ANDREW HARRISON

MIKE MILLER is a bit of a Wizz getting precocious juveniles firing early and while the majority of his colleagues tend to take it a little more slowly, Miller makes hay in their absence.

He would have had a good handle on the chances of Civil Rights in the card opener at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today and it was a bloodless victory for the daughter of first season sire Rafeef. Slow out on debut, she narrowly failed behind Kom Naidoo’s filly Aisling who had previous fought out a desperate finish with another Miller yard inmate, Sheldon.

Those that followed the form were rewarded as Civil Rights came home unchallenged.

Blinkers do not always have the desired effect of getting a horse to concentrate on the job at hand but the late declaration of blinkers on Café Pacifica by Garth Puller did produce the expected improvement as she got home late under Tristan Godden.

Godden lives in the shadow of more high-profile riders but given the chance he is as good as any around.

The early pace was hectic which allowed Godden to settle in just off the leaders on the outside of the track.

When asked for an effort, Café Pacifica fought her way into a closing gap and went on nicely to out-point the speedy Trumpet Volentary who made her effort up the inside.

It’s almost uncanny how often the start of the Pick 6 heralds an upset result and the culprit yesterday was Princess Anastasia (14-1) who gave Godden his second winner but paid R28 on the tote.

Bred in the purple, the daughter of Silvano also surprised her rider and Dennis Drier’s assistant Stuart Ferrie who were of the opinion that she would be green and may have needed another outing to bring her on. In the end it was a promising win over a distance that in the long run may prove a tad on the sharp side but as Ferrie alluded to, if you have the pedigree you already have half a chance.

Donovan Dillon is one of the toughest riders to pass in a tight finish but he met his match in Raymond Danielson after the two fought out a ferocious finish in the fourth with both riders giving it their all. Dillon, on the favourite Hugs Accepted moved up to challenge long-time leader Big Sky Country 300m out and looked to go past. Big Sky Country shifted in under pressure appearing to hamper Hugs Accepted.

If it had stayed that way Dillon may have had grounds for a successful objection but shortly after the initial bump, Hugs Accepted shifted out onto Big Sky Country who stayed on to win by the shortest of short heads. In the end it was six of one and half-a-dozen of the other and the result stood.

Dillon was more successful in the seventh where he threaded Shane Humby’s charge Socrates through a closing gap to get up close home and hold a late-charging Sniper Shot.

ANDREW HARRISON

PUNTING Highveld racing during the off season is not for the fainthearted, a point that could be illustrated at the Vaal today were the eight-race card has many pitfalls.

But if you get it right, the pickings are generally fruitful and with the Pick 6 in particular rarely paying less than R50k, a wide spread and a percentage can still reap generous rewards.

The opening leg of the Pick 6 sees Sean Tarry saddle half the field in a competitive six-horse field where all will be going like the clappers. Riding arrangements suggest that Lyle Hewitson is on Tarry’s stable elect. Spring Break was narrowly beaten last run, her second after returning from a break and a repeat should see her close again in what is a competitive race. Paul Peter, who will have been mightily disappointed with Summer Pudding losing her unbeaten record in the Gr1 Paddock Stakes last Saturday and being forced to withdraw his star filly from the Met, sends out the quick 1000m specialist Garden Party who should ensure a cracking gallop if taken on by Tarry’s front-running filly Slalom Queen and Valyrian King. Paul Matchett’s runner is also quick and Muzi Yeni steered the gelding to a comfortable five-length victory last time out.

Matchett’s ex-Zimbabwean galloper Lily Blue is short-priced favourite in the fourth after two recent local victories. She won nine races in Zim, the last six on the trot so is obviously smart, but the handicapper is slowly catching up and a third win on the bounce could just be beyond her as both Rouge Allure and Shivers meet her on better weight terms.

However, the biggest threat could come from Candice Dawson’s runner Smoking Hot. She has come on nicely since a short break and gets lumps of weight from Lily Blue. She only has 49.5kg to shoulder.

Tarry saddles Nabraas in the fifth and in a change of tactics last run, the colt was raced handy but ran out of gas late. He was finishing nicely in is penultimate run and has had three runs since a break. He should strip at his peak. Seldom runs a poor race and was a close-up second at his last two. He is due a change of fortune. Tyrus Express is the weak early favourite but it is 4-1 the field.

Plum Field and Afternoon Tea dominate the betting for the sixth, the former at the top of the boards.

She finishes her races off nicely but hasn’t quite got there at recent starts but that can change today. Bitter Wind was a recent maiden winner but had steady form leading up to that win. She takes on males but this is a modest line-up. Afternoon Tea has shown some improvement in blinkers and has been battling wide draws. She is a little closer to the action here.

Un Deux Trois and Swiss Bank are both in good form in the seventh and could dominate proceedings while the last is the proverbial minefield with the bookies offering 5-1 the field.

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ANDREW HARRISON

THERE could be more than just a handful of Pick 6 ticket-holders holding their breath going into the final leg at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today with East Coast Star high up on their list of possible exotic bet bankers.

After warming up in two sprints, East Coast Star was sent out deep in the red to shed her maiden in her first attempt at 1400m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly.

