Viva La Vida a toast to Marshall’s hot season

Jack Milner

As has often been the case lately, the better bets appear early on Tuesday’s nine-race card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

Of course, that gives bettors the opportunity to get off to a positive start and build up a bit of kitty for the later exotics, which look a lot more testing.

Trainer Vaughan Marshall’s acumen after years in the horseracing industry is indisputable and the veteran trainer is possibly having one of the best seasons of what has been an illustrious career.

Even though he has lost three-year-old One Stripe who is on his way to carry the flag internationally, Marshall still has a number of other young horses in his yard.

Ideally named Viva La Vida, which translates as “long live life”, looks another interesting prospect and the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight can shed her maiden tag at the second time of asking in Race 1, a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies over 1200m.

Viva La Vida showed promise on debut when finishing runner-up to Lowveld Lily. That run came over the same course and distance, and she should be hard to beat, especially as Lowveld Lily finished fourth in Saturday’s Listed Irridescence Stakes over 1400m.

Jockey Gavin Lerena is another having a superb season and a lot of those opportunities have been provided to him by Marshall. He had an excellent rapport with One Stripe, winning both the Cape Guineas and the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, both Grade 1s, aboard this top colt.

Lerena rode Viva La Vida on debut and will be aboard once again on this occasion.

It could be third time lucky for Du Maurier a race later, as the Captain Of All filly has been unlucky not to win either of her first two starts. She was runner-up to She’s My World on debut and followed that up with another second-place finish, this time behind Inside Voice.

She tries 1200m now, which should not pose any problem. Jockey Aldo Domeyer takes the ride.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 1 Viva La Vida, 8 Beautiful One, 3 Marketa, 7 Beach Verse

Race 2: 4 Du Maurier, 10 My Dear Friend, 2 Meghan's Diamond, 3 Seven No Trump

Race 3: 5 Song To The Moon, 4 Pinot Grigio, 1 Omikami, 8 Dubbelosix

Race 4: 1 Money Extractor, 10 Moment Of Truth, 5 Sesame, 6 Real Stunner

Race 5: 5 Smart Horse, 11 Better Man, 10 Balzi Rossi, 2 Set To Music

Race 6: 6 Dive Bomber, 2 Arbitration, 1 King's Quest, 7 Hoodia

Race 7: 6 Dawn Till Dusk, 3 Promettere, 9 Innamorare, 2 Please Be True

Race 8: 1 Diamond Bomber, 4 Bright Gold, 1 Sweet Conifer, 6 Angel's Oasis

Race 9: 2 Circumbendibus, 11 One Liner, 8 Trippi's Silk, 6 Elsinore

BEST BET

Race 1: 1 Viva La Vida

VALUE BET

Race 6: 6 Dive Bomber

BEST SWINGER

Race 2 4x10

BIPOT                          

R384

Leg 1: 4

Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 8

Leg 3: 1, 5, 10

Leg 4: 5, 11

Leg 5: 1, 2, 6, 7

Leg 6: 2, 3, 6, 9

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R324

Leg 1: 1, 4, 5

Leg 2: 1, 10

Leg 3: 5, 11

Leg 4: 1, 2, 6

Leg 5: 3, 6, 9

Leg 6: 1, 4, 11

Leg 7: 2

PICK 6

R1920

Leg 1: 1, 5, 6, 9, 10

Leg 2: 5, 11

Leg 3: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 14

Leg 4: 2, 3, 6, 9

Leg 5: 1, 4, 6, 11

Leg 6: 2, 11

JACKPOT 1

R192

Leg 1: 5, 11

Leg 2: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 14

Leg 3: 2, 3, 6, 9

Leg 4: 1, 4, 6, 11

JACKPOT 2

R192

Leg 3: 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 14

Leg 4: 2, 3, 6, 9

Leg 5: 1, 4, 6, 11

Leg 6: 2, 11