Expect splendid value from Klaasen’s little miss

Jack Milner

It is always worth keeping an eye on horses who have performed well in the past but then tend to lose their form.

Sometimes, like Icarys in Greek mythology, they have flown too close to the sun and their wings start to melt.

In racing terms that means that their merit rating have gone too high for them to be competitive. At some point the handicappers decide to drop those rating and occasionally quite speedily.

That could well be he case with Littlemisssplended, who attained a rating of 86 before her wings started to melt. However, in a matter of a couple of months, has been lowered 10 points and could well be competitive again.

She lines up on Thursday in Race 6, a MR 75 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m on the Vaal Classic course, and the Robyn Klaasen-trained daughter of Act Of War could well provide some value. She is now at her lowest rating and could be worth a decent each-way bet, especially with Calvin Habib in the irons.

Jockey Kabelo Matsunyane could also be on the mark with Art Nouveau in Race 5, a MR 92 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m.

Trained by Tony Peter, there is no question mark behind her stamina, and racing off a career-high mark of 84, she is the one to beat.

The biggest threat could be Onetwobucklemyshoe, trained by Candice and Tammy Dawson. This four-year-old filly will, however, be travelling beyond 1600m for the first time.

She will also be making her seasonal debut after a layoff of 105 days, so there might just be a few cobwebs that need to be blown out.

The two are drawn alongside in gates No 5 and 6, so there’s no real advantage for either.

A third runner to keep an eye on is Hat’s Queen. Stablemate to Art Nouveau, she returned to the Highveld after a rather disappointing campaign at the coast end of last season. She ran out of steam when clipped on her seasonal bow 26 days ago, but could produce a very different effort now settled back home and stripping fitter.

 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 3 All Time Legend, 2 Kwaito, 1 Campo Formio, 4 Fire To The Stars

Race 2: 10 Celeritas, 5 Eastwood, 4 Cyrus The Great, 7 Kay Kiwi

Race 3: 7 Beautiful Rosie, 8 Desert Diamond, 1 Elegant Edge, 5 Seachtu Realta

Race 4: 1 Life And Letters, 12 Thundering Hooves, 4 Trex On Fire, 5 Knockin’ Boots

Race 5: 2 Art Nouveau, 3 Onetwobucklemyshoe, 6 Flying World, 4 Top Shelf Teddy

Race 6: 3 Littlemisssplendid, 7 Be My Fate, 10 Red Sparrow, 5 Chariklo

Race 7: 1 American Beauty, 5 Alta Capitana, 7 Secret Fate, 4 Azaleas For All

Race 8: 6 Duke Of Lorraine, 3 One State, 9 Eiffel Tower, 11 Skitt Smiling

Race 9: 5 Time Will Tell, 3 Sergeant Soqrat, 4 Echoes Of War, 2 Master’s Lady

 

BEST BET

Race 3: 7 Beautiful Rosie

VALUE BET

Race 6: 3 Littlemisssplendid

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 1×12

 

BIPOT

R48

Leg 1: 10

Leg 2: 7

Leg 3: 1, 12

Leg 4: 2, 3

Leg 5: 3, 5, 7, 10

Leg 6: 1, 5, 7

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 7

Leg 2: 1

Leg 3: 2, 3

Leg 4: 3, 5, 7, 10

Leg 5: 1, 5, 7

Leg 6: 3, 6, 9

Leg 7: 3, 4, 5

 

PICK 6

R1792

Leg 1: 1, 12

Leg 2: 2, 3

Leg 3: 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

Leg 4: 1, 4, 5, 7

Leg 5: 3, 6, 9, 11

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 5

 

JACKPOT 1

R224

Leg 1: 2, 3

Leg 2: 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

Leg 3: 1, 4, 5, 7

Leg 4: 3, 6, 9, 11

 

JACKPOT 2

R448

Leg 1: 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

Leg 2: 1, 4, 5, 7

Leg 3: 3, 6, 9, 11

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 5