See It Again returns to action

Jack Milner

See It Again is carded to make his seasonal debut at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m.

Winner of two Grade 1 races last season, the Cape Derby and the Daily News 2000, and runner-up in two others – the Hollywoodbets Durban July and the Champions Cup – may have bigger dates on his schedule but he looks u likely to get beaten in a field made up of eight decent but somewhat limited opposition.

He might not have won the Durban July nor was he named Equus Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, but See It Again remains KwaZulu-Natal’s best racehorse and a leading contender for some of the upcoming Cape Summer Season features.

While he beat South Africa’s currently highest rated horse, Charles Dickens, in the Cape Derby he has also been beaten by the latter and is rated just one point lower at 131. The upcoming rematches in races like the L’Ormarins King’s Plate and possibly the Cape Met will be something to savour, but in the meantime, he should be too good for the field he meets in Race 5.

See It Again’s trainer, Michael Roberts, has propped up the race with two other runners and it would come as no surprise to see the duo ensure there is a good pace for the four-year-old colt.

Jockey Piere Strydom, who has ridden him in his last five starts and produced two wins and three seconds, will also be anxious to get him back into the winner’s enclosure.

On paper, that should be a cakewalk as he is at least 9.5kg better off with any of his opposition. Airways Law, winner of last year’s Cup Trial, is the runner who will be 9.5kg under sufferance based on merit ratings, but he has not produced that level of form since that Grade 3 victory and while he did run third last time, the form may flatter him as he was beaten 6.40 lengths in a six-horse field.

Perhaps the horse best placed to chase home See It Again is Cape Eagle who although 11kg out with the favourite, is perfectly suited to 1600m with a record of three wins and a third from four runs over the trip. Two of those wins and the third place were at Greyville.

There also appear to be a few who can be coupled in All-To-Come bets. Witchwood has been improving nicely of late and could score a form win in Race 1. She runs in a Maiden Plate over 1000m for fillies and mares, and not only does it look the right race in terms of field strength, but she also jumps from a decent draw after finishing second from a wide draw on the Polytrack.

Strydom will be hoping to complete a quick double in Race 6, a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m. The legendary rider who is considered by many to be the best to pilot a frontrunner, is carded to ride El Dante, a horse who is unbeaten in both starts over 1600m.

El Dante has not let anything get close in both those wins.

Granted, he has a wide draw to overcome and there are other frontrunners such as Izapha and Shoefella, but he appears better than his rating of 80 and should now be super fit in his third run after a rest.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 3 Witchwood, 4 Moselle, 5 Fire Phoenix, 2 A Time To Dance

Race 2: 9 The Queen Bee, 2 Sea Of Tears, 4 Ruthlizz Star, 8 Silky Jet

Race 3: 6 Passage Of Power, 4 Acacia's Blossom, 5 Music Is Life, 2 Southern Skies

Race 4: 4 The Shepherd, 3 El Draque, 7 Ment To Fly, 11 Tickalox

Race 5: 3 See It Again, 6 Cape Eagle, 7 Captain Casey, 2 Queue Wing

Race 6: 11 El Dante, 1 Canford Ice, 3 Teichman, 2 Shoefella

Race 7: 4 Escapologist, 9 Diana The Huntress, 1 Sea Goddess, 3 Jollification

Race 8: 7 Westockmarketborse, 2 Accumulate, 5 Last Ginger, 3 Lemon Scent

BEST BET

Race 5 No 3 See It Again

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 4 Escapologist

BEST SWINGER

Race 2 2x9

BIPOT

R24

Leg 1: 3, 4

Leg 2: 9

Leg 3: 4, 5, 6

Leg 4: 4

Leg 5: 3

Leg 6: 1, 3, 11

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R54

Leg 1: 9

Leg 2: 4, 5, 6

Leg 3: 4

Leg 4: 3

Leg 5: 1, 11

Leg 6: 1, 4, 9

Leg 7: 2, 5, 7

PICK 6

R400

Leg 1: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8

Leg 2: 4

Leg 3: 3

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 11

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

Leg 6: 2, 3, 5, 7

JACKPOT 1

R20

Leg 1: 4

Leg 2: 3

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 11

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

JACKPOT 2

R80

Leg 1: 3

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 11

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

Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 7