R5 Million – In Less Than A Minute!

Banker Trip To Heaven - or include three others?

With over R5 million up for grabs in the Turffontein Pick 6, it is a daunting thought that we are either in or out in less than a minute in the first leg. The R450 000 Gr2 Merchants hosts a quality field of speed merchants and we may be fortunate enough to get through with just four combinations in our first step to that lifechanging dream.

Trip To Heaven

Trip To Heaven

We all have our philosophy towards structuring the Pick 6.  ‘Rather cry early than later’ is one that makes some sense. So let’s put our heads down and go narrow in this speed handicap, where there is some serious class at the top of the weights.

And multiple champion Piere Strydom may have inadvertently given us a gem of genius recently when he observed that S’manga Khumalo had not given the outstanding Trip To Heaven the best of rides when the magnificent Trippi colt was beaten by Brutal Force last time – with another genius in the saddle.

Trip To Heaven and Brutal Force meet again on Saturday, and Striker suggested that Bling may have done things differently if he could do it all again, after being slow away on Trip To Heaven – and then hitting the front so early at the 300m.

Khumalo’s mount had been made to wait an eternity in the stalls and fell asleep.  He was then rushed – hey, even champions mess up now and again – and that opened the door for Andrew Fortune to snare him on the line in a thriller.

Brutal Force beats Zambezi River

Brutal Force beats Zambezi River

The well handicapped Brutal Force will now be ridden by Anton Marcus, who many will consider an able and more than capable replacement for Fortune.

And contrary to the talk of early days, when Brutal Force was packaged as a miler-in-the-making, he looks to have matured into a smashing sprinting prospect.

The return match, where Trip To Heaven goes for his second consecutive victory in this race, will give Bling the chance to atone for last time.

Strydom is a tactical master with more insight than any jockeys we know.

He jumps aboard one of the most improved horses in training in Louis Goosen’s Doing It For Dan.

Doing It For Dan - will be right thre

Doing It For Dan – will be right there

The Golden Loom winner has a habit of being slow away and he may find this very hard against the opposition that he faces on Saturday. But as a horse who has continued to confound the world, he could be equal to it.

Dominic Zaki throws the young gun Arabian Beat into the mix with a handy 53kgs to lumber.

Zaki is quietly confident about beating Brutal Force and Trip To Heaven, as another of his charges,  Deliver The Power, got to within 1,50 lengths of those two stars last time – and he knows how far Arabian Beat would beat Deliver The Power.

Mike De Kock’s Toro Rosso disappointed in the Charity Mile and now reverts to sprinting.

The son of Elusive Quality does not have beaming speed credentials, but did win his maiden over the straight track and is highly thought of.

Toro Rosso_v20150526_web

Toro Rosso – reverts to sprinting

Alec Laird is one of the most astute conditioners in the country and his trio will be included by punters hoping for a double figure opener in the Pick 6.

Dollar Dazzler is a fast but unsound fellow, who showed pace before fading in the Golden Loom.

Weichong Marwing does not ride for the practise of it and this is one who could trouble the top guns.

Aurum Pot ran a decent race when fourth in the Golden Loom and prior to that went down narrowly to the very decent Zambezi River – who chased Triptique in the Cape Merchants a fortnight back.

Amazing Strike is the third of the Laird trio.

The son of Ideal World came back to form last time but meets sronger here.

Yvette Bremner travels from the Eastern Cape to territory she  knows well, but her duo can surely only have outside hopes of troubling the big guns.

Copper Parade wins Comptaform Sprint

Copper Parade – Gr1 winner in Gauteng – but is he past it?

The 5yo Al Don Cumarco is a top sprinter in his adoptive hometown but was neatly put in his place by champion Captain Of All in the Mercury Sprint four months ago. In the circumstances, he did not run a bad race against the best sprinters at weight-for-age, and he could prove a surprise package with a genuine Jozi jockey aboard!

8yo Copper Parade is a Gauteng Gr1 winner and one of the most game and capable speedsters around. He still continues to pay his way but at this stage of his career, he is probably more of a travelling companion to his younger stablemate.

The second of the Tarry runners is 7yo Whiteline Fever who can sprint and stay when in the mood. He did not run a great race in the Victory Moon Stakes and will need to bounce back big time to have a squeak.

Roman Carnival wins the 2015 August Stakes

Roman Carnival wins the August Stakes by 4.25 lengths

Roman Carnival was lethal on the sand but with the Vaal track now a distant memory, he steps out on the green stuff with plenty to do. That is not to say that the jockey engagement of Andrew Fortune did not catch the eye. His connections may be praying for rain.

We are going with Trip To Heaven to beat Arabian Beat, with Brutal Force and Doing It For Dan snapping at their heels. Include those four in the Pick 6 if you aren’t brave enough to banker Trip To Heaven.

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