Jack Milner
A pair of three-year-olds and a lightly raced four-year-old look the pick of Race 8, a Middle Stakes, over 1200m on the Turffontein Inside track on Saturday.
It is that time of the year when those runners who made their marks as two-year-olds last season, give us an indication of whether they have trained on and ready to rise to the next level.
The two three-year-olds are Nyaka Nyaka and Arashi, both trained by Tony Peter, while the four-year-old concerned is Ready Set Fire trained by Lucky Houdalakis.
Nyaka Nyaka probably has the best exposed form of the trio as two runs back he finished a 2.20-lengths second behind Jan Van Goyen, who then went on to win the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Two short heads behind Nyaka Nyaka were Soho Heartthrob, narrowly beaten in a handicap against older horses at the Vaal on Tuesday, and Shadowfax, runner up in the Grade 2 Ukhomazi Stakes over 1200m at Greyville.
However, Nyaka Nyaka was beaten 1.60 lengths in a Graduation Plate by Rodeo Drive in his last start.
Stable companion Arashi has not been seen in action since finishing a 3.90-length third to
Gqeberha raider Golden Palm in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m on 29 March.
Thanks to her fillies’ allowance, she comes into this race as the best weighted of the three
However, the best value could lie with Ready Set Fire, a runaway winner over this course and distance in his last start.
He has placed behind the likes of Pistol Pete and Fire Attack but it was only after he was gelded that he showed his true colours.
Last time out he beat Bumps Last Grind by 3.90 lengths, and two winners have come out of that form line. Bumps Last Grind, who lines up in Race 9, not only went on to win his next start but then finished a 0.70-lengths second behind Sea Wolf after that.
Craig Zackey puts up 0.5kg overweight on Ready Set Fire but that should not stop the gelding from notching up his second victory.
Callmegetrix makes her stable debut for Sean Tarry in Race 7, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1450m, and she could make it a winning one.
Mario Ferreira, owner of the five-year-old mare, enjoyed great success with Tarry after relocating Princess Calla to the Highveld from the Western Cape. The daughter of Flower Alley went on to win three Grade 2 sprints and four Grade 1 races from 1200m to 1800m under the watchful of Tarry before claiming Horse-Of-The-Year honours for the 2022-23 season.
Callmegetrix won the Listed Off To Stud Handicap over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville in her last start for Candice Bass-Robinson before joining up with Tarry's string ahead of Joburg's feature-race season, during which connections hope to attain sought-after Black Type with the daughter of sire sensation Vercingetorix.
On official ratings, Callmegetrix is the best-weighted runner in the eight-horse lineup and Tarry's new recruit should also be ideally distance suited. In nine starts over 1400m, she has not finished out of the first four, winning twice and finishing second on another five occasions.
Muzi Yeni rides Callmegetrix for the first time and, from gate No 2 with just 52kg to carry, the pair will likely adopt the same frontrunning tactics that paid dividends last time out.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 5 Midnight Flyer, 7 Stone Of Scone, 1 Alpha World, 3 Boom Town
Race 2: 3 Time For Charity, 1 Princess Lola, 5 Godspeed, 2 Misty Metal
Race 3: 9 Fish Hawk, 11 Queen Of Pearls, 7 Baksheesh, 1 Bella Boop Boop
Race 4: 1 Monkey Puzzle, 6 One Eye On Vegas, 8 Say A Wish, 7 Trust
Race 5: 5 World Order, 1 Follow The Master, 3 Cuzzie, 8 Truro Legacy
Race 6: 3 Witching Hour, 8 Special Star, 1 Madame Pompadour, 2 Lady Lancaster
Race 7: 5 Callmegetrix, 6 Argo Alley, 2 Texas Red, 1 Barbaresco
Race 8: 7 Ready Set Fire, 9 Nyaka Nyaka, 8 Arashi, 1 Karate Kid
Race 9: 4 Hemisphere, 5 It's Personal, 7 Bumps Last Grind, 2 Vibe SA
BEST BET
Race 6: 3 Witching Hour
VALUE BET
Race 8: 7 Ready Set Fire
BEST SWINGER
Race 5
1x5
BIPOT
R108
Leg 1: 1, 3, 5
Leg 2: 9, 11
Leg 3: 1, 6
Leg 4: 1, 3, 5
Leg 5: 3
Leg 6: 2, 5, 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 9, 11
Leg 2: 1, 6
Leg 3: 1, 3, 5
Leg 4: 3
Leg 5: 5, 6
Leg 6: 7, 8, 9