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Horse Racing, General News, Clinton Binda, Fabian Habib, Calvin Habib, Piere Strydom, WINGS WITHIN ME, UMZINGELI WENYATHI

Strydom can earn his wings at Turffontein

July 2025

Jack Milner

Piere Strydom is scheduled to travel to Turffontein on Thursday for just one ride and that could turn out to be a winning move.

At this stage he has only the one engagement, Wings Within Me in Race 8, but there could be a few more of offer.

With the decision to move yesterday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting to tomorrow, some jockeys have chosen to ride in Cape Town. One of them is Muzi Yeni who had some decent rides carded on the day, while Denis Schwarz has had to withdraw from all of his rides as he is travelling to Mauritius.

That means Strydom could pick up a ride or two but he could have a winning chance when he climbs aboard Wings Within Me in a MR 84 Handicap over 1200m.

It will not be an easy task for this four-year-old daughter of Global View as she will be taking on the boys, and she will have to carry top weight of 62kg.

On the positive side, Fabian Habib's runner is drawn in gate No 2, which is highly useful as they will be racing on the Inside track where all races are around the turn.

Her other advantage is that she ran a cracker last time when travelling down to Durban to contest a Class 3 Handicap for fillies and mares over this distance and she finished a 1.80-length second behind talented Sohot Sowhat, giving Lucinda Woodruff’s charge 1.5kg.

The average merit rating in that event at Hollywoodbets Greyville was 90, while this one is 83.    

Clinton Binda teams up with Calvin Habib in Race 2 over 1200m with youngster Umzingeli Wenyathi, a two-year-old son of Buffalo Bill Cody. This Binda-trained colt outran market expectations at 25-1 odds on debut when an eye-catching fourth in a winners' race over 1000m, then confirmed the promise of that introduction to finish an improved third over the same distance on the Standside in his only subsequent appearance.

Umzingeli Wenyathi - isiZulu for Buffalo Hunter - is open to further improvement over the extra 200m but, on the strength of all exposed form, of which there is little, Binda's charge won't need to unlock a great deal of progress over the extended trip to open his account under Habib who partnered the colt on both previous occasions.

Elsewhere on the card Bumps Last Grind (Race 4) is likely to be rewarded for his consistency with an overdue maiden success.

The three-year-old William Longsword gelding trained by Fanie Bronkhorst has filled the runner-up berth in each of her last three starts and now looks overdue for a victory. He could be the best banker on the card.

 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 1 Dondoyaki, 7 Saragossa Cat, 5 Kensal Green, 3 Japanese Garden

Race 2: 6 Umzingeli Wenyathi, 5 Romilly, 2 Captain Frank, 8 Blushing Bloom

Race 3: 5 Midnight Miracle, 1 Empress Wu, 8 Winter Belle, 6 Red Hot Kisses

Race 4: 1 Bumps Last Grind, 2 Inspector James, 3 Jet Querari, 4 Ringho

Race 5: 1 Greenlight Racer, 8 Singleton Sam, 5 Nkwenkwezi, 2 Parabellum

Race 6: 13 Stampede Ahead, 12 Special Star, 9 Merryweather, 3 Hollywood Madam

Race 7: 6 Pennsylvania, 4 Night Bomber, 2 Yamadori, 5 Passage Of Power

Race 8: 1 Wings Within Me, 4 Exceedingly Glam, 8 Ensuing, 3 Plus Four

 

BEST BET

Race 4: 1 Bumps Last Grind

VALUE BET

Race 7: 6 Pennsylvania

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 1x2

 

BIPOT                          

R324

Leg 1: 1, 3, 5, 7

Leg 2: 2, 5, 6

Leg 3: 1, 5, 8

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 1, 5, 10

Leg 6: 9, 12, 13

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 5, 6

Leg 2: 1, 5

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 1, 5, 8

Leg 5: 9, 12, 13

Leg 6: 2, 4, 6

Leg 7: 1, 4

 

 

PICK 6

R1800

Leg 1: 1, 5, 6, 8

Leg 2: 1

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

Leg 4: 3, 9, 12, 13, 14

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

Leg 6: 1, 4, 8

 

JACKPOT 1

R150

Leg 1: 1

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

Leg 3: 3, 9, 12, 13, 14

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

 

JACKPOT 2

R450

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

Leg 2: 3, 9, 12, 13, 14

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

Leg 4: 1, 4, 8

 

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