Jack Milner: The season on the Highveld officially gets into full swing on Sunday with the running of the Joburg Spring Challenge and the Joburg Spring Fillies And Mares Challenge, both Grade 2 races over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track.
Nearly 38mm of rain feel at Turffontein on Friday and Saturday morning forcing the meeting to be moved to Sunday, but fortunately, the sun came out in the afternoon and all indications suggest we are in for a good day’s weather this time.
However, the going is likely to remain soft.
The two Grade 2 races are run on a weight-for-age plus penalties basis and in each race, two runners really stand out.
In the case of the race for fillies and mares they are three-year-olds Under Your Spell and Big Burn.
Under Your Spell has only just turned three but the Sean Tarry-trained filly has already added a Grade 1 victory to her résumé. The daughter of Capetown Noir has run six times for five wins and a fourth place, and included in those victories is the Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Scottsville.
It was a brilliant performance and after a three-month break, she proved that win was no fluke as she romped to a 3.50-length victory over the course and distance of Saturday’s event in a Pinnacle Stakes.
She carried 58kg that day and comes into this race with just 54kg on her back and on that basis is the best weighted runner by at least 4.5kg.
Champion jockey Lyle Hewitson is in the irons.
It is going to take a gargantuan effort from one of the other runners to topple her, but one has to respect Big Burn from the Paul Peter yard. She has raced four times for three wins and a second place. Included in that is victory in the Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (Non-Black Type) over 1400m on the Standside track and the Ladies Stakes (Non-Black Type) over 1200m on the Inside track.
Warren Kennedy rode her to victory in those two races and he will be back on her again, this time with just 52kg on her back.
“Under You Spell looks very hard to beat but if she fluffs her lines, we will be right there,” said Peter.
Got The Greenlight and MK’s Pride bring Grade 1 form into the Joburg Spring Challenge and they look set to fight this out again. MK’s Pride got the better of the pair by 0.50 lengths in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m on the Standside track last season but he is now 3kg worse off.
Much of that though is made up of the weight-for-age adjustment. “I’m not worried about the weight turnaround,” says Peter. “Six months ago he was still a young three-year-old, now he’s a strong four-year-old.”
While Got The Greenlight and the other likely danger, Copper Mountain, are coming back from breaks, MK’s Pride has had a winning warm-up over 1200m at this course. “He’s come on with the run. He’s spot on and he looks a picture,” added Peter.
Kennedy will be on MK’s Pride while Craig Zackey gets the ride on five-time Grade 1 winner Got The Greenlight for the first time.
Both are class acts but with that run under his belt, the nod narrowly goes to MK’s Pride.
Please note new starting times
Race 1: 13:00
Race 2: 13:35
Race 3: 14:10
Race 4: 14:45
Race 5: 15:20
Race 6: 15:55
Race 7: 16:30
Race 8: 17:05
Race 9: 17:40
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 5 Back To Formentera, 1 Golden Aspen, 2 Star Aglow, 6 Manaajim
Race 2: 11 Manhattan, 6 Abayyaan, 7 Magnum P I, 1 Global Player
Race 3: 1 Shangani, 3 Great Warrior, 4 Fifth Of July, 5 Earl