Tomyris set for winning Betway Summer Cup prep

Jack Milner

Tomyris has performed well since moving up to the Highveld and joining Tony Peter’s yard.

The six-year-old Vercingetorix mare had been trained in KwaZulu-Natal before moving up north and her two runs in the province have yielded a facile victory and a narrow defeat.

Her first run was over 1800m on the Inside track at TAB Turffontein and she burst away from her rivals in this MR 91 Handicap for fillies and mares to beat Future Date by 3.75 lengths.

That form line was franked when the runner-up went on to win her next race.

Tomyris’ next outing was in the Listed Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m, but this time on the Standside track. She was well supported to go off the 3-1 favourite but was narrowly touched off by Kubu, going down 0.40 lengths.

She has been entered into the Betway Summer Cup on 8 November and she was included on the list of 20 runners when the log for the R6-million Grade 1 race was released.

Tomyris returns to the inside track at TAB Turffontein tomorrow and lines up in Race 6, a Middle Stakes, again over 1800m.

Although she will be taking on males this time, the manner of her last victory really stands out and teamed up with Calvin Habib this time, she stands out as the best bet on the card and as a banker in all bets.

One of the card’s most intriguing runners makes a welcome return from a 217-day absence in Race 7 over 1200m. Querari colt Turn It Up was last seen winning the R3-million Race Coast Sales Slipper at Hollywoodbets Greyville in April, completing a hat-trick of victories (1000m, 1160m and 1200m) after finishing second on debut over 800m.

There have been several subsequent winners to emerge from his last three outings, underlining the strength of his form. Sean Tarry’s highly regarded charge now makes his reappearance under visiting French rider Mickaëlle Michel, who made history last season by becoming the first female jockey to win a Grade 1 race in South Africa. She also takes a handy 1.5kg off his back.

Turn It Up is unlikely to be fully wound up after such a lengthy layoff, but he is open to any amount of improvement so could extend his winning sequence. That said, he won’t have things entirely his own way, even from gate No 1.

Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Gimme A Fireball is a formidable opponent, having won both his starts over 1200m, including his only course-and-distance appearance. The well-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt, a R2-million yearling purchase, landed back-to-back 1200m victories before finishing an unlucky fifth in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m on the Standside track a fortnight ago.

He was eased and cramped for room at a crucial stage of the finish yet still managed to finish just three lengths behind stablemate Fierceness. He could well have finished considerably closer with a clear passage, and the return to 1200m is an obvious plus.

Turn It Up is an exciting talent whose progress deserves to be followed, but Gimme A Fireball is no mere supporting act. This is a fascinating clash between two promising colts, with little separating them on potential.

Callan Murray takes the ride and they jump from No 5 draw.

Then chuck in Candice and Tammy Dawson-trained Shadowfax, who comes in as the best weighted runner by at least 7.5kg, racing fans are in for a really intriguing contest.

Shadowfax was originally with Tarry but changed stables in July. He returned to the track In September but did not run well but showed vast improvement last time when a .90-length fifth behind Antonio Gaudi.

He should be back to his best and with Tristan Godden, who rode him last time, back in the irons, he could trouble the two leading contenders.

 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 4 Golden Warrior, 3 Euphrates, 5 Nuclear Force, 6 Full Go

Race 2: 3 From Winter, 8 Navaseven, 11 Glastonbury Fire, 1 Autograph

Race 3: 2 Skitt Smiling, 12 Zip Code, 9 Shoreybomba, 1 Major Arcana

Race 4: 4 Alittlebitoflove, 9 Scented Alley, 8 Polly Plummer, 1 Blooming Lovely

Race 5: 10 Fire To The Stars, 2 Celtic Manor, 3 Whatwillbewillbe, 5 World Order

Race 6: 1 Tomyris, 6 Quickfreeze, 7 Royal Edition, 8 Open Highway

Race 7: 4 Gimme A Fireball, 1 Shadowfax, 2 Turn It Up, 3 Sherlock Holmes

Race 8: 2 Jaffa, 8 Gallic Victor, 9 American Beauty, 1 Dante’s Bond

Race 9: 2 Lightinthewoods, 9 Impressive, 11 Oh La Amour, 3 Delaware River

Race 10: 8 Rising Eagle, 10 Dawson’s Anvil, 1 Aint No Doubt, 5 Mount Darwin

 

 

BEST BET

Race 6: 1 Tomyris

VALUE BET

Race 8: 2 Jaffa

BEST SWINGER

Race 9 2×9

 

BIPOT

R108

Leg 1: 3, 8

Leg 2: 2, 9, 12

Leg 3: 4, 8, 9

Leg 4: 2, 3, 10

Leg 5: 1

Leg 6: 4, 5

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R144

Leg 1: 2, 9, 12

Leg 2: 4, 9

Leg 3: 2, 10

Leg 4: 1

Leg 5: 4, 5

Leg 6: 2, 8, 9

Leg 7: 2, 9

 

PICK 6

R720

Leg 1: 4, 6, 8, 9

Leg 2: 2, 3, 5, 10

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4: 1, 4, 5

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9

Leg 6: 2, 9, 11

 

JACKPOT 1

R60

Leg 1: 2, 3, 5, 10

Leg 2: 1

Leg 3: 1, 4, 5

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9

 

JACKPOT 2

R180

Leg 1: 1, 4, 5

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9

Leg 3: 2, 9, 11

Leg 4: 1, 5, 8, 9