Sugar Mountain is a sweet bet

Jack Milner

There is a really nice 10-race card for a midweek meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Thursday as there are two Non-Black Type features. All three jockeys fighting it out at the top of the jockeys’ log are scheduled to participate at this meeting and at the time current champion jockey Richard Fourie had built up an nine-win lead over Gavin Lerena who in turn is two wins ahead of Craig Zackey. To add spice to that list, fourth placed Muzi Yeni, while not in the fight for the title, is also slated to ride at the meeting where he has some decent rides and should be competitive.

However, the man who could claim the top prize in Race 7, the Winter Mile, is Aldo Domeyer, who will be aboard Sugar Mountain for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson. This hard-knocking son of Silvano need only repeat his latest performance to register his 10th career success.

The six-year-old gelding bounced back to his best form to win a competitive 1400m contest under Domeyer five weeks ago and the extra 200m should hold no fears for Bass-Robinson's charge who has already proven his effectiveness over the distance and is neatly drawn in stall No 3.

Lerena rides seven-year-old veteran Seeking The Stars for Vaughan Marshall but his mount has 1.95 lengths to find on his last-start conqueror whom he meets on identical weight terms. However, the refitting of blinkers to this Vercingetorix gelding is expected to eke out some improvement, so it could pay to include the pair in Swinger and Exacta bets.

Fourie teams up with Marshall to ride recent scorer Dumbledore in the Winter Sprint (Race 8) over 1200m, the same course and distance over which this well-bred four-year-old grey won his last start under the same rider.

The son of William Longsword renews rivalry with Arctic Wizard and should again have the measure of his familiar foe, despite a 0.5kg weight turnaround in favour of the latter.

Elsewhere on the card, Lerena takes over the reins from Fourie aboard Justin Snaith-trained Clair De Lune in Race 4 over 1200m. This Trippi filly was a beaten short-priced favourite (4-10) last time out but should repay her followers with an overdue maiden victory.

It is always difficult to have a lot of confidence in a runner that has a record of four seconds and a fifth in her five starts but one needs to take into account that the unplaced run was in the Non-Black Type Cape Slipper where she was beaten by the likes of Military Command and Dreamworld. Military Command came out to finish fourth in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last month and was beaten just 1.10 lengths.

In the Cape Slipper, Clair De Lune was beaten just 3.40 lengths and that form should be good enough to win a Maiden Plate, even though she will be taking on older fillies and mares. She does get a weight-for-age allowance so comes in with just 57kg on her back.

She also has the benefit of No 1 draw which puts her on the inside rail where most of the winners up the straight are coming from.

Speedy Firingonallengines will appreciate the shorter 1200m distance in Race 9 and end a 245-day winless streak under Lerena for trainers Michelle Rix and Harold Crawford.

Zackey's best winning opportunity comes in Race 5 aboard Eric Sands-trained Ocotillo, while Fourie is good value to close out the meeting on Pink Pigeon for James Crawford.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 4 Spirit, 2 Marketa, 3 Day In Day Out, 5 Marcus Aurelius

Race 2: 4 Match That, 3 Sports Fan, 9 Panjandrum, 8 Piteraq

Race 3: 11 Future Free, 1 Nightrain, 10 Palancar, 9 Waloyo Yamoni

Race 4: 2 Clair De Lune, 13 Thingamabob, 8 Miss William, 15 Red Taffety

Race 5: 1 Ocotillo, 4 Lady Veritas, 2 Beach Queen, 8 Given To Fly

Race 6: 3 Lickety Split, 4 Strawberry Thief, 6 Lavender Bay, 5 Tap Shoes

Race 7: 3 Sugar Mountain, 8 Seeking The Stars, 4 Mucho Dinero, 5 Magic Verse

Race 8: 10 Dumbledore, 4 Arctic Wizard, 5 Kaiboy, 1 Boundless Energy

Race 9: 2 Firingonallengines, 3 Lovers Lane, 6 Sun Dazed, 1 Mont Loisir

Race 10: 7 Pink Pigeon, 2 The Charleston, 4 Poetic Princess, 5 Peace Of Mind

BEST BET

Race 4: 2 Clair De Lune

VALUE BET

Race 6: 3 Lickety Split

BEST SWINGER

Race 5 1x4

BIPOT                          

R96

Leg 1: 3, 4

Leg 2: 1, 11

Leg 3: 2

Leg 4: 1, 4

Leg 5: 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 6: 3, 4, 8

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 11

Leg 2: 2

Leg 3: 1, 4

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 5: 3, 4, 8

Leg 6: 4, 5, 10

Leg 7: 2, 3, 6

PICK 6

R960

Leg 1: 2

Leg 2: 1, 4

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

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5, 8

Leg 5: 1, 4, 5, 10

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8

JACKPOT 1

R192

Leg 1: 1, 4

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

Leg 3: 3, 4, 5, 8

Leg 4: 1, 4, 5, 10

JACKPOT 2

R400

Leg 1: 3, 4, 5, 8

Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 10

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8

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