Starts of Highveld Winter Series

Jack Milner

The announcement of a three-year-old Winter Series for Highveld racing has added extra interest to Sunday’s meeting with running of the first leg of this recent initiative.

Racing is on the Inside track at Turffontein and Leg 1 of the Winter Series is the Listed Secretariat Stakes over 1450m and it carries a stake of R200,000.

Leg 2 is the Egoli Mile (1600m) and will be run on Sunday 6 June while the third and concluding leg is the Grade 3 Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m and this R250,000 event will be run on Sunday 7 July.

The carrot for owners is the R500,000 bonus that will be paid for any horse who can win all three events.

Sunday’s Secretariat Stakes (Race 7) has attracted a 12-horse field and looks quite decent. There are obviously horses going to run in KwaZulu-Natal for the season and this event is a great attraction for those who will be spending their winter on the Highveld.

Perhaps the most interesting entry is Lucky Houdalakis-trained Sabre Strike, who has only run twice. The William Longsword gelding made his debut over 1200m at the Vaal in December and romped to a 4.75-length victory.

He did not race again until 9 April when he contested a Graduation Plate over 1450m on the Vaal Classic track. It was in a strong field and he did well to finish second to Barbaresco, who was very well weighted and went off a short-priced favourite.

The concern about Sabre Strike is that he did make a respiratory noise during the race but if he does come on from that last run, he will be the horse to beat.

Raymond Danielson takes the ride.

Mike de Kock saddles three-year-old filly Platina Princess who could provide some value to punters. She has been running in very strong company and will enjoy the slight drop in class and the drop in distance. Interestingly, this three-time winner is unbeaten in two starts over 1450m, once on the Vaal Classic and the other over this course and distance.

She also has some decent form over 1400m at other courses, but jockey Calvin Habib will need to overcome No 12 draw.

Presley has some excellent form and needs to be included in bets but the concern for him is that his last race was in the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m and he will be dropping quite considerably in distance.

His run prior to that was in a Graduation Plate over 1600m on the Standside track which he won comfortably by four lengths. Gavin Lerena has been in the irons for all three of Presley’s victories and he will reprise that role on Sunday. Another runner who could feature is Weichong Marwing-trained Warhawk Bomber. He too has decent form over this sort of distance and has won three of his six starts since having been gelded.

Wesley Marwing takes the ride for the first time and they will jump from No 4 draw.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 7 Oxalis Gold, 5 The Crown, 6 Messalina, 2 City Lights

Race 2: 1 Karoo Gold, 9 Panning Gold, 2 American Rebel, 8 Gimmeachoice

Race 3: 11 Miss Scaletta, 6 Golden Pavilion, 3 Happy Mo, 4 Mastership

Race 4: 6 Lady Of Power, 7 Scallywag, 1 Bingwa, 3 Forever Mine

Race 5: 8 Darling Harbour, 6 Rosy Lemon, 10 Say It With Roses, 4 Special Charm

Race 6: 1 Dimako's Jet, 6 Damova, 5 Paschals Samore, 3 Crimson Forest

Race 7: 7 Sabre Strike, 2 Platina Princess, 1 Presley, 6 Warhawk Bomber

Race 8: 2 Vix Princess, 6 Alabama Anna, 1 Good Queen Bess, 5 Woman Of Power

Race 9: 4 Ceuta, 7 Courageous, 9 Sahara Dawn, 11 Across The Pond

BEST BET

Race 9: 4 Ceuta

VALUE BET

Race 5: 8 Darling Harbour

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 6x7

BIPOT

R324

Leg 1: 1, 9

Leg 2: 3, 4, 6, 11

Leg 3: 6, 7

Leg 4: 4, 6, 8, 10

Leg 5: 1, 5, 6

Leg 6: 2, 7

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R162

Leg 1: 3, 6, 11

Leg 2: 6, 7

Leg 3: 6, 8, 10

Leg 4: 1, 5, 6

Leg 5: 7

Leg 6: 1, 2, 6

Leg 7: 4

PICK 6

R600

Leg 1: 1, 6, 7

Leg 2: 4, 6, 7, 8, 10

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 4: 2, 7

Leg 5: 1, 2, 4, 6

Leg 6: 4

JACKPOT 1

R200

Leg 1: 4, 6, 7, 8, 10

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 3: 2, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 6

JACKPOT

R40

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 2: 2, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 6

Leg 4: 4