Jack Milner
Sharapova is one of those runners who has been expensive to follow. She took four runs to win her maiden and it looked as if a small feature could be on her agenda.
However, despite running a number of places, a second win a eluded her and she was sent off to Alan Greeff’s Eastern Cape yard. But even at Fairview she began with five close-up places in her new home.
Her winless run finally ended last time when she showed fine fighting qualities, something that has lacked in the past, to beat Swiss Walt by 0.75 lengths. The Querari mare lines up again in Race 5, a MR 72 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1400m, on the Polytrack at Fairview on Tuesday and hopefully Greeff and jockey Richard Fourie have finally found the key that will open up further victories for Sharapova.
Often with these types of horses, a win boosts their confidence, and they can follow up. Sharapova has shown her best around this distance and her last win was over 1300m on the Polytrack. She picked up a three-point penalty for that win, but from a good draw, she should run another big race.
Stable companion Greenlight Legend runs a race later in a Classified Stakes over 1600m. This Gimmethegreenlight filly was going nowhere until sent to master trainer Greeff, and she has certainly turned the corner since arriving in his yard.
The four-year-old filly is unbeaten in two starts under his care. Her first win does not look like much on paper – beating the battling maiden Genteel by 0.50 lengths – but was visibly in total control of that race.
It was even more evident in her follow-up win that she has more victories in her tank, as she was full of running when beating Sky Velocity by two lengths. The handicapper penalised her five points for that win, and she takes on some in-form males, but it will not be a surprise if she completes her hat-trick.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 2 Blown Away, 7 Mind Freeze, 8 Priceless Treasure, 1 Arlu
Race 2: 3 Nemorosa, 6 Opera Verse, 1 Fantasy Girl, 2 Ruby Claire
Race 3: 1 Grand Allegro, 4 Winter Emeralds, 3 American Pitbull, 5 Letona
Race 4: 3 Articuno, 4 Aadehya, 8 See You In A Bit, 1 One Too Many
Race 5: 5 Sharapova, 1 Strange Magic, 10 Stroopsoet, 11 Duellona
Race 6: 8 Greenlight Legend, 1 Hospices De Beaune, 4 A Bit Chilly, 5 Globetonic
Race 7: 6 Catch The Tune, 7 Jack In The Green, 4 Painite, 3 Downing Seven
Race 8: 4 Haphazard, 6 A Month Of Sundays, 10 Take Your Time, 1 Ono No Komachi
BEST BET
Race 1: 2 Blown Away
VALUE BET
Race 7: 6 Catch The Tune
BEST SWINGER
Race 3 1x4
BIPOT
R24
Leg 1: 2
Leg 2: 1, 3, 6
Leg 3: 1, 4
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 8
Leg 5: 5
Leg 6: 8
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R96
Leg 1: 1, 3, 6
Leg 2: 1, 4
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 8
Leg 4: 5
Leg 5: 8
Leg 6: 3, 4, 6, 7
Leg 7: 4
PICK 6
R896
Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 8
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10
Leg 3: 5
Leg 4: 1, 8
Leg 5: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10
Leg 6: 4, 6
JACKPOT 1
R112
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10
Leg 2: 5
Leg 3: 1, 8
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10
JACKPOT 2
R28
Leg 1: 5
Leg 2: 1, 8
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10
Leg 4: 4, 6