Saturday’s nine-race TAB Turffontein Standside card looks finely poised, with several competitive contests on the programme.
But two of the meeting’s leading figures appear to hold the aces, with reigning Equus Champion Jockey Craig Zackey and trainer Tony Peter both boasting strong hands and realistic chances of landing three winners apiece.
Zackey should get the ball rolling in Race 1 aboard Sean Tarry-trained Storm Cyclone, a three-year-old Pathfork gelding who showed plenty of improvement from his first to his second outing when finishing an unlucky third over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on 21 September.
Storm Cyclone stumbled leaving the starting stalls that day and was subsequently found to have been cut into on his left fore. Despite those setbacks, he clocked the fastest 400m-to-finish sectional and was beaten by just 1.75 lengths.
Back over 1600m and making his Highveld debut, Tarry’s charge should not need to improve much to open his account.
Peter’s The Ultimate King could then make it two for the champion jockey in Race 3 over 2000m. The five-year-old son of Vercingetorix returns from a well-deserved 168-day break after enjoying a highly productive 2025-26 campaign.
He won the Grade 3 Victory Moon Handicap over 1800m on the Standside track before going on to place at Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 level during a productive four-year-old season.
The Ultimate King returns as a five-year-old, and the booking of Zackey bodes well for his chances. A Summer Cup entry, he will be one to follow closely as preparations begin to ramp up with just five weeks to go before the 2026 Betway Grade 1 Summer Cup.
If The Ultimate King is ready to fire first time out, the champion jockey could be back in the winner’s enclosure.
Zackey, who dominates the early part of the card, could strike for the third time in Race 4 when he reunites with Tarry-trained Perfect Sky over 1000m.
Smart sprinters Trejanus and Alpine Jet are obvious dangers, but both have been rested for lengthy periods, whereas Perfect Sky has already had a comeback run. That outing should have tightened her up, although she was found to be coughing post-race.
The fact that Zackey retains the ride is encouraging, and with the benefit of a season pipe-opener under her belt, Perfect Sky should strip fitter and be capable of significant improvement.
Peter’s chances of completing a treble resume in Race 5 over 2400m, where Wings Of Desire stayer Euphrates looks the one to beat under Kabelo Matsunyane. The five-year-old has maintained his form and consistency at this level recently and should be involved in the finish.
Peter then saddles a competitive coupling in Race 6, although preference is for top-weight Captain Selvie, a four-year-old daughter of Captain Of All with a solid record over the 1160m course and distance.
She returns from a 16-week absence after an unsuccessful trip to KZN, where she finished unplaced on the Hollywoodbets Greyville Polytrack. That effort is easy enough to forgive, however, and she returns to familiar surroundings over a track and trip that suits.
With regular rider Calvin Habib back aboard, everything points towards Captain Selvie bouncing back to form.
Clive Robinson
