Rivalland, Fourie for Scottsville double

When Richard Fourie takes a ride on a Tony Rivalland horse, horseplayers sit up and take notice.

It’s not often that it happens as the likeable trainer has perhaps quality more than quantity, but the pair have a good relationship and a current strike rate of 42.3% winners to runners. On Monday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville both Gorgeous Girl (Race 3) and King Of The Gauls (Race 7) look hard to beat and rate as the double of the day.

Gorgeous Girl has been improving with each start and boasts the top merit rating in the 1600m Maiden for fillies and mares.

Gorgeous Girl will be having her fifth start on Sunday and appears to have much more scope than her opposition.

Gorgeous Girl, it must also be said, has been brought along softly, only pushed in her last start which saw her get to within a length off hot favourite and form horse Tomyris.

It was also her first try over 1600m which she relished.

While Gorgeous Girl could be the shorter priced of the two King Of The Gauls has proven class. There has been talk bandied about that he could be headed for the big leagues in the sprint category, but he will need to pass a top division handicap first.

King Of The Gauls was heavily backed to win his debut at the start of the season in August of 2023 but showed inexperience and was beaten into fourth. The Sovereign State form line was one of the most potent around with as many as seven winners coming out of the race.

The gelded son of leading stallion Vercingetorix more than confirmed his class as he won both subsequent turf starts in good style before being taken to the Western Cape for a tilt at big money over ground.

His pedigree is loaded with speed with a dash of stamina from his sire but after not doing too badly over distances of 1400m and 1600m respectively he was given a short break before returning to sprints.

It was a good comeback as at the height of the Cape season he was beaten 0.35 lengths by useful Justin Snaith inmate Tough Terrain in a competitive MR 94 Cape B Stakes. Back home, racing against the old guard, the lightly raced three-year-old could prove too quick.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 9 Littleblackgem, 3 Hurricane Cat, 7 Siberian Winter, 5 Princess Palace

Race 2: 2 Kola Tonic, 1 Cold Shine, 3 Grovefield, 5 Ibhele

Race 3: 7 Gorgeous Girl, 6 Long Street, 8 Floral Fantasy, 1 Ntombenhle

Race 4: 2 Connoisseur, 3 Avro Prince, 7 Papa C, 1 Ralph The Rascal

Race 5: 2 Alittlebitnaughty, 11 Oh So Squishy, 10 Kitten's Adventure, 7 Gelsomina

Race 6: 9 Blue Horizon, 3 Sweet Symphony, 7 Mvulazana, 1 Fabulous

Race 7: 7 King Of The Gauls, 6 Lunarcam, 4 Donquerari, 1 Bless Me Fred

Race 8: 2 Intrepid, 8 Northern Warrior, 10 Navajo Dancer, 11 Gorgeous Guy

BEST BET

Race 3 No 7 Gorgeous Girl

VALUE BET

Race 5 No 2 Alittlebitnaughty

BEST SWINGER

Race 7 6x7

BIPOT

R324

Leg 1: 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9

Leg 2: 1, 2

Leg 3: 7

Leg 4: 2, 3, 7

Leg 5: 2, 10, 11

Leg 6: 3, 7, 9

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 1, 2

Leg 2: 7

Leg 3: 2, 3, 7

Leg 4: 2, 10, 11

Leg 5: 3, 7, 9

Leg 6: 7

Leg 7: 2, 8, 10, 11

PICK 6

R1200

Leg 1: 7

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

Leg 3: 2, 7, 10, 11

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 7, 9

Leg 5: 6, 7

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 11

JACKPOT 1

R200

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

Leg 2: 2, 7, 10, 11

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

Leg 4: 6, 7

JACKPOT 2

R240

Leg 1: 2, 7, 10, 11

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

Leg 3: 6, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 11