Spies sends out a bomb

Jack Milner

The weight allowance given to fillies and mares in stakes races can often swing a race greatly in favour of the fairer sex as we have seen in so many cases.

It certainly was the catalyst for Princess Calla in her victory over See It Again in the Grade 1 Champions Cup at Hollywoodbets Greyville last weekend.

It could also be the case in Race 6 at Turffontein on Saturday, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m on the Standside track. With the average merit rating coming in at 106, a runner like Flowerbomb might have her work cut out to beat a field of this nature.

However, with the sex allowance, which is 1.5kg in the case of a Pinnacle Stakes, the Corne Spies-trained daughter of Erupt comes in with just 52.5kg on her back. Add to that the fact that she has performed very well over the course and distance with a record of two wins and a third from three runs, she looks the runner they all have to beat.

So, it is no surprise that Flowerbomb comes into the race as the best handicapped runner. What is also relevant is that she has formed an excellent partnership with jockey Chase Maujean. He has ridden her four times for a record of two wins and two seconds.

He will be back on board and that has to be strongly in her favour.

She is one of those runners who is heart-stopping to watch because she comes from off the pace and, living up to the name of her sire, erupts into action.

The obvious danger is Mercantour. Stuart Pettigrew’s charge has been in good form of late and has two wins and two places from his last four starts. His unplaced run came in the Listed In Full Flight Handicap in which he finished fifth, beaten just 2.40 lengths. However, he won’t be the first horse to get lost in a race on debut at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, so that run is best ignored.

Mercantour is a massive runner but only the race will tell if he can give 7.5kg to Flowerbomb. Much like the filly, he will be doing his best work at the finish.

Sheldon comes off a run in the Grade 2 Post Merchants at Hollywoodbets Greyville but he never really featured. However, that race was over 1200m and he seems better over 1000m. Four of his five wins have been over the distance with the other coming over 1100m.

Rollwiththepunches only knows one way to run and that is to go flat out from the start. Roy Magner’s charge won four in a row and that resulted in his merit rating rising from 82 to its current mark of 112.

That could mean the handicapper has caught up with him but he cannot be written off during the Highveld winters where the tracks are very hard and fast.

Captain Hindsight has just turned seven but comes into this race off two successive victories since joining the Tony Peter yard.

He comes into the race with just 52kg on his back and has Muzi Yeni in the irons.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 3 Chocolate Bomb, 1 Daring Act, 8 Lovegrass, 7 Gotcha Buzz

Race 2: 5 Fushimi Inari, 3 Lady Dynamo, 6 Brotherhoodofmagic, 7 Mvelelo

Race 3: 6 Contra Fiscum, 2 Wilkies, 11 What A Lucy, 3 Flying Puma

Race 4: 1 Stratospheric, 3 Tizona, 2 Atticus Finch, 8 Bey Suyay

Race 5: 1 Kwazzi's Lady, 3 Last Cheer, 7 Queen Bomi, 5 Three Strands

Race 6: 7 Flowerbomb, 1 Mercantour, 5 Sheldon, 8 Captain Hindsight

Race 7: 2 Power Broker, 1 Black Egret, 5 Covert Operator, 6 Iron Sky

Race 8: 5 Tuscan Gold, 2 Fully Loaded, 1 Fort Lauderdale, 4 After Hours

BEST BET

Race 5 No 1 Kwazzi’s Lady

VALUE BET

Race 4 No 1 Stratospheric

BEST SWINGER

Race 5 1x3

BIPOT

R81

Leg 1: 3

Leg 2: 3, 5, 6

Leg 3: 2, 6, 11

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3

Leg 5: 1

Leg 6: 1, 5, 7

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 3, 5

Leg 2: 2, 6

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 1, 5, 7

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3

Leg 7: 2, 5

PICK 6

R1680

Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 6

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 5

Leg 6: 1, 2, 5

JACKPOT 1

R80

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 6

Leg 2: 1

Leg 3: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5

JACKPOT 2

R60

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5