Jack Milner
When Jim Courier was the men’s world No 1 tennis player in 1993, he spoke about the significance of winning Grand Slams. “After all,” he said, “we all know which results people remember.”
In all sports it is about winning the big events and when it comes to racing in South Africa, trainer Sean Tarry knows how to win the big ones.
Even by his own standards Tarry has had a slow start to this season with just five winners so far, but it is a period in which horses who had a tough winter season are given time to recuperate and get ready for the next major events.
Saturday at Turffontein sees the first two Grade 2 races of the season with the running of the Betway Joburg Spring Challenge and the Betway Joburg Fillies & Mares Spring Challenge. Both races are run over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track and Tarry could well come away with the double.
He certainly has some promising runners in action and in particular, he could dominate the outcome of Race 7, the event for all horses, where he sends out three excellent performers in Lucky Lad, Quantum Theory and Tin Pan Alley.
Lucky Lad needs no introduction. He is a seven-time winner who has won two Grade 1s, two Grade 2s and a Grade 3. However, it is 454 days since he was last victorious.
This five-year-old son of Gimmethegreenlight was winless in six starts last season, although he did acquit himself competitively in four appearances at the highest level. He returned from a six-month absence when finishing third in a recent 1200m Vaal sprint and would have benefitted from that pleasing comeback outing.
It is also encouraging that Richard Fourie, under whom Lucky Lad has registered all seven of his victories, is booked to ride Tarry's charge who is the best-weighted runner in the 14-horse Spring Challenge lineup.
In his only start over a similar distance to that of tomorrow’s race, Lucky Lad finished second to Sandringham Summit in last year's Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m on the Standside track although this will be his first race on the Inside track so it will be interesting to see if it will suit him or not.
Recent Spring Spree Stakes winner Quantum Theory always tries his heart out but is questionable over further than 1200m.
However, he has run second in two starts over the distance and will have Louie Mxothwa in the irons.
Nevertheless, the best of the Tarry trio could well be three-year-old Tin Pan Alley. The son of The United States has run six times for two wins and four places and appears to be improving with each run. He did find Jan Van Goyen too good for him in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes at HWB Greyville over 1600m but was gelded three days later.
He carries just 50kg, is well drawn in No 2 barrier and has Malesela Katjedi in the irons.
Rodeo Drive and Callmegetrix are the two strings to Tarry's bow in the Joburg Spring Fillies & Mares Challenge (Race 6) but it should pay to follow the progress of the latter, whose first start for the yard was very encouraging.
This consistent daughter of Vercingetorix only recently relocated to the Highveld but she showed her form and well-being when finishing second over the course and distance four weeks ago against male rivals, and a repeat of that performance from gate No 3 against female-only opposition should suffice.
Mxothwa, who is in top form, has picked up the ride.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 6 Drumnadrochit, 2 Witching Hour, 1 Codeword, 3 Blood Of Eden
Race 2: 7 My Lucky Charm, 1 Olympian Gold, 10 War Summit, 9 Thoonsil
Race 3: 5 Prince Of Kildare, 4 Peregrine Falcon, 2 Fostinovo, 6 Matroosberg
Race 4: 3 Greaterix, 5 Money Heist, 4 Confederate, 1 Barbaresco
Race 5: 10 Miami Mountain, 3 Charming Cheetah, 9 Romilly, 1 Aristotle
Race 6: 2 Callmegetrix, 10 Anchorage, 4 VJ's Angel, 11 Valentina Balducci
Race 7: 12 Tin Pan Alley, 2 Lucky Lad, 13 Nyaka Nyaka, 8 Choisaanada
Race 8: 4 Perfect Miracle, 2 Pretty Persuasive, 3 A Bit Of Class, 7 Back From War
Race 9: 3 Read All About It, 10 Frere Jacques, 2 Zip Code, 5 Ombudsman
BEST BET
Race 8: 4 Perfect Miracle
VALUE BET
Race 3: 5 Prince Of Kildare
BEST SWINGER
Race 1 2x6
BIPOT
R216
Leg 1: 1, 7, 10
Leg 2: 2, 4, 5
Leg 3: 3, 5
Leg 4: 3, 9, 10
Leg 5: 2, 10
Leg 6: 2, 12
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 2, 4, 5
Leg 2: 3, 5
Leg 3: 3, 9, 10
Leg 4: 2, 10
Leg 5: 2, 12
Leg 6: 4
Leg 7: 2, 3, 10
PICK 6
R2160
Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8
Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
Leg 3: 2, 4, 10
Leg 4: 2, 8, 12, 13
Leg 5: 4
Leg 6: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10
JACKPOT 1
R108
Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
Leg 2: 2, 4, 10
Leg 3: 2, 8, 12, 13
Leg 4: 4
JACKPOT 2
R108
Leg 1: 2, 4, 10
Leg 2: 2, 8, 12, 13
Leg 3: 4
Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10