The Ultimate King to extend winning streak

Jack Milner

Gavin Lerena showed great tenacity as he fought off all the challengers to officially be crowned Champion Jockey for the second time at last Thursday night’s Equus Awards ceremony held at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

It takes a lot of commitment to win the title and Lerena will have to decide whether he wants to put in the same level of travelling to retain it or restrict his movement and focus on one or two centres and the big race days.

However, that will not be in the forefront of his mind when he returns to action after a short break at Turffontein on Sunday when they race on the Inside track.

The pick of Lerena's eight rides has to be rapidly improving Tony Peter-trained The Ultimate King whose consecutive recent wins under the same rider completed a hat-trick of victories for the Vercingetorix gelding who has won three of his six starts and is unbeaten since having been gelded.

This lightly raced four-year-old defied the five-point penalty for his winning handicap debut over 1600m by cruising to a follow-up success over 2000m on the Standside track four weeks ago, giving 3kg and handing out a 2.10-length beating to subsequent scorer Enflame.

Peter's charge lines up in Race 6, a MR 90 Handicap over 2000m, under an eight-point penalty but that is unlikely to halt the momentum of The Ultimate King who remains open to improvement.

However, this will be a real test for Peter’s charge because he takes a huge jump in class. The average merit rating of his last start was 79 while this time it is 83 and The Ultimate King will have to give weight to all of rivals.

But the manner of his last win, in which he quickened past his opposition and went clear in the straight with Lerena not really putting too much pressure on him.

His main threat is likely to come from James Crawford-trained Luce Verde who showed a lot of improvement last time over 1600m. The son of Gimmethegreenlight moved up to the Highveld after two poor runs in the Western Cape.

His last win in the Cape was over 2000m so he needs to be respected. Callan Murray rode him last time and he will be back in the irons for this race.

Promising three-year-old filly Slender Silhouette is another of Lerena's mounts whose progress it could pay to follow earlier on the card. This Sean Tarry-trained daughter of Vercingetorix showed enough in two starts on a trip to Cape Town to suggest that she could make a winning comeback in Race 1 over 1200m.

Imported Saragossa Cat won't need to improve a great deal to open her account under Lerena in Race 2 over 1200m, the same course and distance over which she finished second on debut under Calvin Habib.

Johan Janse van Vuuren's charge was backed first-up and was only collared late and with any natural improvement, she should go one better this time.

Jack Milner’s selection

Race 1: 8 Slender Silhouette, 9 Warm Reception, 5 Never Never Land, 1 Actuary

Race 2: 8 Saragossa Cat, 3 Concordia, 6 Lucky Chance, 7 Rissiepit

Race 3: 3 Alpha World, 1 World Order, 6 Step Into It, 2 So American

Race 4: 1 Matcha Mint, 7 Special Star, 2 Zahra Dominia, 5 Amber's Fate

Race 5: 2 Dance King, 1 Chestnut Bomber, 5 Pioneer Square, 3 We Are The Logans

Race 6: 1 The Ultimate King, 4 Luce Verde, 3 Vesuvio, 6 Eiger Sanction

Race 7: 5 Pretty Persuasive, 1 Francilien, 3 Summer Winter, 2 Komati River

Race 8: 1 Rifle Queen, 3 Blushing Bloom, 2 On The Run, 4 Princess Lola

Race 9: 8 Nyaka Nyaka, 4 Bjorn Ironside, 2 Rodeo Drive, 5 Frozen Fantasy

BEST BET

Race 2: 8 Saragossa Cat

VALUE BET

Race 5: 2 Dance King

BEST SWINGER

Race 6 1x4

BIPOT                          

R12

Leg 1: 8

Leg 2: 3

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5

Leg 5: 1, 4

Leg 6: 1, 5

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R36

Leg 1: 3

Leg 2: 1

Leg 3: 1, 2

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 1, 5

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3

Leg 7: 2, 4, 8

PICK 6

R1800

Leg 1: 1, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4

Leg 4: 1, 3, 5

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

Leg 6: 2, 4, 5, 8

JACKPOT 1

R225

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4

Leg 3: 1, 3, 5

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

JACKPOT 2

R180

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4

Leg 2: 1, 3, 5

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

Leg 4: 2, 4, 5, 8