A racing weekend packed with variety kicks off with three front-rank meetings on Friday, followed by a local double-header at Turffontein and Hollywoodbets Durbanville and the world’s richest race on Saturday. A 10-race card with a BiPot banker wraps up the show at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Trainer Kelly Mitchley and jockey Muzi Yeni are in good form and have teamed up successfully three times at the last two Fairview meetings, landing two feature races in the process. They have three bright chances this Friday. Fyfield Legend was considered good enough to contest a feature at Kenilworth recently and should go close in Race 1 over 1000m, where Alan Greeff’s first-timer Rules Of Conduct is the odds-on favourite. One Dance (Race 3) has been touched off in two handicaps following a maiden win and is handily weighted. From The Hip (Race 4) improved when tried without blinkers recently and has a solid chance in a weak field.
A full field of 14 will line up in Race 7 over 1200m, in which lightly raced Spitzbergen debuts at Meydan and looks the best bet on the card. Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, he has improved since gelding and a respiratory operation, and impressed when winning at Lingfield last October. He hails from a yard operating at an 18% win rate in the UAE this season.
The opening day of the two-day Saudi Cup spectacular is headlined by the four-race Diriyah International Jockeys’ Challenge at King Abdulaziz racecourse in Riyadh. The event carries prize money of $100,000 for the 14 riders - seven men and seven women - from all corners of the globe.
Mickael Barzalona, Billy Loughnane and Hollie Doyle are three of the leading international jockeys who will be competing. The overall champion collects $30,000. Germany-based Frida Valle-Skar rides the day’s value bet Kortez Bay in Race 6 over 2100m, the last leg of the Challenge. He signalled a return to form when third in a 13-runner handicap recently and should go close. The meeting starts at 15:00.
Seven-year-old Winning Stride chases back-to-back victories in Race 7 over 1600m at Ipoh. A two-time winner from eight starts since transferring from Singapore, Winning Stride was having his second outing for local trainer Kevin Coetzee when he delivered a narrow 0.50-length victory over Man Of Action over 1400m last time out. With more progress expected and a 3kg apprentice claim, he shapes as the one to beat in a small, competitive field. The meeting starts at 06:30.
Luke Ferraris rides trainer Frankie Lor’s Lucky With You in Race 7, the TBV Cup over 1200m. The eight-year-old hasn’t won for almost a year but is now out of Group company after taking on the likes of Ka Ying Rising in recent runs. Well drawn in gate No 3, he has a winning chance despite top weight. The meeting starts at 06:45.
Alec Laird has a good chance of winning Race 7, the Grade 3 London News Stakes over 1800m. The race is named in honour of Laird’s former international star who won the QE II Cup. Laird saddles Fire Attack, who has returned from an unsuccessful Cape campaign but drops sharply in class and is talented enough to bounce back at the track where he won the Grade 1 Horse Chestnut Stakes as a three-year-old. Laird also has a good winning chance with Sunset Riot in Race 5 over 1400m. He is held in high esteem, drops in the ratings and signalled a form return in his last start.
Leg 1: 2, 3, 4
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 7
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 2, 6, 10
Leg 6: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
Des MacLachlan and Grant van Niekerk teamed up for two winners and a close second at HWB Durbanville on Wednesday. They team up again at the country track for a tilt at the 1400m topliner (Race 8) with lightly raced Jet Force. The highly regarded three-time winner plunges in class following runs in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes and the Grade 1 King’s Plate, in which he wasn’t disgraced on equal terms with the best in the land. Jet Force faces opposition from up-and-coming Beware and feature-placed Powerandtheglory, but is best weighted and enjoys the course and distance.
Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Forever Young returns to the King Abdulaziz track in a bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the Group 1 Saudi Cup over 1800m, the world’s richest race with a stake of $20 million. Yoshito Yahagi’s stable star boasts a remarkable record in the Middle East, having beaten Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior in an epic battle in this race last year after wins in the Saudi Derby and the UAE Derby. He should prove hard to beat on his first run since becoming the first Japanese horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar last year.
The meeting starts at 14:00 with the Saudi Cup off at 19:40. All TAB Win, Place and Exacta bets on Races 3 to 9 will be commingled into the Hong Kong World Pool tote. As usual the pools will be huge so here’s your chance to hit it big with a few Exacta bets.
Star chaser Jonbon steps up in trip in Race 5, the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase over 4200m. He seeks his 20th career win and is the last of Nicky Henderson’s A-team to undergo his Cheltenham Festival preparations. The trainer noted: “He’s in great form and Paddy Murphy, who rides him every day is happy. I have to be guided by him. He is fit and firing.”
S’manga Khumalo and Craig Zackey are set to get among the winners and should dominate the first three races. Khumalo rides beautifully bred Best Of All for Gareth van Zyl in Race 1 over 1200m. He was well backed when second on debut and looks likely to get out of the maidens this time.
Zackey’s mount Spirit Of Shimla in Race 2 will take a power of beating and is a BiPot banker. And in Race 3 over 2400m, Khumalo’s ride Day Two failed narrowly over track and trip recently and will go close with a repeat of that run. Khumalo also has winning prospects on Rani Tarabai (Race 6) and Zackey will have plenty of supporters on Cape raider Industrialstrength in Race 9.