Sweet Mary Jane can take us high at Fairview

Punters might wish for a hit of Sweet Mary Jane as they peruse the programme for Friday’s meeting on the Fairview turf track. The form in much of it is a bummer, as they say in the classics, and one could get a tad uptight trying to untangle it.

Luckily there is Sweet Mary Jane on hand, right there in the card, in Race 5, a FM70 Handicap over 1400m, to help us chill and find a more relaxed approach to the ponies.

The three-year-old filly from the Justin Snaith yard might not be the solution to all of life’s problems – or even all the selection issues at this meeting – but she might bring a passing bit of relief.

The daughter of Pathfork won at her fourth attempt in Cape Town in early September, leading from start to finish over 1250m at Durbanville. Snaith brings her to PE for the next instalment of her career and she is likely to be “high” on the bookmakers’ boards.

Ed Sheeran, trying to be slightly less uncool than he was at the time, crooned in 2015: “Sweet Mary Jane won’t you sing me another song.”

It seems like we’ve been toking on strong weed when we see the horse with the next-best chance in this race is called Sweet The Sound – a sliver of lyric from “another song”, aka Amazing Grace.

This Rafeef filly from local champion trainer Alan Greeff’s stable will attract many a wretch like me seeking salvation.

With Pick 6 choices likely to be on the expansive side in some legs – notably the last two, when we’ll be well baked – Sweet Mary Jane and Sweet The Sound in Leg 3 offer a chance to go narrower and keep the investment level down.

It’s, like … a sign, man.

SELECTIONS

Race 1:

1 Wife Of Windsor, 2 Princess Of Winter, 8 Street Dancing, 3 Quenanza

Race 2:

2 Flying Pekan, 1 King Saladin, 10 Arkaan, 4 Star Effect

Race 3:

11 Libran Lana, 1 Linguee, 2 Cape Point, 9 Immaculate

Race 4:

2 Cairon, 10 Fresh From The US, 4 Lady Defiance, 3 Assured

Race 5:

6 Sweet Mary Jane, 5 Sweet The Sound, 12 Princess Zena, 5 Pam’s Princess

Race 6:

4 Irish Willow, 2 Encryption, 5 Gimme Gimme Gimme, 3 Kiss Of Life

Race 7:

2 Jaspero, 11 The Sands, 3 Maestro Sonador, 6 Global Design

Race 8:

2 Variety Breeze, 5 English Princess, 6 Silent Observer, 10 Angel Bouquet

Pick 6:

1,2,11 x 2,4,10 x 5,6 x 2,4 x 2,3,6,8,9,10,11 x 2,3,5,6,7,8,10 (R1760)

PA:

1,2 x 1,11 x 2 x 6 x 4 x 2,3,11 x 2,5,6 (R36)