Jack Milner
With the Turffontein track still needing “a bit of rest” before the start of the latter part of the Highveld season, the next two meetings scheduled for Turffontein have now been moved to the Vaal.
Thursday’s meeting will now be run on the Vaal Classic track while Saturday’s card will unfold on the Vaal main track.
There are some interesting races scheduled for tomorrow and the pick of the events comes up in Race 7, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1450m.
The race is headed up by three-year-old Tin Pan Alley, who went off as one of the favourites for the Grade 2 Betway Dingaans but was unable to produce his best form and finished ninth, beaten 8.65 lengths behind Trust and Jan Van Goyen.
However, Sean Tarry’s charge was found to be not striding so perhaps that run is best ignored as he clearly was some way short of his best. Interestingly, he will be fitted with a tongue tie for this race and he will be ridden for the first time by Keagan de Melo.
He made his debut on the Vaal Classic track over 1200m and won with ease so he will have no problem with the track, and as he has won the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m and the Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m, the distance looks ideal.
He is not the best weighted runners, and courtesy of the allowance given to fillies and mares, that honour goes to Miss Scaletta, trained by Paul Matchett. She had a decent comeback from a 7-month break in December when producing the fastest final 400m at finish 3.85 lengths behind Bosum Buddy after getting a bump at the start.
She comes in with just 52kg on her back but she is facing stronger.
Stronger opposition is likely to come from Bob’s Your Uncle who ran a great 1.10-length third behind Mastership in the World Sports Betting Grand Heritage over 1475m up the Vaal straight in December.
French jockey Mickaëlle Michel gets her 1.5kg allowance and this Lucky Houdalakis-trained runner will carry just 52.5kg, 5kg less than he carried in the Grand Heritage.
Two other runners to consider are Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Greaterix, who is a lot better than his recent form suggests, and David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Pressonregardless, who came back to his best with a courageous victory in the Listed Wolf Power 1600, especially with Craig Zackey back in the irons.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 2 Reece's Wish, 3 Blood Of Eden, 4 Utsaah, 9 Greenside Girl
Race 2: 9 Gimmethespotlight, 11 Knowmore, 6 Indian Spice, 4 World Order
Race 3: 5 Kavomolka, 13 Hat And Heels, 12 Asiah's Tiara, 2 Heroic Act
Race 4: 3 Future Date, 2 Free In Seattle, 8 Azaleas For All, 7 Boom Boom
Race 5: 4 Grace's Kiss, 3 Alta Capitana, 5 Littlemisssplendid, 1 Lady Blunt
Race 6: 7 Mister Wilson, 4 Secret Chord, 2 Max The Magician, 5 Esquevelle
Race 7: 2 Tin Pan Alley, 7 Bob's Your Uncle, 1 Greaterix, 3 Pressonregardless
Race 8: 3 Ceuta, 1 Famous Lady, 11 Arashi, 4 Sonic Jet
Race 9: 2 Play With The Wind, 4 Opera Fan, 7 Fair Proposal, 1 Bright And Brazen
BEST BET
Race 1: 2 Reece's Wish
VALUE BET
Race 6: 7 Mister Wilson
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 9x11
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 9, 11
Leg 2: 5, 12, 13
Leg 3: 2, 3, 7, 8
Leg 4: 3, 4
Leg 5: 2, 4, 7
Leg 6: 2, 7
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R243
Leg 1: 5, 12, 13
Leg 2: 2, 3, 8
Leg 3: 4
Leg 4: 2, 4, 7
Leg 5: 2
Leg 6: 1, 3, 11
Leg 7: 2, 4, 7
PICK 6
R1800
Leg 1: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8
Leg 2: 3, 4
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
Leg 4: 2, 7
Leg 5: 1, 3, 4, 7, 11
Leg 6: 2, 4, 7
JACKPOT 1
R120
Leg 1: 3, 4
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
Leg 3: 2, 7
Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 7, 11
JACKPOT 2
R180
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
Leg 2: 2, 7
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 7, 11
Leg 4: 2, 4, 7