Jack Milner
We are currently heading towards Day 2 of the Championship on 1 March and many horses are preparing for the various features still to come.
With that in mind, there is an interesting card on offer at Turffontein on Thursday when they race on the Inside track.
One of the strongest races on the eight-race card comes up in Race 7 where 11 fillies and mares will line up In a MR 87 Handicap over 1200m. As this is run around the turn there are a number of factors that could have an impact on the outcome, especially the draws as this race begins on the bend.
However, there are two fillies who stand out in this line up and they are Green Sapphire and Fastnet Filly.
Green Sapphire is a daughter of Gimmethegreenlight and is a half-sister to seven-time winner Pink Tourmaline. One would imagine she will be looking for further as she gets older but right now this Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old is doing just fine in sprints.
After placing in three decent maidens early in her career, she has gone on to notch up two successive wins over 1160m on the Standside track, both times with Piere Strydom in the irons.
Her last win, in particular, was impressive and drawn well enough in gate No 4, she looks the runner to beat. Her second run was at this track and she finished a 2.75-lengths second behind Khetiwe’s Destiny so racing around the turn will hold no fears for her.
Fastnet Filly is trained by Brett and James Crawford, who ironically happened to train Pink Tourmaline, and she has notched up two wins and two seconds in her four races since moving up to the Highveld from the Western Cape.
She will have the advantage of jumping from No 1 draw and while she has raced around the turn at Hollywoodbets Durbanville and the Vaal Classic track, this is her first outing on this track.
She also will be receiving 1kg from Green Sapphire but while she drops in class form her last race, she will be carrying 5kg more. Kabelo Matsunyane takes the ride.
There are also two apprentice races on the card and with Alec Laird’s yard in good form, it could be worth going with Tintamarre in Race 5, a MR 74 Handicap over 1600m. The gelded son of Fire Away has yet to finish close up since winning his maiden. But form can be deceptive - he is lightly raced and looks to have had his issues.
Further, it must be remembered that Laird’s charge beat Moonlight Trader by a comfortable three lengths in the maidens.
Moonlight Trader went on to win the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes, but Tintamarre seems to have met some more high-flying sorts in some of his comeback races too. This time he takes a dramatic drop in class and this is the first time he races over more ground, which could be ideal as he is from a classic female line.
Tintamarre has been racing against some fairly string fields and he takes a mighty drop in class for this race. He is carded to carry 61kg, but apprentice Mxolisi Mbuto will take 4kg off his back and that should make him highly competitive.
He also has the benefit of jumping from No 1 draw.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 2 Panthera Uncia, 1 Endizayo, 3 Chilli Marmalade, 9 Fully Committed
Race 2: 4 Old Fashioned, 1 Pibe De Oro, 9 Tana Maree, 2 It's Personal
Race 3: 6 Immediate Edge, 4 Beynac, 3 Diesel's Shadow, 1 Quatermain
Race 4: 5 Kadizora, & Todoque, 4 One Religion, 8 Greenhouse
Race 5: 1 Tintamarre, 8 Carnelo, 3 Ombudsman, 2 Futurewolff
Race 6: 2 Little Ballerina, 3 Chrome Tourmaline, 5 Hierkommiebokkie, 1 Just Be Lekker
Race 7: 4 Green Sapphire, 5 Fastnet Filly, 3 Ride On, 2 Green Flash
Race 8: 1 My One And Only, 8 Time For Charity, 5 Heirloom, 3 There She Goes
BEST BET
Race 8: 1 My One And Only
VALUE BET
Race 2: 4 Old Fashioned
BEST SWINGER
Race 7 4x5
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 1, 2
Leg 2: 1, 4
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 6
Leg 4: 4, 5, 7
Leg 5: 1, 3, 8
Leg 6: 2, 7
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 1, 4
Leg 2: 4, 5, 6
Leg 3: 4, 5, 7
Leg 4: 1, 3, 8
Leg 5: 2, 7
Leg 6: 4, 5
Leg 7: 1
PICK 6
R800
Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Leg 2: 4, 5, 7, 8
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 7
Leg 5: 4, 5
Leg 6: 1
JACKPOT 1
R160
Leg 1: 4, 5, 7, 8
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 7
Leg 4: 4, 5
JACKPOT 2
R40
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
Leg 2: 2, 3, 5, 7
Leg 3: 4, 5
Leg 4: 1