Woodruff has the right potion

Two years ago, Secret Potion won the Grade 2 SA Oaks and earned her place in the Vodacom Durban July. She ran down the field against the likes of Do It Again but going into that race Geoff Woodruff’s charge had won four of her nine starts.

She increased that tally to five from 10 with a victory over Cascapedia over 1600m in a Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares at Turffontein in her comeback run four months later, but then the wheels came off.

This daughter of Elusive Fort came up with the odd good performance, as was the case when third behind Return Flight in the Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m at Turffontein, but it was not until last month that Secret Potion managed to notch up another victory. Running in a FM 94 Handicap over 1800m on the Vaal Classic track, she got up close to home to beat Pilgrim’s Progress by a neck.

She carried 61kg to win that race but when she lines up in Race 7 today in a Pinnacle Stakes over 2000m on the Inside track at Turffontein, Secret Potion will have just 50.5kg on her back.

She comes into this race as one of the top three-best handicapped runners and now that she is back in form, Secret Potion can extend her winning streak.

She has run on the Inside track on two occasions, winning one and finishing a four-length sixth behind stable companion Sunshine Silk, but that was during her “non-winning” period.

Apprentice Nathan Klink takes the ride for the first time.

The best two handicapped runners are Jet Start and Saragon, who both a have 1kg advantage over Secret Potion. Jet Start is in top form and looks the main threat to Woodruff’s charge. Trained by Paul Peter, she was strongly fancied by her stable to win two runs back and justified their confidence in her with a solid victory over Duke Of Spin. However, she proved no match for Hawwaam in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge.

Back to this sort of level, she has to be a contender.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 10 Nina Amelia, 9 Lyrical Dance, 2 Courtney Leigh, 1 Anna Capri

Race 2: 2 National Liberty, 8 Stormy Seas, 10 Valyrian King, 7 Saccharo

Race 3: 14 Swindon's Pride (best Win bet), 9 Frozen Palace, 8 Eurotec, 2 Shenandoah River

Race 4: 1 Virocana, 2 Sapphire Rock, 4 Zodiac Princess, 6 Flashlight

Race 5: 5 Putins Promise, 3 Ice Eater, 2 Rock Of Africa, 6 Grindelwald Race 6: 2 Shadow Creek, 6 Riga D'Ora, 7 Shortstop, 13 The Brass Way Race 7: 10 Secret Potion (best Win/Place bet), 4 Jet Start, 6 Marshall Foch, 7 Saragon

Race 8: 2 Acorn Alley, 1 Saving Grace, 5 Olympic Destiny, 9 Last Cheer