Scarlet will be gone with the wind

Jack Milner

Highveld punters got a bit of a spanking at Turffontein last Saturday and while a few of the well supported runners managed to sneak home, a number of so-called good things failed to produce the goods.

We move to the Vaal on Thursday and race on the Classic track and there could be some opportunities to recoup some of the losses from the weekend.

For a start, there has been some decent soaking rain over the past couple of days and that should remove some of the firmness from the track.

Just to what extent it will affect the racing we are unlikely to know until the first couple of races have been run.

The standout bet on the card comes up in Race 5, a MR 81 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m where Stuart Pettigrew sends out progressive filly Scarlet O’Hara. Named for the heroine in the Margaret Mitchell novel about the American Civil War Gone With The Wind, and played by Vivienne Leigh in the movie, this four-year-old daughter of Red Ray has been lightly raced.

She only started her racing career halfway through her three-year-old career, making her debut on 3 January. However, she quickly developed into a reliable performer, collecting three victories and four placings from seven starts – all under Jeffrey Syster – during a productive three-year-old campaign.

She announced herself with back-to-back victories over 1700m and 1800m at this track before suffering her first defeat over the latter trip when charging home late for second in her hat-trick bid on Turffontein’s Inside track.

She is dropping in class over her optimum distance and will now also have the benefit of having a 4kg claimer up in the form of Divesh Ramkhalawon.

Ramkhalawon has wasted little time making an impression since swapping Mauritius for South Africa, and the ambitious apprentice looks primed to add another milestone to his growing résumé.

The South African Jockey Academy student enjoyed an encouraging debut campaign, riding 17 winners from just 117 mounts at an impressive 14.5% strike-rate, while finishing in the placings on 52 occasions for a healthy 44% place strike-rate.

Having already celebrated victories at Scottsville, Greyville and Turffontein, the Vereeniging-based circuit is one of the few local venues yet to feature on his growing honours list.

That omission could be corrected in convincing fashion.

His allowance should prove decisive for Scarlet O’Hara as she already appears superior to consistent familiar foe Azaleas For All on their previous meeting and the apprentice’s weight concession should only widen that advantage.

 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 4 Clairwood Breeze, 1 Epidaurus, 5 Comic Artist, 3 Captain’s Express

Race 2: 8 The Bachelorette, 9 Thorn Bird, 4 Corsaro Super, 7 Justhavefun

Race 3: 1 Northern European, 2 Be The One, 8 Tea For Three, 3 Life’s Treasures

Race 4: 7 Skitt Smiling, 1 Crimson Ranger, 3 Campo Formio, 8 Verdandi

Race 5: 1 Scarlet O’Hara, 3 Azaleas For All, 2 Surprise Party, 5 Utsaah

Race 6: 2 Trompe L’Oeil, 7 Sergeant Soqrat, 3 Hammer Blow, 4 Ice Dragon

Race 7: 5 After Hours, 4 Cold Shine, 1 Turbo Power, 2 Fair Proposal

Race 8: 11 Ubermensch, 5 Tracksuit Dave, 1 Frere Jacques, 2 Gallic Victor

 

BEST BET

Race 5: 1 Scarlet O’Hara

VALUE BET

Race 8: 11 Ubermensch

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 1×7

 

BIPOT

R162

Leg 1: 1, 4, 5

Leg 2: 1, 8, 9

Leg 3: 1, 2, 8

Leg 4: 1, 7

Leg 5: 1

Leg 6: 2, 3, 7

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R162

Leg 1: 1, 8, 9

Leg 2: 1, 2, 8

Leg 3: 7

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 2, 7

Leg 6: 1, 4, 5

Leg 7: 1, 5, 11

 

PICK 6

R1800

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 8

Leg 2: 1, 3, 7

Leg 3: 1

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

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

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 5, 11

 

JACKPOT 1

R90

Leg 1: 1, 3, 7

Leg 2: 1

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

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

 

JACKPOT 2

R150

Leg 1: 1

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

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

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 11