Turffontein Pick 6 was catchable – in hindsight

Mike Moon

A few lucky punters collected a tasty R147,999 from the Pick 6 at Turffontein on Saturday, thanks to a few longer-priced winners.

Hindsight is 20/20 vision, it is often said, but those Pick 6 players who lost out might be wondering how they passed over some of the winning outsiders.

For example, Race 5 was won by Come The Day who paid R11.80 on TAB, knocking many out of the exotics. Yet this horse was completing a hat-trick, his fourth victory in nine starts and is clearly a very useful galloper.

On reflection, his being allowed to go off at such long odds is a bit strange – especially as he was carrying a mere 52kg, was nicely drawn and was stepping up to a distance that his breeding suggested he’d enjoy.

Rock Pigeon paid R11 a win in Race 7. She carried a trifling 48kg thanks to apprentice Nathan Klink’s 4kg claim, was drawn handily at No 5 and had a form line echoing with knocks on the door – the sort of runner a canny punter keeps a close eye on.

The Mike de Kock stable has made no secret of their regard for Pietro Mascagni.

He hadn’t been to the races for six months, but attracted some money, suggesting he was not badly out of condition.

Randall Simons is in the form of his life and brought all his plentiful current confidence to bear to get the 7-1 chance home by 0.25 lengths from 4-1 favourite D’ Arrivee in the day’s closing event.

The betting support for D’ Arrivee was an indication that the up-and-coming Candice Dawson yard is bouncing back to form after a brief inoculation-period flat spot.

And the runner who underlined Dawson’s form uptick was Royal Utopia, who scooted to victory in Race 4, an Assessment Plate over 2000m.

On a fast track, Gavin Lerena stole the race from the front to give him his second score on his return from injury.

The five-year-old mare has been performing consistently in feature races and was last seen finishing 11 lengths behind remarkable It’s My Turn in the Gold Cup at Greyville - the country's premier race for stayers.

Perhaps the most interesting performance of the day came from Cape raider Rose In Bloom, who arrived in Race 8 off the back of a disappointing winter campaign in KwaZulu-Natal.

Joey Ramsden’s charge was coming off a 98-day break, but has done well fresh before.

In the hands of Piere Strydom, this 100 MR-rated filly showed her superiority in this Assessment Plate and looks primed for her upcoming assault on the Highveld spring season riches.