Jack Milner
Actor and comedian Robin Williams said that spring is nature’s way of saying ‘let’s party’.
Well, South Africa officially welcomes spring on 1 September and the party will begin at Turffontein tomorrow with the running of the first feature race of the season on the Highveld, the Listed Betway Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m on the Inside track.
There is also a Pick 6 carryover of R500,000 to celebrate the occasion with the pool likely to reach R3 million.
There are a number of runners with chances in the feature race, but some will be coming back from a rest while others will be running over a distance short of their best. As all the races on this track are run around the turn an inside draw is also helpful.
One runner who has all the necessary credentials is Sheldon, trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren and to be ridden by Gavin Lerena.
The five-year-old Querari gelding is fit, well drawn at No 3 and has good form on the course.
He has had three recent races for two wins and his only unplaced effort was sandwiched between those two and came in the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
However, he put the record straight when returning to Joburg and contesting a Pinnacle Stakes on 5 August and winning with authority over 1000m up the straight on the Standside track.
Sheldon has also set up an excellent relationship with Lerena who has ridden the gelding eight times for four wins, two seconds and two thirds. He also has had five runs on the course for one win and two places.
However, the one concern is that he has yet to win over 1200m. But even that seems to have improved because his penultimate victory was over 1100m and last time he was fitted with blinkers and even though it was over 1000m, the result was never in doubt. He really appeared to be fully focused on the race and Sheldon never looked like stopping.
However, the blinkers have been removed for this race.
Once one looks past Sheldon there are many with chances.
Trainer Roy Magner has three runners, and they look likely to provide the biggest threat to Sheldon. Thunderstone comes in with a lightweight of just 52.5kg and has a good record over the course and distance – one win and a second place from two starts.
The main concern is that he is drawn No 10 and jockey Kaidan Brewer will need to have some luck to overcome that hurdle. But if Brewer can get him out of the starting stalls with alacrity, he can use the light weight to his advantage.
Team Gold loves this course and in 11 starts has only once finished out of the top four. While he has a win and two seconds over the course and distance, he is better over slightly further.
Magner’s third runner is Bard Of Avon who had an excellent start for the stable last time when leading almost all the way over 1400m on the Vaal straight course to beat Paton’s Tears by a neck.
While jockey Muzi Yeni is riding at the top of his game and probably had the pick of Magner’s three runners, Bard Of Avon has to jump from No 11 draw and has yet to win over 1200m. The five-year-old Var gelding would also be better over a little further, but he can only improve on his last run.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Tyrconnell, 9 Ryans Boulevard, 2 Halberdier, 6 King's Ransom
Race 2: 2 American Biscuit, 1 Ignatius, 6 Nazare, 3 Run For Cover
Race 3: 3 Sea Anemone, 1 Strange Magic, 5 On The Horizon, 7 Queen Of Camelot
Race 4: 6 Bob's Your Uncle, 1 Raffles, 3 Millahue, 2 Supreme Dance
Race 5: 1 Trois Trois Quatre, 3 Luthuli, 2 Johnny Dogs, 8 Over Two You
Race 6: 1 Mrs Browning, 3 Coldhardstare, 6 Good Queen Bess, 2 Miss Daisy
Race 7: 2 Sheldon, 9 Bard Of Avon, 6 Team Gold, 4 Quantum Theory
Race 8: 5 Ready To Charge, 6 Capsaicin, 2 Cliff Hanger, 3 Rose For Trippi
Race 9: 1 Captain Hindsight, 8 Rainbow Reward, 4 Aussenkehr, 3 Moonshiningthrough
Race 10: 1 Golden Sickle, 5 Wings Within Me, 2 On Cue, 3 Miss Hannigan
BEST BET
Race 6 No 1 Mrs Browning
VALUE BET
Race 4 No 6 Bob’s Your Uncle
BEST SWINGER
Race 1 1x9
BIPOT
R216
Leg 1: 1, 2, 6
Leg 2: 1, 3, 5, 7
Leg 3: 1, 3, 6
Leg 4: 1, 3
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 2, 6, 9
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R162
Leg 1: 1, 3
Leg 2: 1, 3, 6
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 2, 6, 9
Leg 6: 2, 5, 6
Leg 7: 1, 4, 8
PICK 6
R2000
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 6
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 8
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 2, 4, 6, 9, 10
Leg 5: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
Leg 6: 1, 3, 4, 8, 9
JACKPOT 1
R100
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 8
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 2, 4, 6, 9, 10
Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
JACKPOT 2
R500
Leg 1: 2, 4, 6, 9, 10
Leg 2: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 8, 9
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5