Jet on Flight path in Pinnacle Stakes at Turffontein - 03-11-10

March 11 - Since Turffontein Racecourse in Johannesburg, South Africa became one of only a handful of venues in the world to offer night racing, fans have been poured in to watch racing under the stars, and tomorrow night (Friday, March 12) should be no different with the Pinnacle Stakes as the feature.

Out of the 7-race card, there is little doubt racing fans will look forward to wagering on the R110,000 Pinnacle Stakes the most as it has drawn a worthy 7-horse field that includes top-notch runners, Mythical Flight and Private Jet, each of whom has a pretty good shot of winning the 1000m race over turf.

It will be interesting to see how well Gr 1-winning Private Jet, a 4-year-old Brazilian-bred gelding, performs, as he hasn't run since he won the Computerform Sprint in April last year. That said, Mythical Flight, a 6-year-old gelding, did not run as well as expected in his recent campaign in England and Dubai.

But it's worth remembering that early in his career Mythical Flight was regarded as one of the best sprinters in South Africa. And provided that his highly respected trainer, Sean Tarry, has got his preparation right for tomorrow night, horseracing fans could see a 'flashback' of the gelding's former brilliance.

As such both Private Jet and Mythical Flight will undoubtedly go into the race well-backed. Of course, that's not to say that the rest of the field should be discounted as there are a couple of runners that could sneak in a win. One of which is Warm White Night, a 4-year-old colt, who won his most recent outing.

In January this year Warm White Night romped home first in the 1000m Cape Flying Championship (Gr 1) at Cape Town's Kenilworth Racecourse. His trainer, Charles Laird, has decided to turn him into a sprinter in Johannesburg, so the Pinnacle Stakes should be a good indicator of his form to come.

What will make the Pinnacle Stakes such a large draw card tomorrow evening is the fact that it is the first race in a long time that will boast not one, but three 110+ rated sprinters. And what better way to enjoy this spectacle than under balmy summer skies at the newly revamped Turffontein Racecourse.

Here is the complete field for the R110,000 Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m at Turffontein Racecourse on Friday, March 12 2010:

1. Private Jet (ARG)
2. Warm White Night
3. Mythical Flight
4. South Country
5. Royal Exit (ZIM)
6. Mischa (ZIM)
7. Scarpa Flow