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Picture: 123RF/CHRIS VAN LENNEP
Picture: 123RF/CHRIS VAN LENNEP

Following their success at last weekend’s Met meeting, jockeys S’manga Khumalo and Gavin Lerena will head for Turffontein on Saturday brimful of confidence.

In the first leg of the Triple Crown, Khumalo will partner Dingaans winner Safe Passage while Lerena looks to have an easier task on Desert Miracle in the first leg of the Triple Tiara.

Nevertheless, in the WSB Guineas this writer is siding once again with William Robertson, who is back among his own age group after running a close second behind Summer Cup runner-up Majestic Mozart. The son of William Longsword — represented by 25 of his progeny at Sunday’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale at the De Grendel wine estate — suggested he was on course for a successful career with two good runs at Greyville during the KwaZulu-Natal season.

It’s understandable that the sponsor, World Sports Betting, has Safe Passage at the top of the boards as Mike de Kock’s three-year-old turned in a top performance in the Dingaans. On that form he holds Bernard Fayd’herbe’s mount, Red Saxon.

Richard Fourie maintains his partnership with Aragosta after their Sea Cottage Stakes win, but whether that form is good enough (he beat stablemate Clafoutis) is open for debate.

One runner who may beat them all is Supreme Warrior with Captain Ransom’s jockey Fourie partnering Mike and Adam Azzie’s unbeaten colt for the first time.

Anyone who wasn’t impressed by Supreme Warrior’s recent four-lengths win is hard to please — it was the performance of a horse with a lot more to offer. This is his big test, but he might be up to it so has to be included in exotic perms.

Bookmakers, let alone punters,  couldn’t believe that Desert Miracle got turned over in the Cape Guineas in December — a Christmas present the layers weren’t expecting.

However, Desert Miracle was beaten by a top sort in Chansonette and the daughter of Vercingetorix gave Captain’s Ransom fans a fright in last Saturday’s Majorca Stakes.

Desert Miracle — quoted at 6-10 in the early market — should resume winning ways in the Fillies Guineas. The only runner in single figures is Sean Tarry’s filly Rain In Holland.

Clafoutis provides backup for the De Kock yard and looks likely to earn a place cheque. A good showing would be a boost for stablemate Aragosta.

It’s an outstanding 10-race card and a possible Pick Six banker is another of Lerena’s mounts, Master Archie. Paul Peter’s sprinter stopped the clock at 56sec when winning by four lengths in December and should prove too smart for Gallic Princess, who looks the right horse for the exacta.

Peter has another likely favourite, Shangani, in the final leg of the Pick Six, though he’s up against two hardy stayers in Marchingontogether and Barak.

Despite Warren Kennedy being the pilot, 16-10 about Shangani looks like a “skinny” price in a race where an upset would be no surprise.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (1) Power Broker (3) Arividicio (5) Magic Tattoo (6) Miss Cool

2nd Race: (1) Lady Osier (8) Arelina (3) Love Bite (4) Caruso

3rd Race: (2) Portrayal (1) Eagle River (8) Chyarana (3) JP Two Thousand

4th Race: (6) Remember When (3) Bella Chic (2) Mind Reader (4) May Queen

5th Race: (5) Master Archie (7) Gallic Princess (9) Sweet Future (10) Winter Smoke

6th Race: (1) Desert Miracle (2) Rain In Holland (6) Clafoutis (3) Sprinkles

7th Race: (4) William Robertson (1) Safe Passage (11) Supreme Warrior (2) Aragosta

8th Race: (4) La Luvia (3) Admire Me (2) Lemon Delight (1) Victoria Paige

9th Race: (6) Shangani (2) Marchingontogether (8) Barak (3) Out Of Your League

10th Race: (1) MK’s Pride (9) Goodtime Guy (2) Bingwa (8) Invidia


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