Princess Calla looked a bright star indeed for her yard when racing in classic races for her sex, but she surprised when taking her place in the Grade 1 Cape Town Met. The confidence in her was not unfounded as she produced a solid performance to run fifth.

After all she did finish runner-up in the Cape Fillies Guineas and then third in the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes. If reproducing any of those performances, Adam Marcus’ charge should dominate Race 6, the Umzimkhulu Stakes, on Sunday, especially with Anton Marcus up.

The Grade 3 is for three-year-old fillies’ event over 1400m.

Local hope Admire Me has been producing powerful finishes and has won her last three, indicating she was ready for tougher assignment. She could prove the biggest threat to Princess Calla but has some way to go in terms of official merit ratings.

The males’ equivalent, the Grade 3 Byerley Turk over the same trip, looks trickier. Seeking The Stars was a dominant force in the Western Cape over this distance and all eyes will be on him when the starter lines them up for Race 7.

Seeking The Stars had recent Grade 1 Cape Derby winner Linebacker convincingly beaten in the Grade 3 Cape Classic but more telling was the distances by which he beat both Speed Machine and My Bestie.

Into the mix comes Vars Vicky who has been producing gutsy finishes over shorter and beat top class older horses impressively last time. It must be noted that the whole field tries the Scottsville right hander for the first time, and it is a notoriously tricky track at which to be fully effective on debut.

Speed Machine was racing for a stable that was overcoming a virus at the time and My Bestie had the worst of passages in that race and so are best forgiven.

The KwaZulu-Natal Stakes is a listed race that can boast a field including Grade 1 winner Vernichey and Singforafa who was a marvellous Grade 1 third in that thrilling tussle between Sean Tarry machine Celtic Sea and Brett Crawford’s champion Run Fox Run. With Marcus up, Singforafa is the top choice.  

However, do not ignore the chances of up-and-coming Hawker Typhoon who has been living up to name as she has been going through the divisions.

She is a full sister to Matador Man who was revered for his devastating turn of foot and she looks to be cut from the same cloth.

Other races on the day are super competitive, Winter Waves (Race 8), looks worth an each-way bet.

 

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 6 Chief Executive, 13 Vegas Gold, 12 Rowntree, 2 Royal Monarch

Race 2: 9 Live My Life, 7 Shesakinda Magic, 2 New Orleans, 1 Carnelian Bay

Race 3 4 Caesura, 7 Congo Compaq, 6 Theravada, 2 Master Vision

Race 4: 3 Legislate’s Dance, 5 Contrail, 8 Walton Hall, 12 Living Waters

Race 5: 12 Singforafa, 10 Hawker Typhoon, 9 Vernichey, 11 Mirage

Race 6: 6 Princess Calla, 10 Trickster, 5 Keep The Lights On, 2 Caya Coco

Race 7: 9 Seeking The Stars, 7 Vars Vicky, 6 Speed Machine, 2 Stone Cold

Race 8: 1 Winter Waves, 5 Alfonsa Spagoni, 13 Majorca Palace, 3 Madame Patrice

Race 9: 5 Preemptive Strike, 4 Mount Greylock, 6 So Var, 13 Mashari

 

BEST BET

Race 6 No 6 Princess Calla

VALUE BET

Race 3 No 4 Caesura

BEST SWINGER

Race 5 10×12

 

BIPOT

R216

Leg 1: 4, 7, 9

Leg 2: 2, 4, 6, 7

Leg 3: 3, 5, 8

Leg 4: 10, 12

Leg 5: 6

Leg 6: 6, 7, 9

 

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R324

Leg 1: 4, 6, 7

Leg 2: 3, 5

Leg 3: 10, 12

Leg 4: 6

Leg 5: 6, 7, 9

Leg 6: 1, 5, 13

Leg 7: 4, 5, 6

 

PICK 6

R720

Leg 1: 3, 5, 8

Leg 2: 9, 10, 12

Leg 3: 6

Leg 4: 6, 7, 9

Leg 5: 1, 3, 5, 13

Leg 6: 4, 5, 6, 12, 13

 

JACKPOT 1

R48

Leg 1: 9, 10, 12

Leg 2: 6

Leg 3: 6, 7, 9

Leg 4: 1, 3, 5, 13

 

JACKPOT 2

R80

Leg 1: 6

Leg 2: 6, 7, 9

Leg 3: 1, 3, 5, 13

Leg 4: 4, 5, 6, 12, 13

 

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