Punting pointers, stats and expert advice for the action at Flamingo Park
With Flamingo Park providing one of the few live betting opportunities for British and Irish punters on Monday, South African form expert Michael Clower marks your card.
Muzi Yeni is a bit like South African racing's version of Luke Morris - he has taken over 130 more rides than any other jockey this season and sits second in the title race – and he can strike in the first two races for the much-travelled Tobie Spies.
Yeni is the top jockey at this sand track, which is still better known as Kimberley, and with 112 winners from 948 rides since the beginning of August he is just five winners behind four-time champion Anton Marcus in the national table this season.
Baby Lets Mambo was beaten nearly eight lengths when third to Frosted Gold at the Vaal near Johannesburg last Thursday, but the class there is far superior to the opposition in the opening sprint maiden (10.20am) and he should be good enough to beat What A Seven, whose debut here last month was full of promise.
The selection opened up 16-10 favourite with the local layers, while What A Seven is a 2-1 chance.
The only other serious contender is the filly Tiddlywinks, who is a 9-2 shot at the time of writing. Marco van Rensburg’s mount is one of three newcomers in the field and is a daughter of the speedy Seventh Rock out of a Galileo mare. Her trainer Cliffie Miller is the top trainer at this course.
Yeni and Spies should be able to double up with Basilius in the following 5f handicap (10.50am).
The 19-10 favourite has won two of his six starts, most recently over a furlong further at the Vaal on Thursday, and probably has most to fear from Van Rensburg’s mount Burgundy Rose, who is on a hat-trick for Miller after scoring twice over course and distance in the past two months.
Whatever their fortunes with Burgundy Rose, Miller and his jockey should win the 6½f maiden (11.20am) with Utopian, who is hot favourite after being a three-quarter length second to Value At Risk in a similar race over course and distance three weeks ago.
The main dangers may well come from Bugle Player, who has been placed in four of his last five runs, and Yeni’s mount Kissmebackfoot, even though he has raced 18 times without success as he has placed on seven occasions.
The 11.50am race, a maiden over a mile, looks between three – Dylan’s Star, Yeni’s mount Great Success and Jack Of All Trades. But these are a modest lot and Dylan’s Star warrants only a small investment.
Ryan Munger, fourth in the jockeys' table with 91 winners from 817 rides, seldom misses a meeting at this course and has a particularly good record for Stephanie Miller. His best chance is probably on Zip Line in the last at 2.20pm. He went close over a furlong less here last Monday.
MICHAEL CLOWER'S SELECTIONS
10.20 Baby Lets Mambo
10.50 Basilius
11.20 Utopian
11.50 Dylan’s Star
12.20 Sussex
12.50 Secret Delight
1.20 Timkat
1.50 Antarctica
2.20 Zip Line
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