Let’s take a Pick 6 at Turffontein!

Four of Betway Ambassador Mike de Kock’s runners will be competing in Pick 6 races at Turffontein on Saturday and we’ll be structuring a Pick 6 Perm we hope will help punters to a Christmas bonus.

DISCLAIMER: This is intended as a guide and advice column for punters. There are no guarantees. We study the same form guides and Mike gives readers an assessment of the chances of his stable runners.

On the occasions when Mike takes a Pick 6, he seldom, if ever, leaves a stable runner out of his calculations, regardless of their form or the other contestants in the race. And when it comes to bankers, they are invariably stable runners or a good form horse from another yard in which Mike has no runners.

Mike agrees that his own runner, Shoemaker, will be hard to beat in Race 4 over 1800m and is as good a banker as you will find on this card. He said: “Let’s hope Shoemaker can deliver for us and punters. He was impressive in the Summer Cup, just missed the first four with a powerful late run from way back in the field. He has improved more in his work since, he is a big runner.” Tony Peter’s Electric Gold is a potential danger at the weights, but in Shoemaker we have a horse that is fast approaching his capable best and will give us a run for our money.

The Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m is the topliner at the meeting, with the Sun Chariot Handicap and the TAB Sophomore 1000 featured on the undercard. Peter’s recently acquired sprinter Rulership (Lebelo) was most impressive in winning two quality sprint handicaps recently. Rulership is handily weighted for a sprinter on the up and is the only runner in the contest who looks to be at the peak of his powers. He has the making if a second banker on the day.

The Sun Chariot is a ‘Field’ Leg – all seven runners hold chances and we’ll hoping for the biggest outsider to win. Peter’s filly Golden Sickle makes strong appeal in the Sophomore 1000. She, too, is a runner of calibre and is the one likely to cut the pace, as she is known to do. She has a powerful rival, however, in Sean Tarry’s Rafeef filly Troppo Veloce, on the up with a runaway win at the Vaal last time and with the looks of one destined for the top. For the value of the Rulership form, three-year-old geldings Cliff Hanger and Zayisha warrant respect against the fillies, too. So here, we’ll need four runners in the Perm.

Bold Act represents Mike in Race 8 over 1000m and he said: “Bold Act ran very well last time and starting to get closer to her best winning rating, so she must go in alongside Moonshiningthrough, Power Broke, Ice Star and Ragnar Lothbrook. The three horses at the bottom of this field are all off form, but can surprise on their day. I’d go with 1-5, but add number 6,7 and 8 if the budget allows. This could be an upset race.”

We’ll be looking for a ‘spook’ again in Race 9, where Mike has two runners in an open field. He said: “Sea Anemone is doing very well, we’re fitting her with blinkers and expecting a good run. Much the same for Grape Shot. Muzi Yeni rode her last time and he recommended we put the blinkers on her. She, too, can finish in the money.”

In Race 1, Mike sends out the well-bred first timer, Marauding Horde (Vercingetorix) and he commented: “Marauding Horde hasn’t shown me enough at home to recommend him with any confidence. We hope to see him running on late, I think he will need the experience.”

SUGGESTED TURFFONTEIN PICK 6

(R1400) 

2 x FIELD (1-7) x 1,2,3,4 x 4 x 1,2,3,4,5 x FIELD (1-10)

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