Marwings’ Jacket could be a Royale bet

Jack Milner

It is unusual to make a horse who has raced 28 times and is still a maiden as your best bet on the card but there is little doubt that a number of issues are lining up perfectly for Royale Jacket.

Trained on the Highveld by the father and son team of Weiho and Warrick Marwing, this gelding will be returning to Hollywoodbets Greyville on Thursday at a meeting staged on the Polytrack.

Royale Jacket will be lining up in Race 8, a Maiden Plate over 1600m.

There is no question that this son of Ideal World has had many chances but has been unable to get his nose down where it matters most. In spite of the fact that he has been unable to notch up a victory, he has been paying his way.

His 28 runs have yielded 17 places which are split into 10 seconds, three thirds and four fourths and he has earned R283,745 and he has at least recouped his R200,000 price tag.

Lately he has been consistently running well, and his last seven runs have produced four seconds, two fourths and one unplaced run. In fairness, he did have excuses for that lone unplaced run as he returned with a scalp wound behind.

Among those runner-up spots was his only race on the Polytrack at HWB Greyville in which he finished 0.60 lengths behind Place Of Practice.

That form line, which was run over the same distance as Thursday’s race, has been franked in that third-placed Princess Trippi, who finished 2.20 lengths behind Royale Jacket, went on to win her next race by 3.70 lengths.

And although the winner, Place Of Practice, has not gone on to win again, his two subsequent races were decent enough.

When the Marwing-trained gelding raced on the Polytrack he was fitted with both blinkers and a tongue-tie. They were removed after that run but Royale Jacket was declared to run in blinkers once again and as a late change, he will now also be fitted with the tongue-tie again.

Jason Gates will ride him for the first time and they will jump from a decent enough No 5 gate.

 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 3 Indignation, 1 America First, 4 Lilbitofmonica, 5 Cali Bullet

Race 2: 4 Ragnar The King, 1 Vencedor, 2 I Am Classy, 7 The Wolf

Race 3: 3 Red Coral, 4 Peace Rose, 5 Treasure Island, 7 Spirit Of Shimla

Race 4: 3 Special Glamour, 6 Praise De La Rey, 10 One Path, 8 Dancing In Demark

Race 5: 3 Hammer Blow, 6 B Fiftytwo, 8 Chara Sands, 7 Phutulicious

Race 6: 2 Scandalize, 6 Your Ladyship, 5 Littleblackgem, 1 Time In Paris

Race 7: 5 Royal Crest, 8 What A Classic, 2 Izibulo, 7 Qhawekazi

Race 8: 5 Royale Jacket, 4 Etzebeth, 3 Lovecomesknocking, 6 Jenny Darling

 

BEST BET

Race 8: 5 Royale Jacket

VALUE BET

Race 7: 5 Royal Crest

BEST SWINGER

Race 2 1×4

 

BIPOT

R216

Leg 1: 1, 3

Leg 2: 1, 4

Leg 3: 3, 4

Leg 4: 3, 6, 10

Leg 5: 3, 6, 8

Leg 6: 2, 5, 6

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R162

Leg 1: 1, 4

Leg 2: 3

Leg 3: 3, 6, 10

Leg 4: 3, 6, 8

Leg 5: 2, 5, 6

Leg 6: 2, 5, 8

Leg 7: 5

 

PICK 6

R1120

Leg 1: 3, 4

Leg 2: 3, 6, 8, 10

Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 5: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8

Leg 6: 5

 

JACKPOT 1

R560

Leg 1: 3, 6, 8, 10

Leg 2: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Leg 3: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 4: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8

 

JACKPOT 2

R140

Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Leg 2: 1, 2, 5, 6

Leg 3: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8

Leg 4: 5