Jack Milner
The need for speed has been a motivating factor since time immemorial. Faster is one of the cornerstones of the Olympic Games and has been a driving force in all forms of sports.
On Saturday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville racing fans will see the Equus version as four Grade 1 races over 1200m top a thrilling nine-race card.
Those four Grade 1 sprints from Race 5 to 8, will also make up Jackpot One and that bet will be celebrated with a carryover of R1 million which is likely to create a total pool of R3 million.
The first three – the Allan Robertson Championship for two-year-old fillies, the Gold Medallion for two-year-olds and the South African Fillies Sprint – are all run at weight-for-age terms.
However, the Golden Horse Sprint is a handicap for all horses and a full field of 16 runners is carded to go to post. There are also two reserve runners should any of the others come out of this R850,000 race.
Being a handicap, it makes the race far more open as in theory all runners are weighted to have a winning chance.
Gimme A Prince, winner of the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth tops the betting and this Dean Kannemeyer-trained runner is the model of consistency. He has run nine times for five wins, four seconds and one unplaced run.
The unplaced run was in the Gold Medallion for two-year-olds in 2021 but he was gelded after that and they have not looked back. He was fancied to win the Drill Hall Stakes but from No 12 draw he ended up so far back he looked unlikely to place. However, he took off last and flew up to finish second, beaten 0.75 lengths by Trip Of Fortune.
There is no question he is the runner to beat but he does have 60kg to carry and will need to deal with an outside draw which at Scottsville can sometimes be tricky.
He also faces some weight turnarounds, in particular Surjay, who is 4kg better off for a 2.70 length beating in the Cape Flying Championship and is nicely drawn at No 5.
Justin Snaith-trained Rio Querari is expected to give some cheek as are William Robertson and last year’s runner-up Bartholdi.
The SA Fillies Sprint could be a two-horse affair between Princess Calla and Desert Miracle but for those looking for a Jackpot banker, Princess Calla could provide the answer.
She has been a revelation since dropped to sprints by trainer Sean Tarry and is unbeaten over the distance and has won her only race at Scottsville.
She is drawn No 1 and looks very hard to oppose.
Desert Miracle is in top form but she tends to lose ground at the start and could battle to make it up over this distance against a runner of Princess Calla’s calibre.
Tarry has dominated the two juvenile features in recent years and he once again has two very good competitors in Lucky Lad and Mrs Geriatrix. Both are unbeaten and both have Richard Fourie in the irons.
The better of the pair looks to be Lucky Lad in the Gold Medallion. While this is the first time many of these runners from all around the country will meet, this son of Gimmethegreenlight does look something special. He also seems to get better with every race and the manner of his victory in the Grade 2 SA Nursery was outstanding.
There are only unofficial merit ratings for two-year-olds Lucky Lad is rated 10 points higher than any of his opposition and is undoubtedly the one they all have to beat.
The obvious dangers are Outlaw King and Cliff Hanger. The latter won the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m at the course, beating Outlaw King by 0.50-lengths, but both will come on with the run.
On the surface the Allan Robertson Championship looks a race in two between Winter Cloud and unbeaten Mrs Geriatrix.
Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, Winter Cloud was unplaced on debut but has since reeled off three wins. With the course known to be a graveyard for many who run on it for the first time, Bass-Robinson brought her early to KwaZulu-Natal and ran her in the Grade 3 Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m, which she won with ease. S
But Mrs Geriatrix won the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery at Turffontein and will not go down without a fight.
Both, however, are drawn towards the outside and if that is a problem, it could open the door for others.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Foreshore, 6 Sea Of Tears, 8 Captain Marvel, 7 Amber Sky
Race 2: 5 Book Of Dreams, 4 Kashkaval, 2 Duke Of Africa, 9 Manz Knight
Race 3: 5 Twice Golden, 8 Professor Snape, 10 Prime Example, 1 Rockie Reef
Race 4: 1 Royal Victory, 9 Forever Mine, 4 Captain Fontane, 6 African Skyline
Race 5: 10 Winter Cloud, 12 Mrs Geriatrix, 2 Golden Tatjana, 7 Red Hot Rose
Race 6: 11 Lucky Lad, 4 Red Bomber, 5 Outlaw King, 9 Cliff Hanger
Race 7: 1 Princess Calla, 10 Desert Miracle, 9 Golden Hostess, 3 Cold Fact
Race 8: 14 Gimme A Prince, 1 Bartholdi, 10 William Robertson, 5 Surjay
Race 9: 2 El Rey Viene, 3 Tabebuia, 10 Aurora Storm, 5 Kitchakal
BEST BET
Race 7 No 1 Princess Calla
VALUE BET
Race 2 No 5 Book Of Dreams
BEST SWINGER
Race 7 1x10
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 2, 4, 5, 9
Leg 2: 1, 5, 8, 10
Leg 3: 1, 4, 9
Leg 4: 10, 12
Leg 5: 4, 5, 11
Leg 6: 1
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R288
Leg 1: 5, 8, 10
Leg 2: 1, 4, 9
Leg 3: 10
Leg 4: 4, 11
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 1, 5, 10, 14
Leg 7: 2, 3, 5, 10
PICK 6
R2250
Leg 1: 1, 4, 6, 8, 9
Leg 2: 2, 10, 12
Leg 3: 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 1, 5, 6, 10, 13, 14
Leg 6: 2, 3, 5, 9, 10
JACKPOT 1
R90
Leg 1: 2, 10, 12
Leg 2: 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1, 5, 6, 10, 13, 14
JACKPOT 2
R150
Leg 1: 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 1, 5, 6, 10, 13, 14
Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 9, 10