Jack Milner
The first time Unzen ran the word was out that this was a pretty decent performer. In fact, after finishing second in a Maiden Plate over 1000m on debut, he shed his maiden tag in his next start when winning the Bloodstock SA Sales Cup over 1450m at Turffontein where he had the likes of Fostinova, Tamarisk Tree and Trois Trois Quatre behind him.
There is also no doubt that 1400m is his best trip as all of his five wins have been over that sort of distance with his furthest success coming over 1475m at the Vaal when he captured the Non-Black Type Grand Heritage.
Unzen has taken on some strong fields in his time and while he might not have been in the class of runners such as Lucky Lad and Sandringham Summit, he did not finish too far behind him.
Undoubtedly his best performance so far came last time out when he defeated Main Defender in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein. In fairness, he was very well weighted under the race conditions with the three-year-old having to concede 8kg, but just as we saw at the US Open last week when young Aussie Alexei Popyrin downed Novak Djokovic in the third round, you still have to go out there and do it.
Unzen is back on the Inside track at Turffontein on Saturday when he will line up in another Pinnacle Stakes, this time over 1450m, in Race 7. This is a weaker field than he met last time and Robbie Sage’s charge will carry just 2kg more.
Gavin Lerena rode Unzen last time and he is back in the irons once again.
Mike de Kock-trained Zinovi looks the main threat to Unzen. He showed considerable promise in a three-start juvenile campaign, during which he finished fourth in the 1000m Listed Storm Bird Stakes as a maiden in just his second start after an encouraging debut third over 800m.
He closed out his two-year-old season with a maiden career success over 1200m and confirmed his undoubted ability by winning three times in his sophomore year, enticing connections to have a tilt at the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on 1 June.
However, Zinovi finished unplaced (10th) and crossed the line 6.10 lengths behind crack Gimmethegreenlight colt Lucky Lad - a dual Grade 1 winner - and was subsequently gelded.
On the evidence of his reappearance in the Listed Spring Spree Stakes over the same distance as this race, Zinovi may have benefited from the gelding and is firmly expected to improve on his last performance
Muzi Yeni, who steered this son of Heavenly Blue to victory over 1400m before riding him in the at the Maritzburg Grade 1 sprint, gets back aboard Zinovi who caught the eye when finishing third under Piere Strydom in that recent 1200m Listed race - won by Yeni on Joe Soma's Back In Business - contested on this course a week ago.
Zinovi stayed on from midfield to be beaten just four lengths by the highly rated, unexposed winner and that was a performance full of merit given that De Kock's charge had to lump around 62kg on his return and conceded 9kg to lightly raced Back In Business.
With improved fitness on his side and just 56kg to shoulder with Yeni back in the irons, Zinovi does stand out as the main threat to Unzen.
Jack Milner's selections
Race 1: 4 Fetching Flyer, 1 Tik Tok Addiction, 8 Glamorous Lady, 5 Kuramathi
Race 2: 4 The Specialist, 6 Beamonesque, 5 Mount Pinatubo, 3 Champion Warrior
Race 3: 5 The Cane Train, 2 Gamer, 9 Jaham, 1 Roll Of The Dice
Race 4: 1 Eiger Sanction, 5 Flag Bearer, 3 Streisand, 4 Callaburn
Race 5: 2 Salenio Peninsula, 7 Dancing Dora, 8 Mix The Magic, 1 Boom Boom
Race 6: 1 Hierkommiebokkie, 6 Queen Of Fire, 4 Second Breath, 5 So Seductive
Race 7: 3 Unzen, 2 Zinovi, 1 Puerto Manzano, 6 Swing Upon A Star
Race 8: 6 Moonlight Trader, 3 Golden Pavilion, 4 Coming In Hot, 2 Force De Dieu
BEST BET
Race 2 No 4 The Specialist
VALUE BET
Race 8 No 6 Moonlight Trader
BEST SWINGER
Race 4 1x5
BIPOT
R108
Leg 1: 1, 4, 8
Leg 2: 4
Leg 3: 2, 5, 9
Leg 4: 1, 5
Leg 5: 2, 7
Leg 6: 1, 4, 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R108
Leg 1: 4
Leg 2: 2, 5, 9
Leg 3: 1, 5
Leg 4: 2, 7
Leg 5: 1, 4, 6
Leg 6: 2, 3
Leg 7: 3, 4, 6
PICK 6
R1728
Leg 1: 1, 2, 5, 9
Leg 2: 1, 5
Leg 3: 2, 7, 8
Leg 4: 1, 4, 5, 6
Leg 5: 2, 3, 7
Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
JACKPOT 1
R72
Leg 1: 1, 5
Leg 2: 2, 7, 8
Leg 3: 1, 4, 5, 6
Leg 4: 2, 3, 7
JACKPOT 2
R216
Leg 1: 2, 7, 8
Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 6
Leg 3: 2, 3, 7
Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8