Jockey S'manga Khumalo is a firm favourite at Greyville on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images
The trio of trainer Nathan Kotzen, jockey S’Manga Khumalo and horse Brandenburg is a fearsome one. Whenever they’ve combined forces, they’ve won – twice on the Greyville Polytrack in the past five months – and who would go against a 100% record?
They get together again in the Greyville saddling enclosure on Wednesday for an MR66 Handicap over 1700m and will be considered a banker bet by a few punters.
Last time out, over 1400m on this track, Khumalo employed front-running tactics and ran his rivals into the ground, winning comfortably by 1.40 lengths. The previous win came in much the same way, with the rest unable to match the brisk clip of the pacemaker.
Brandenburg was poorly drawn in both those contests but jumps from gate No 4 this time. Expect the field to be stretched out from the word go.
As compelling a bet as Brandenburg seems, there must be respect for a handful of opposition runners. Fever, from the Dennis Bosch stable, can provide some value to Swingers, Trifectas and Quartets, while Predator and Caesura are a must in those bet types.
SELECTIONS
Race 1:
3 Winter Royale, 5 Protea Pride, 8 Mount Athos, 1 One More Trick
Race 2:
8 Lady Yusra, 6 Siege Of Orleans, 1 Miss Jacqueline, 7 Chelsea Flower
Race 3:
9 Arumugan, 4 Fantastic Impact, 2 The Green Gallant, 1 Young Nelson
Race 4:
3 Radames, 4 The Appeal, 5 Maxiumus, 6 Senescence
Race 5:
4 Brandenburg, 2 Fever, 5 Predator, 9 Caesura
Race 6:
2 Fate Of Fortune, 5 Uncomplicated, 7 Meteoric, 4 Juan Carlos
Race 7:
2 Meet At The George, 6 Macara, 7 Futuristic Dame, 4 Lady Legend
Race 8:
9 Ralph The Rascal, 2 Majorca Palace, 6 Chattertons Keeper, 3 Letaba
Pick 6:
1,2,4,9 x 3,4,5,6 x 4 x 2,4,5,7 x 2,3,4,6,7 x 2,3,4,6,8,9 (R1920)
PA:
8 x 9 x 3,4 x 4 x 2,5,7 x 2,6,7 x 2,9 (R36)