TAB WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 19 - 21 September

ALL EYES ON FAIRVIEW, TURFFONTEIN, HWB SCOTTSVILLE AND BEYOND

There’s plenty of action to look forward to this weekend. At Fairview on Friday, a Cape raider takes on an Eastern Cape star in the feature clash. Turffontein punters on Saturday will be looking to in-form trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren for a potential Pick 6 banker, while Tony Rivalland chases a hat-trick of winning first-timers at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. Across the globe, a powerful Irish owner has bought into a rising youngster from a small UK stable who runs at Newbury on Saturday, and in Malaysia, a South African jockey is eyeing feature success on Sunday.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS:

FAIRVIEW: MY BEST SHOT AIMING FOR FRIENDLY CITY GLORY

Justin Snaith’s Royal Aussie holds the edge over My Best Shot on their recent clash in the Memorial Mile, but a few factors swing the balance in favour of Alan Greeff’s gelding in Race 7, the Friendly City Stakes over 1800m. While Royal Aussie is a consistent and honest performer, he has never won beyond 1600m and faces a wide draw. My Best Shot, meanwhile, has won up to 2400m, is well drawn, and Greeff commented: “He just needed his comeback run and will definitely be competitive.” Adding further strength to his prospects, stable jockey Richard Fourie has chosen My Best Shot ahead of three well-performed stablemates.

NEWBURY: ROYAL ASCOT FORM MAKES SPY CHIEF THE ONE TO BEAT

On the evidence of his good second to Noble Champion in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, Spy Chief looks the one to beat in the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes over 1400m. “He’s a horse who likes to do what he wants to do, not necessarily what the trainer or jockey wants him to do. He’s got a lot of what they call ‘raw speed’,” said John Gosden, who trains Spy Chief in partnership with his son, Thady. “The 1400m is right up his alley.”

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS:

PERAK (MALAYSIA): FAITHFUL LEADER LOOKS READY TO COMMAND AGAIN

Seven-year-old Faithful Leader has been mixing it with tough opposition in the higher grades at Selangor, and he looks well-placed to return to winning form in Race 8, the Enrich Stakes A over 1400m at Ipoh. A two-time winner in Malaysia, his most recent success came in the Listed PRTC Community Shield on 11 May, when he made all to beat Group 1 star Noah Khan by 3.25 lengths before heading for a break. The Richard Lim-trained gelding now resumes in a small field and should prove hard to beat. The meeting starts at 07:00

TURFFONTEIN: BJORN IRONSIDE BACK ON TRACK AND LOOKS ON TARGET

Four-year-old gelding Bjorn Ironside is rated seven points above his nearest rival in Race 6, a Graduation Plate over 1200m, and looks the closest thing to a banker in the afternoon’s Pick 6. Early in his career, Bjorn Ironside was seen as a potential Classic prospect, but soundness issues slowed his progress, resulting in regular gaps between runs. He showed encouraging pace in his most recent comeback on 17 August, and the fact that he returns so soon suggests he is currently sound and nearing peak fitness. Second-choice Poblano is talented but was withdrawn from a similar contest a fortnight ago and may lack match fitness. In the other races, wide spreads will be needed, though handily weighted King’s Express in Race 5 over 1800m could also be relied upon in small exotic permutations.

SUGGESTED PICK PERM (R268 for 10%)

Pick 6 Starts in Race 3 @ 13:45

Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 5

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,8

Leg 3: 1,2,3, 8

Leg 4: 3

Leg 5: 2, 5, 6, 8

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11

NEWBURY: DEBUT WINNER INTO THE SKY EYES BIG STAGE

Jim Boyle and Pat Cosgrave combine with promising debut winner Into The Sky in Race 4, the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes over 1000m. The Starman two-year-old caused a major shock when scoring by 7.50f lengths last month and was subsequently added to the Group 2 field for a £6,250 fee. He caught the attention of Ireland’s top brass, with Doreen Tabor, wife of Coolmore partner Michael Tabor, joining as a co-owner. “We're extremely grateful and pleased the horse will stay and progress in the yard,” said Boyle.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS:

SELANGOR: BREWER AND DUNDERDALE CAN STRIKE AGAIN

South African jockey Kaiden Brewer, who opened his Malaysian account last Sunday aboard Thunderous in the Tabcorp Trophy for trainer Simon Dunderdale, rides Capetian for the same trainer in Race 9, a Class 4B Stakes over 1300m at Kuala Lumpur. Following an impressive winning debut here last month, this promising three-year-old is on target for back-to-back victories. He looks a progressive type who will be will be hard to beat from a good draw. The first race will be off at 06:45.

SHA TIN: GORGEOUS WIN READY TO STRIKE FROM BARRIER NO 1

Gorgeous Win gave away a big start first-up this season but hit the line strongly for fourth behind Hong Kong’s current star, Ka Ying Rising. The move to barrier No 1 and the booking of Hugh Bowman are both significant positives two weeks later. Brilliant Express had little luck from a wide draw on his Class 2 debut, covering plenty of ground yet finishing less than four lengths away in ninth. With more to come, he looms as the main danger to Gorgeous Win. The first race is off at 07:00

HOLLYWOODBETS SCOTTSVILLE: RIVALLAND EXPECTS ANOTHER DEBUT WINNER

If good fortune comes in threes, the horse to follow in Race 3 over 1200m is Play World, a debutant by One World from the Tony Rivalland yard, with Jabu Jacobs in the irons. Rivalland has already tipped two first-timers to win in the past 10 days – Little Cracker and Country Cowboy – and both duly delivered for Jacobs. Like Country Cowboy, Rivalland’s Computaform note is simply: “Winning chance.” Punters can’t ask for clearer transparency than that, win or lose, and Play World could be a BiPot and Place Accumulator banker.