Jinx Johnson and Apprentice Sawere (nearest camera) team up again on Saturday.

After the lengthy racing break it would be good to win the Borrowdale Park Pick 6 on Saturday. However, although some fields are small, trying to find sure fire winners is quite stressful.

Jack English, Racing Editor at the Herald for many years, said he ignored every horse that hadn’t finished at least once in the first four, in its last four runs. It worked for Jack so I decided to try this. At the end of the exercise I had circled probably 80% of Saturday’s runners in red, which was not helpful.

So, back to the drawing board to make a case for those I fancied. Unfortunately turnovers in weight got in the way, not to mention distances. Horses in with a chance seem pretty evenly spread around the stables which is great, and should make for super racing.

Of course, if you look at the card for long enough some pennies begin to drop. Andrew Fortune, Zimbabwe’s Champion Jockey for 2015/16 has interesting rides, and trainer Amy Bronkhorst has gone for quality rather than quantity.

Her first runner is Jinx Johnson in the first leg of the Pick 6, a 1200m Merit Rated 50 Handicap. This daughter of Tamburlaine (IRE) has raced 6 times for one win and 5 good places. She is the only three-year-old in the race and set to carry 62kgs, but Apprentice Stalon Sawere will claim 4kgs. The filly is drawn 10 out of 11 which is an advantage.

Maybe a tough ask for a three-year-old, and Fortune will be aboard the Brave Tin Soldier gelding, Vidich, who won his only start over 1000m on July 16.

Another claiming apprentice, Marshal Bikausaru, may also have some influence here. He rides Touching Base who will now carry 53.5 kgs. Three runs back Touching Base, with Ryan Munger up and carrying 53.5 kgs, finished third behind Princeton Tiger and Comanche Brave, over this distance.

Comanche Brave is the second runner from the Bronkhorst yard and he steps out in the third leg of the Pick 6, a 1600m MR 74 Handicap. Using the Jack English method I circled each of the 8 runners here but Comanche Brave stands out with two wins and two seconds from his last four starts. On Saturday the son of Kahal (GB) will be ridden by JP van der Merwe. He should go close but has all of Super Good, Noble Peer, Quick Glance and Supa Challenge to deal with.

Amy’s third runner, Enough Said, has quite a lot to do in the fifth leg, a 1700m MR Handicap, with a field of 11. However the five-year-old Tiger Dance (USA) mare ran second to Standpoint over the distance at the last meeting, and Apprentice Sawere will claim 4 kgs. That said I would like to include most of this field. On their day, they could all do something.

With a little bit of luck Zita ( Munger) and Bankers Blues (Fortune) will get you through the second leg, a 1450m MR 65 Handicap. Bletchley Park seems the pick in the 1700m Maiden Plate (fourth leg) having beaten In The Oven, Chum and Heidi last time out, but one of these could turn the tables.

What a relief to reach the get-out stakes, the 1000m AFZ Charity Borrowdale Sprint, where Approval Rating must go close, with Road To Dubai and Newton Power in close contention!
The first race on Saturday, a 1000m Maiden Plate, is due off at 12.05. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch up with everyone you haven’t seen for six weeks.