Zena Rose to bloom at Greyville

Jack Milner

Racing is on the Polytrack at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Tuesday and there could be a couple of decent bets in the offing.

There was once a good bit of advice offered by a bookmaker that one should only take odds-on about a horse if it is a good a reliable performer and not because it looks to be the best horse in a very weak field.

Overall, that is sage advice but there are times where once just needs to bite the bullet and go for it and that looks to be the case with Zena Rose in Race 2, a Conditional Maiden for fillies and mares over 1400m.

A quick glance at the form of this Duncan Howells-trained three-year-old daughter of Horizon might give one cause for concern as she has raced six time for two places. However, closer scrutiny of her runs reveals a lot more.

Her first two runs over 1200m at HWB Scottsville were poor but she kept giving her opposition start. Then she did the same in her next outing but that was over 1400m, and she did make up ground before staying on to finish fifth, just 2.25 lengths behind Blind Speed.

Her next run was over 1600m on the Greyville turf where she again lost ground at the start but produced at the fastest final 400m to run a 2.45-length third to Greenlitealltheway. Howells tried her in blinkers the next time and this time she got out like a bullet but tore off to the front and ran out of steam.

Last time though, with the blinkers now removed she bounced back with a good third behind decent types Happy Fortune and subsequent easy winner Woza Nawe. With the speed she shows she looks well suited to the Polytrack.

The one concern is that as this is a Conditional Maiden, she will give weight to her seven rivals. But she appears head-and-shoulders above horses such as five-year-old maiden Head Girl and Fantasy League and from No 1 draw she has everything going for her.

Kabelo Matsunyane rode her last time and he is back in the irons once again.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 7 Zalta Star, 6 La Maddalena, 9 Precious Beauty, 1 Sweet Reunion

Race 2: 1 Zena Rose, 4 Head Girl, 6 Fantasy League, 2 Dynasty's Last

Race 3: 3 Ayuwi Yuwi, 4 Gaelic Dancer, 5 War Empress, 6 Rugger Lover

Race 4: 6 Uzwano, 7 Chili Bomb, 2 Rollo The Viking, 3 Vencedor

Race 5: 2 National Award, 5 Force De Dieu, 1 Fish Eagle, 6 Bugalugs

Race 6: 2 Off Limits, 1 Linganomore, 4 Red Knot, 6 Lady Is A Champ

Race 7: 3 Allaroundtheworld, 2 Fine Admiral, 7 Send Me, 5 Duke Of Africa

Race 8: 8 Brass Bell, 2 Porfirio, 3 Roy Taking Off, 6 Rafiki

BEST BET

Race 2 No 1 Zena Rose

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 3 Allaroundtheworld

BEST SWINGER

Race 2 1x4

BIPOT

R81

Leg 1: 6, 7, 9

Leg 2: 1

Leg 3: 3, 4, 5

Leg 4: 6

Leg 5: 1, 2, 5

Leg 6: 1, 2, 4

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 3, 4, 5

Leg 3: 6

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5

Leg 5: 1, 2, 4

Leg 6: 2, 3

Leg 7: 2, 3, 6, 8

PICK 6

R1200

Leg 1: 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 2: 6

Leg 3: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7

Leg 5: 2, 3, 7

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

JACKPOT 1

R60

Leg 1: 6

Leg 2: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7

Leg 4: 2, 3, 7

JACKPOT 2

R300

Leg 1: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7

Leg 3: 2, 3, 7

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8