Jack Milner: The Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m is often viewed as a good pointer to the Gauteng Summer Cup and many of the runners in Saturday’s race on the Turffontein Standside track, have already secured their places in that Grade 1 race on 27 November.
There have been changes made to the conditions of the Summer Cup so it is no longer a pure handicap, and it will now favour the likes of Malmoos and Got The Greenlight.
However, one cannot ignore the chances of Sparkling Water, Astrix, Second Base and Running Brave who will all be lining up in the Victory Moon Stakes.
Sparkling Water scored a sensational win over 1450m on Turffontein’s Inside track last time, flying up late under a superb ride from champion jockey Lyle Hewitson to snare stable companion Forever Mine and win going away by 0.40 lengths.
Mike de Kock’s charge comes into this race with just 50kg on her back and is the best weighted runner in the field.
This 1800m is far more up her street and she is undoubtedly the runner to beat. With that light weight, Kabelo Matsunyane gets the chance to chalk up a Grade 2 victory.
Astrix has to be one of the most consistent runners around, and although 1800m is about as far as he will go, he is expected to have a say in the finish. He put up a great run in last Saturday’s Grade 2 Allied Steelrode – OnamissionMile when second to Bingwa, with some top horses behind him.
If that race has not taken too much out of him, he cannot be left out of the reckoning.
Paul Peter’s yard is in top form, Warren Kennedy takes the ride and he jumps from No 1 draw.
Second Base ran in all three legs of the SA Triple Crown last season but found Malmoos too good every time. This will be his third race after a layoff so he should be close to his peak.
The Summer Cup must be at the top of his agenda but trainer John Janse van Vuuren is unlikely to cock a snoot at the opportunity to bag a Grade 2 race.
Raymond Danielson takes the ride.
Running Brave went off the boil earlier this year but showed improvement last time out and could be coming back to form. At her best, last year’s Summer Cup runner-up has to be considered.
The Listed Gardenia Stakes comprises a host of leading lights returning from a break, among them Singforafa, True To Life, Anna Capri, Tropic Sun and Hello Winter Hello. That will make life difficult for bettors who should probably stick to the proven fit youngsters, Lucy English, Bella Chica, Naarah, and I Dream Of Genie.
Pundits, though, will be keeping an eye on Race 4, a Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares over 1400m, where last season’s champion three-year-old filly War Of Athena and champion two-year-old filly Rain In Holland clash.
War Of Athena is the best weighted runner but will have to give 10kg to Rain In Holland.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Track Commander, 2 Quality Joker, 4 Integrate, 5 Spring Will Come
Race 2: 4 Coral Dawn, 5 Run For Isla, 3 Dame Of Flames, 1 Burmese Tiara
Race 3: 1 Golden Spoon, 4 Fromheretoeternity, 6 Sacred Lotus, 2 Sultanah
Race 4: 1 War Of Athena, 4 Rain In Holland, 3 Gee For Go, 5 Magical Flight
Race 5: 5 Bard Of Avon, 4 Winter Smoke, 6 Sound Of Warning, 1 Winter Stories
Race 6: 12 Lucy English, 3 Anna Capri, 9 Bella Chica, 10 Naarah
Race 7: 12 Sparkling Water, 5 Astrix, 1 Second Base, 6 Golden Pheasant
Race 8: 2 Al Sakeet, 7 Celestial Love, 9 Riverstown, 5 Battle Force
Race 9: 10 Who’s That Star, 2 Irfaans Boy, 3 Phinda Mzala, 6 Love Lies
BEST BET
Race 1 No 1 Track Commander
VALUE BET
Race 9 No 10 Who’s That Star
BEST SWINGER
Race 4 1×4
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 3, 4, 5
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 6
Leg 3: 1, 4
Leg 4: 4, 5, 6
Leg 5: 3, 9, 12
Leg 6: 5, 12
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 1, 4, 6
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 4, 5
Leg 4: 3, 9, 12
Leg 5: 5, 12
Leg 6: 2, 7
Leg 7: 2, 3, 6
PICK 6
R1440
Leg 1: 1, 4
Leg 2: 4, 5, 6
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12
Leg 4: 1, 5, 6, 12
Leg 5: 2, 7
Leg 6: 2, 3, 6, 7, 10
JACKPOT 1
R144
Leg 2: 4, 5, 6
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12
Leg 4: 1, 5, 6, 12
Leg 5: 2, 7
JACKPOT 2
R240
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12
Leg 2: 1, 5, 6, 12
Leg 3: 2, 7
Leg 4: 2, 3, 6, 7, 10