 96 Handicap over 1800m on the Inside track.
In discussing his horses for the season, trainer Paul Peter acknowledged Reunion was on his shortlist, and along with stable companion Sound Of Summer, would be aimed at the Summer Cup.
Both will need to get their merit ratings up and this is where it will start for Reunion. Beautifully bred by Flower Alley out of SA Oaks winner Ilha Bela, Reunion had superstar stamped all over him when he put up a start-to-finish maiden win, scooting home by 10.25 lengths over 1600m on this track.
After that win the world seemed at his hooves and even that received a boost when three winners came out of that form line.
But that old saying of counting your chickens before they hatch came back to bite the connections as behavioural issues, including an inability to settle, plagued this colt. He needed gelding badly and even after that was done, it took a while before Reunion started to settle down.
It finally came to pass, and this now four-year-old gelding ended off the season with two fluent victories. There is no doubt he enjoys racing at this course and he also appears to have built up a good relationship with jockey Gavin Lerena who rode him to victory on the last two occasions.
Lerena will be back in the irons on Saturday.
Another runner who loves the Turffontein Inside track is White Fang, who will face his sternest test when he lines up in Race 8, a Pinnacle Stakes over 2600m.
This four-year-old son of Futura, trained by Mike and Adam Azzie, took a while to come to hand but now that he has, the gelding has notched up three very easy victories, the last two over this course and distance. It is also interesting to note that all of his success has come with S’manga Khumalo up and he will be aboard again, even though he has to put up 0.5kg overweight.
The main threat could come from last year’s Grade 1 SA Derby winner Out Of Your League, who displayed his wellbeing with a 1.25-length third behind Nebraas in the Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville.
While he does have to give 8kg to every other horse in the race, Fabian Habib’s charge remains the best handicapped runner and is the class horse in the field. However, he might be need of the race following his KwaZulu-Natal campaign.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 7 Icy Night, 5 Motor City Hitman, 1 Ra’Ed, 4 On The Warpath
Race 2: 3 Bonnaroo, 8 Veneta, 5 Manhattan, 2 Baby Dont Hurt Me
Race 3: 1 Sicilian Tiger, 2 Maraca Ginger, 4 Covert Operator, 6 London Roads
Race 4: 3 Bella Chica, 2 Greens, 5 Seemyvision, 6 Milan’s Princess
Race 5: 9 Clafoutis, 4 Beltway, 5 Magic To The Fore, 6 Country Flame
Race 6: 3 Shangani, 9 Iron Will, 10 Call Me Master, 1 Oyster King
Race 7: 1 Reunion, 8 Willow’s Wish, 4 Trend Master, 5 Prince Evlanoff
Race 8: 3 White Fang, 1 Out Of Your League, 6 Afraad, 2 Captain Chorus
Race 9: 8 Country Mile, 4 Big Eyed Girl, 3 Miss Magician, 2 Verinova
BEST BET
Race 5 No 9 Clafoutis
VALUE BET
Race 9 No 8 Country Mile
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 3×8
BIPOT
R24
Leg 1: 3, 8
Leg 2: 1, 2
Leg 3: 2, 3
Leg 4: 9
Leg 5: 3, 9, 10
Leg 6: 1
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R96
Leg 1: 1, 2
Leg 2: 2, 3
Leg 3: 9
Leg 4: 3, 9, 10
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 1, 3, 6
Leg 7: 2, 3, 4, 8
PICK 6
R648
Leg 1: 2, 3, 5
Leg 2: 9
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
JACKPOT 1
R36
Leg 1: 9
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
JACKPOT 2
R216
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8