Take a trip Across The Pond

Jack Milner

Across The Pond may only have picked up one victory as a two-year-old, but St John Gray’s runner can have a victorious start to her three-year-old career at the Vaal on Tuesday.

This daughter of Bezrin has been ultra consistent in her eight runs as a juvenile, adding five places to her single triumph.

Her win, which came up in her third run, was quite spectacular. Racing over 1200m at the Vaal she was nowhere to be seen going through the 400m mark but came with an incredible finish to get up on the post to deny Take Your Place by a short head.

It was clear from that run she would really make her mark over further and that has proven to be the case. Racing over 1400m on the Standside track at Turffontein in the Non-Black Type Highveld Winter Juvenile Fillies Stakes, she ended up in third place behind VJ’s Angel who went on to beat the boys and claim the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on World Pool Gold Cup day.

Admittedly, Across The Pond was beaten 5.25 lengths by the winner but as she was only getting 2kg from VJ’s Angel, it was a run full of merit as she still was around 6kg under sufferance.

Her next two runs were telling as they were over 1600m at Turffontein, against older horses, and 1500m at the Vaal, back in two-year-old company. In both she was narrowly beaten into second, the first 0.40 lengths behind Zenobia’s Gold and the second a short head behind Willowild.

Across The Pond returns to the Vaal today to contest Race 6, a MR 78 Handicap for fillies and mares over the straight 1600m and could well be the runner they all have to beat.

Her last run was on the same course but over 100m less and this filly is sure to enjoy the extra distance.

She looks nicely weighted with 55.5kg on her back and Muzi Yeni, who rode her in her last two starts, retains the ride.

This is quite a tricky event though and topping the list of dangers is Mike de Kock-trained Volare E Mambo.

This four-year-old daughter of Mambo In Seattle has also only run eight times for one win and while she has not taken on Across The Pond, there is some collateral form as both have raced against Zenobia’s Gold.

Mambo In Seattle was beaten 0.25 lengths, giving her 3kg while Across The Pond was getting 3kg from the same filly when beaten 0.40 lengths.

As Volare E Mambo is giving Gray’s runner 4.5kg, she is still weighted to beat Across The Pond. However, the latter is an improving three-year-old and could well overturn that deficit, which is really only on paper.

Others to consider are Mary Read and Micke’s Bomb.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 11 Francilien, 7 Take Your Place, 5 Line In The Sky, 1 Cat O'Clock

Race 2: 11 Musical Score, 13 Blizzard Snow, 12 Pass The Baton, 5 Asian Delight

Race 3: 1 Plum Blossom, 6 Quello Che, 2 Ambitious Lady, 5 Enchanted Royal

Race 4: 13 The Cane Train, 4 Master Tik Tok, 1 High Queue, 3 Oranjemund

Race 5: 1 Munchkin, 6 Commander Of All, 3 John Wick, 4 Pendragon

Race 6: 4 Across The Pond, 1 Volare E Mambo, 2 Mary Read, 3 Micke's Bomb

Race 7: 5 Mocha Frappe, 1 Gimmeachoice, 6 Thambi, 8 Full Go

Race 8: 2 Ginger Delight, 3 Twostep Queen, 1 Free In Seattle, 7 Can'T Catch Me

BEST BET

Race 1 No 11 Francilien

VALUE BET

Race 5 No 1 Munchkin

BEST SWINGER

Race 7 1x5

BIPOT

R243

Leg 1: 11

Leg 2: 11, 12, 13

Leg 3: 1, 2, 6

Leg 4: 1, 4, 13

Leg 5: 1, 3, 6

Leg 6: 1, 2, 4

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R288

Leg 1: 11, 13

Leg 2: 1, 2, 6

Leg 3: 13, 14

Leg 4: 1, 3, 6

Leg 5: 1, 4

Leg 6: 1, 5

Leg 7: 2, 3

PICK 6

R1800

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

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 13

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

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4

Leg 5: 1, 5

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3

JACKPOT 1

R120

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 13

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

Leg 3: 1, 2, 4

Leg 4: 1, 5

JACKPOT 2

R90

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

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4

Leg 3: 1, 5

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3