It looked to be money in the bank a furlong from home as Anton Marcus hit the front on Peter Muscutt’s filly but she came up empty when challenge late by My Saving Grace.

East Coast Star switches to the turf today and Marcus, marooned in Cape Town for the month, has been replaced by stable regular Donovan Dillon.

A perusal of the opposition form makes modest reading but more cautious punters could include stable companion Racey Stacey in their calculations.

She does have behavioural issues but has shown that she does have ability when flashing up to run second to Shastina at her penultimate start with Gavin van Zyl’s filly having since paid tribute to that form, winning again.

Given that showing, Racey Stacey was well fancied to break her duck over the Greyville poly mile next time out but gave apprentice Jabu Jacobs a few harrowing moments as she took the scenic route home in the straight.

Seasoned rider Raymond Danielson will be legged up this afternoon and will have been made well aware of his challenge.

If he gets the best out of his mount, East Coast Star may find herself in the maidens for another race and the 11-10 about her chances with Track & Ball about sums up her chances with Racey Stacey 5-1 with 6-1 bar.

 The Track & Ball Gaming Handicap over 1400m heads the card and although one can make a case for a number of runners, the race looks tailor-made for former Gr2 Post Merchants winner Sniper Shot to finally get back into the winner’s enclosure. It has been a long time between drinks, his last win coming nearly three years ago, and it has been a lengthy journey down the merit rating ladder to what may now be a more realistic handicap mark.

It has taken 943 days since his Merchants win for the handicappers to drop the six-year-old from a high of 110 to his current mark of 95, three pounds lower than for his last start. In the handicapper’s defence, Sniper Shot has shown flashes of his early ability which earned him his highest MR and the number crunchers have been hesitant to drop his rating.

That said, this is a clear example of a horse, not quite out of the top drawer, being hamstrung by the ratings.

Black Cat Back finished second in the Merchants and was exported to Mauritius where he won four races. It has taken 18 starts and three years for the handicappers to work out that Sniper Shot’s rating was out of kilter.

But with this rating drop and apprentice Kyle Strydom giving him 2.5kg relief in the saddle, Paul Lafferty’s runner does look an attractive bet at current odds.

Desolate Road failed narrowly last run where he finished ahead of Sniper Shot and he has improved in blinkers. However, he is now 6kg worse off, given Strydom’s claim so he is unlikely to confirm the placings. Guru’s Pride, Tready Swiftly and Socrates are all in with a shout.

The race sponsors deem this a wide-open affair with Tread Swiftly a weak 9-2 favourite and the other runners mentioned all at 5-1.

There should be little separating stable companions Civil Rights and Countess Cartier in the card opener, Mike Miller’s pair finishing within a neck of each other on debut. Ashton Arries is the stable first call rider and has stuck with Civil Rights while Tristan Godden retains the ride on Countess Cartier.

The balance of the field are at long odds.

Any one of Café Pacifica, Camora or Trumpet Voluntary could see you through the opening leg of the PA but two of the three would be a safer option.

In the opening leg of the Pick 6, Quenanza, who has improved with each outing since a lay-off, has her peak third run after a break and with Garth Puller’s yard seldom out of form she should be up there. Garry Rich’s filly Leading Lyric is at surprisingly long odds and 16-1 appeals as an each-way punt. She has had two tough draws at recent starts at Greyville and sports first-time blinkers.

Top of the boards is What A Splash who made a promising debut on this course for Michael Roberts.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation last night and announced that the country remains on adjusted alert level 3 and therefore the status quo of ‘Racing Behind Closed Doors’ as per the NHA’s Press Release on 29 December 2020 remains in place.

Some salient points of the President’s speech last night are:

1. The pandemic in our country is now at its most devastating level.

1. The number of new infections, hospital admissions and deaths is higher now than it has ever been since the first case was recorded in our country in March 2020.

1. Since New Year’s Day, we have recorded nearly 190 000 new infections.

1. The country has recorded more than 4 600 Covid-19 deaths so far this year alone with more than 33 000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

1. As a proportion of the population, the province with the highest average number of cases over the last seven days is KwaZulu-Natal, followed by Western Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. 

1. New infections in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape have grown fast and have now far exceeded the peak during the first wave.

1. Infections in Gauteng are growing exponentially and are expected to increase further as more residents of Gauteng return to the province following the festive break.

1. We do know that this new variant of the virus spreads much faster than the earlier variants. This explains the fact that many more people have become infected in a far shorter space of time.

1. Now more than ever, we must each make a deliberate decision to avoid any unnecessary contact with other people.

1. Given the risk of widespread transmission, most indoor and outdoor gatherings are not permitted.  This includes social gatherings and gatherings at sports grounds, etc.

A further update will be provided by 26 January in respect of Riders being domiciled in one region.

The NHA reiterates that the proven non-pharmaceutical measures of wearing of masks, hand sanitizing/washing for at least 20 seconds and social distancing of at least 1,5m apart, is critical and the Chief Compliance Officer, Mr Arnold Hyde, together with his team shall continue to ensure same is done throughout a race meeting.  

Please be reminded that the wearing of masks in a public place is mandatory and is one of the best ways to prevent transmission.

As and when the President announces any further amendments, the NHA will advise accordingly.