Finale to finally finish at Turffontein

Jack Milner

The rain has stayed away so far for the past three days and hopefully it is all systems go for the Championships Finale to go ahead at Turffontein on Tuesday.

The meeting was delayed from Saturday due to the persistent inclement weather during the week but there is a likelihood that despite the bluer skies over the past few days, that the going is still likely to be on the soft side.

There are 11 races on the card and there will be three Jackpots at the meeting (Races 1 to 4, Races 5 to 9 and Races 8 to 11).

There is also a Pick 6 carryover of R500,000 at the meeting with the pool likely to reach R3 million.

There are no Grade 1 events at the meeting but it does contain four Grade 2 races, two Grade 3s and a Listed event, all of which appear to be highly competitive.

The Grade 2 races comprise the TAB Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m, the TAB Colorado King Stakes over 2000m, as well as the Grade 3 TAB Camellia Stakes over 1160m and the TAB Igugu Stakes over 2000m, both for fillies and mares.

The pair of Grade 3 races are both for two-year-olds over 1100m and are the Protea Stakes and the Pretty Polly Stakes for fillies.

Stayers get their opportunity in the TAB Gold Bowl over 3200m and although it is a Listed race, it does carry a stake of R400,000.

The standout bet on the card could well be Buffalo Storm Cody in Race 8, the TAB Senor Santa Stakes. The conditions will suit the Tony Peter-trained runner and despite carrying 62kg, he is at least 4kg better weighted than his opposition.

He is also has the advantage of jumping for the outside draw and will have Richard Fourie, who rode him to victory in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint on 4 April, back in the irons.

Interestingly, concerned the 1000m might be too sharp for his charge Peter ran Buffalo Storm Cody in blinkers. However, now back over 1160m the blinkers have been removed.

His record in the wet is exemplary as he has won three of his four races in soft going and placed in the other.

The Colorado King Stakes over 2000m looks reasonably open but while many of these continue racing against one another there one new face in the field and that is Choisaanada.

Last season the now four-year-old Querari gelding won all three legs of the Winter Series, beating the likes of Fire Attack and Confederate in the process.

The Erico Verdonese-trained runner went off the boil slightly at the start of this season but he also had no luck when the draws came up for barrier positions.

He has come back to form with a vengeance this year, winning two successive Pinnacle Stakes events, displaying his usual plucky temperament in the process, the last with Rachel Venniker up. She will be in the irons once again.

Choisaanada has been entered to run in the Hollywoodbets Durban July at HWB Greyville on 4 July and if Verdonese believes he will see out 2200m, there is no doubt this 2000m will not hold any fears for him.

A victory in this Grade 2 event will certainly enhance his chances of gaining a place in the R10-million event.

Last time out, over 1800m at this course, he did beat The Ultimate King by two lengths, and although the latter will be 1.5kg better off due to the fact that Rachel Venniker will not be able to claim her allowance in a Graded race, he won well enough to indicate it is unlikely to make much of a difference.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 1 Without Remorse, 11 Top Secret, 8 Celtic Manor, 10 Secret Life

Race 2: 1 Tiger’s Captain, 4 Wild As The Wind, 8 Life In Colour, 10 Stormact

Race 3: 3 Gimme Some Luck, 6 The Bronx Bull, 2 Gimme A Vodka, 1 Time Is Precious

Race 4: 3 Get Up, 1 Good Day Sunshine, 4 Lanzarote, 8 Ushouldbedancing

Race 5: 4 Enflame, 3 Aladdin’s Lamp, 1 Shoot The Rapids, 9 Battleground

Race 6: 1 Olivia’s Way, 7 Charge It, 2 Callmegetrix, 3 Minogue

Race 7: 3 Choisaanada, 1 Fire Attack, 2 Atticus Finch, 4 The Ultimate King

Race 8: 1 Buffalo Storm Cody, 12 Jerusalema Rain, 11 The Specialist, 2 William Robertson

Race 9: 2 Almond Sea, 8 Rachel Wall, 6 Green Diamond, 9 Rifle Queen

Race 10: 5 Vanakkam, 2 Alpine Jet, 1 Anchorage, 7 Versace Onthetrack

Race 11: 1 Fire Storm, 11 Gimmethespotlight, 6 Kambati, 4 Huehuetenango

BEST BET

Race 8: 1 Buffalo Storm Cody

VALUE BET

Race 9: 2 Almond Sea

BEST SWINGER

Race 3 3×6

BIPOT  1

R54

Leg 1: 1, 4, 8

Leg 2: 3, 6

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3

Leg 6: 1

BIPOT 2

R96

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 2, 6, 8, 9

Leg 5: 1, 2, 5, 7

Leg 6: 1, 11

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 3, 6

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3

Leg 6: 1

Leg 7: 2, 6, 8, 9

PICK 6

R1120

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 8

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 9

Leg 3: 1, 7

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Leg 5: 1

Leg 6: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

JACKPOT 1

R300

Leg 1: 1, 8, 10, 11

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 8, 10

Leg 3: 2, 3, 6

Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 8, 9

JACKPOT 2

R40

Leg 1: 1, 3, 4, 9

Leg 2: 1, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Leg 4: 1

JACKPOT 3

R147

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7

Leg 4: 1, 6, 11