Jack Milner
Wokonda may well only be a three-time winner but Roy Magner’s charge has been one of the most consistent runners around and a steady earner for owner John Finlayson.
The four-year-old daughter of Captain Of All has raced 13 times for those three wins but if one adds the seven placed runs to her tally, she certainly is paying her way.
Wokonda has a golden opportunity to notch up her fourth win when she runs in Race 8 at Turffontein on Saturday, a MR 93 Handicap over 1600m on the Standside track. While she has yet to win over the distance, Wokonda has placed twice in her three runs over 1600m and last time ran a cracker when a 2.50-length second behind Bureau Des Legende over track and trip.
There was not much pace on that occasion so she overraced and ended up near the front of the field for much of the journey. In the end, she did well to run second.
That run came after a two-and-a-half month break and she might have been in need of the outing. She meets Bureau Des Legende once again but this time she is 2kg better off so that alone should put them much closer together. The fact her last run could bring her on could well give her the opportunity to reverse the placings on this occasion.
Marco van Rensburg takes the ride on the filly for the first time and they jump from an ideal No 3 draw.
In spite of carrying top weight of 60.5kg, Eternal Life looks to be the main threat to Wokonda. Corrie Lensley’s filly is in good form and comes off a decent enough second behind useful filly Bellevarde.
Eternal Life, a four-year-old daughter of Querari, has generally been racing over further but she does have a very good record over 1600m with two wins from three starts. In addition, this will be her third run after a layoff and she should be in peak condition.
Apprentice Kaidan Brewer has ridden her to three of her four victories and he will be back in the irons on this occasion.
Bureau Des Legende showed vast improvement with her win last time and it was a shrewd tactical ride from apprentice Gabriell Pieterse that helped her cause. She was allowed to gallop at her own pace in front and nobody was able to catch her.
Those tactics might not work the second time around but Pieterse is back aboard claiming his 1.5kg allowance and Robyn Klaasen’s runner still needs to be included into exotics.
This is a highly competitive card with a number of open races so finding a best bet is not easy.
However, it could be worth taking a chance with Celestial City in Race 2, a Novice Handicap over 1600m.
This full brother to Hawwaam cost R7 million as a yearling but he has had endless issues and there was a school of thought he would never make it to racetrack.
Owner Henning Pretorius finally moved Celestial City to Sean Tarry at Randjesfontein in the hope he could get the son of Silvano ready to run.
Tarry once again proved why he is a multiple champion trainer as not only did he get Celestial City to race but he got him to win. It is not an easy feat to bring a problematic four-year-old to run for the first time and it is even harder to get victory out of him, especially on the Turffontein Inside track in the rain.
Hopefully Celestial City has come on with that experience and can score once again, this time on the more galloping Standside track.
With Calvin Habib riding at Kenilworth, Tarry has engaged Rachel Venniker for the ride and she will take 1.5kg off Celestial City’s back.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 3 Green Bubbles, 6 Queen Britanna, 11 Silver Hills, 4 Aunt Pittypat
Race 2: 4 Celestial City, 2 Otto Luyken, 3 High Moon, 1 Tabby Kat
Race 3: 6 Fast Duty, 1 Gimme Royalty, 5 Bright Blue Sky, 10 Elembee
Race 4: 4 Camlicourt, 3 Black Lightning, 1 Carnelo, 8 We've Got Tonight
Race 5: 5 Big Eyed Girl, 4 Sheldon, 2 Remember When, 6 Marengo
Race 6: 9 Stormy Seas, 6 Spielberg, 3 Bronco Blitz, 2 Herecomestherain
Race 7: 1 Berengaria, 6 Defender Of Rights, 3 Prairie Falcon, 9 Paschals Samore
Race 8: 6 Wokonda, 1 Eternal Life, 5 Bureau Des Legende, 3 Emerald Princess
Race 9: 1 Guapo, 5 Risky Business, 3 Rio's Kiss, 2 Gin And Tonic
BEST BET
Race 2 No 4 Celestial City
VALUE BET
Race 4 No 4 Camlicourt
BEST SWINGER
Race 2 2x4
BIPOT
R243
Leg 1: 4
Leg 2: 1, 5, 6
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4
Leg 4: 2, 4, 5
Leg 5: 3, 6, 9
Leg 6: 1, 3, 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R324
Leg 1: 1, 5, 6
Leg 2: 1, 3, 4
Leg 3: 4, 5
Leg 4: 3, 6, 9
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 1, 6
Leg 7: 1, 3, 5
PICK 6
R1728
Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 8
Leg 2: 2, 4, 5
Leg 3: 3, 6, 9, 11
Leg 4: 1, 3, 6
Leg 5: 1, 5, 6
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 5
JACKPOT 1
R108
Leg 1: 2, 4, 5
Leg 2: 3, 6, 9, 11
Leg 3: 1, 3, 6
Leg 4: 1, 5, 6
JACKPOT 2
R144
Leg 1: 3, 6, 9, 11
Leg 2: 1, 3, 6
Leg 3: 1, 5, 6
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5