Jack Milner
Mythical Flight still holds the course record for 1000m at Turffontein and it will take some time to break it. The Sean Tarry-trained runner completed the distance in 54.96 seconds on 5 May 2007 and nobody has even got close.
The Non-Black-Type race for three-year-olds named in his honour and sponsored by Betway is over 1100m and will be run at Turffontein on Sunday.
The race is effectively a rematch of the Grade 3 TAB National Currency Sprint, run over the same course and distance on 21 February, and the evidence points strongly toward Miami Mountain confirming his superiority.
The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained son of Canford Cliffs overcame a sluggish start that day before unleashing a devastating turn of foot – with first-time blinkers applied – to win going away under Jeffrey Syster.
An underwhelming subsequent display over 1400m can safely be forgiven. Without the headgear fitted, Miami Mountain over raced early and ran out of fuel long before the business end, leaving little for the finish. Returning to the sharper 1100m with the blinkers reapplied, the key ingredient to his Grade 3 success over track and trip, the stage is set for Miami Mountain to resume winning ways.
Stable jockey Callan Murray takes over the reins this time and even off a five-point higher mark, the De Kock inmate rates the horse to beat.
Familiar rivals Charming Cheetah and Zalatoris will not go down without a fight. Both were hot on his heels in the National Currency Sprint and met again recently over 1160m. Zalatoris had the edge but the revised weight terms in favour of Charming Cheetah puts him firmly into contention.
Even so, if Miami Mountain reproduces the same late surge that carried him to Grade 3 course-and-distance glory, the rest will again be left fighting out the minors.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Heath House, 3 San Francisco, 2 Irish Wilma
Race 2: 1 Lady Harlequin, 2 Molten Rock, 3 Royal Tiara, 5 Snow In Sweden
Race 3: 8 Sabalenka, 1 Sky Pilot, 3 Arizona Magic, 5 Periodic Table
Race 4: 8 Ruby Whisper, 2 Gathering Winter, 1 Destiny’s Dream, 6 Drachenfutter
Race 5: 6 Bay Empire, 9 Kotinos, 4 Palace Guard, 1 Southampton
Race 6: 3 Miami Mountain, 1 Zalatoris, 2 Charming Cheetah, 6 Umzingeli Wenyathi
Race 7: 6 Vanakkam, 4 Poblano, 2 Chapbook, 1 Chieftain
Race 8: 5 Pivotal Role, 3 His Lordship, 8 Twentytwentyvision, 1 Plus Four
Race 9: 6 Sergeant Soqrat, 7 Time Will Tell, 9 Zoombomber, 1 El Zani
BEST BET
Race 3: 8 Sabalenka
VALUE BET
Race 9: 6 Sergeant Soqrat
BEST SWINGER
Race 8 3×5
BIPOT
R162
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3
Leg 2: 8
Leg 3: 1, 2, 8
Leg 4: 4, 6, 9
Leg 5: 1, 3
Leg 6: 2, 4, 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R162
Leg 1: 8
Leg 2: 1, 2, 8
Leg 3: 4, 6, 9
Leg 4: 1, 3
Leg 5: 2, 4, 6
Leg 6: 5
Leg 7: 6, 7, 9
PICK 6
R1800
Leg 1: 1, 2, 8
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 6
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Leg 5: 5
Leg 6: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9
JACKPOT 1
R120
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 6
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Leg 4: 5
JACKPOT 2
R100
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 6
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Leg 3: 5
Leg 4: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9
This article was originally published on TAB and is reposted here with permission.
