Buzz the Breeze on the Fairview Polytrack

There is no doubt that racing fans continually find themselves in a quandary when it comes to racing on a Friday at Fairview and that is because in the last five weeks the meeting, which was set for the turf track, was moved to the Polytrack.

This week the meeting has once again been declared to race on the turf but for the sixth successive week, it has been moved to the Polytrack.

So, what are we to do?

Perhaps the best solution to the problem is to go specifically for horses that are indifferent to the track change and perform equally well on turf and Polytrack.

There are a few of them and perhaps the best example comes up in Race 3, a MR 68 Handicap over 1600m, where the top two contenders are comfortable on both surfaces and they are Im The Buzz and Blackberry Breeze.

Im The Buzz is a six-year-old mare who still has the ability to keep winning. In fact, since arriving from the Western Cape where she was trained by Paul Reeves and landing in the yard of Kelly Mitchley, she has run four times, once on the turf and the other three on the Polytrack

While she has yet to win in the Eastern Cape, she has had one second place and two third places, and even her unplaced run which was her first on the Polytrack and was over 1200m, she was beaten just 2.30 lengths by Cherry Oh Baby.

Her last two races were over 1600m and she finished third on the first occasion and second last time out.

This time she will have the benefit of a 2.5kg claiming apprentice on her back in the form of Bavish Soodoo and despite taking on the males, she looks ready to notch up her first win in the Eastern Cape.

Im The Buzz is nicely drawn in gate No 3 and will have no problem with the distance, irrespective of the surface.

Blackberry Breeze is a five-year-old gelding trained by Dean Smith and he too has a decent record over the distance and on both surfaces. In his last two races he has had the benefit of a claiming apprentice in the irons but this time Smith has decided to go with experience and he has engaged Calvin Habib to take the ride.

He has ridden the son of Silvano on eight occasions and is the only jockey to have won on him.

Blackberry Breeze is also well drawn alongside Im A Buzz in gate No 4 so we could be in for an intriguing contest, no matter which surface they race on.

 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 8 Tipsy, 10 Delaroche, 2 Here Comes Johnny, 15 You’re My Angel

Race 2: 4 Night In Japan, 3 Explosive Gift, 2 Gutsy Baby, 1 Total Eruption

Race 3: 7 Im The Buzz, 3 Blackberry Breeze, 2 Sliver Of Sunshine, 11 O Space O

Race 4: 1 Made To Measure, 3 Burning Desire, 4 Sapphire Sun, 8 Fonte

Race 5: 6 Obsidian Star, 1 Oncidium, 2 Cherry Oh Baby, 7 Morfeliha

Race 6: 7 North Star, 1 Make Believe, 2 My Dear Friend, 9 Windsor Silk

Race 7: 3 Roman Agent, 2 Guy Gibson, 5 Black Egret, 8 Champonelle

Race 8: 3 Honorine’s Gimmie, 4 Real War, 5 Travel Master, 7 Green Planet

BEST BET

Race 4: 1 Made To Measure

VALUE BET

Race 1: 8 Tipsy

BEST SWINGER

Race 2 3×4

 

BIPOT

R216

Leg 1: 2, 8, 10

Leg 2: 3, 4

Leg 3: 2, 3, 7

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 1, 2, 6

Leg 6: 1, 2, 7, 9

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 3, 4

Leg 2: 3, 7

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 1, 2, 6

Leg 5: 1, 2, 7

Leg 6: 2, 3, 5

Leg 7: 3, 4

 

PICK 6

R960

Leg 1: 2, 3, 7, 11

Leg 2: 1

Leg 3: 1, 2, 6, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8

Leg 5: 2, 3, 5, 8

Leg 6: 3, 4, 5

 

JACKPOT 1

R80

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 1, 2, 6, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8

Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 8

 

JACKPOT 2

R240

Leg 1: 1, 2, 6, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8

Leg 3: 2, 3, 5, 8

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5