There will be no shortage of thrills and spills at the Turffontein Racecourse this weekend as the Jubilee contest is run. Picture: Lo Chun Kit /Getty Images
It was the great former jockey Michael Roberts who first spotted the talents of a complete unknown female apprentice rider and gave her a few chances. To say she made the most of them is an understatement.
A bare few months later, Rachel Venniker is one of the most sought-after jockeys on the South African scene – and not for her apprentice allowance.
She and Roberts racked up a string of winners that had punters including them in all calculations by default. The combo inevitably came off the boil, but they look ready to start bubbling again at Greyville’s Monday Polytrack fixture.
They partner-up with four runners on the day, three of which have bright chances.
One Too Many has shown good pace in all four of his efforts to date – winning on debut and then placing twice. Race 4 on the card is the well-bred gelding’s peak run and he could make them hop it from a perfect draw over 1000m.
By contrast, Hey Bill in Race 6 is an out-and-out stayer. He has come into good form in recent weeks, which hasn’t gone unnoticed as he was installed as the ante-post favourite.
Luna Eclipse in Race 8 is busy transitioning from speedster to a miler-stayer. The filly opened her winning account over the minimum distance in November last year but didn’t match that level in subsequent sprints. Roberts tried her over a mile last time and it became crystal clear that she needed extra ground as she grabbed a second place.
The last at Greyville is over 1700m and if Venniker can get Luna Eclipse to curb her enthusiasm she might deliver some decent winning value.
SELECTIONS
1: 3 Red Sole, 2 Specially Selected, 9 Fibber Magee, 7 National Dream
2: 4 Picara, 2 Addiena, 3 Double Dream, 5 Aditi
3: 8 Giacomo Puccini, 1 Pray For Rain, 6 Prince Of Taranto, 2 Silvano’s Timer
4: 2 One Too Many, 1 Phinda Mazala, 5 Hampton Court, 9 Ride The Lightning
5: 6 Tales Of Us, 8 Fever, 2 Living Waters, 1 Coromandel
6: 6 Hey Bill, 8 Final Occasion, 5 Galabier, 3 Deep Global
7: 8 Roy’s Command, 6 Valencia, 3 Gunsmoke, 9 Gentleman’s Way
8: 5 Luna Eclipse, 10 Dawnofanewday, 1 Bingin Beach, 2 Demigod
Pick 6: 1,2,6,8 x 1,2,5,8,9 x 1,2,6,8 x 5,6,8 x 6,8 x 1,2,5,10 (R1920)
PA: 4 x 1,8 x 1,2,5 x 2,6,8 x 6 x 8 x 1,5,10 (R54)