TAB WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 23 - 25 JANUARY

WORLD POOL ACTION KICKS OFF A BUSY WEEKEND

An exciting weekend of racing lies ahead - TAB bets on four races at Meydan this Friday will be commingled into the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool tote and then on Saturday a former SA star will be in action in the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park in Florida.

Locally, Saturday’s meeting at the Vaal is headed by two Listed features and on Sunday there’s a competitive 10-race card at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. All in all some great opportunities to build a bank for next weekend’s World Sports Betting Cape Town Met meeting, which features three mega TAB carryovers.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: PLAY A BOX EXACTA ON GREEFF’S DUO

Trainer Alan Greeff saddled the first and second-placed runners in last year’s Breeders Guineas Plate over 1400m and looks set to repeat the feat with Augusta Rosso and North Star. “Augusta Rosso will be right there if she repeats her recent second place to Silva City in the Aloe Stakes. North Star has not been well treated by the handicapper, but she enjoys the Polytrack and has an inside draw. She should do very well,” said Greeff. The Box Exacta on Greeff’s pair could be the right bet.

MEYDAN: NINE GROUP FEATURES ON A CRACKING CARD

This cracking nine-race card on Al Maktoum Challenge Day should provide some clues to the UAE’s showpiece fixture, the Dubai World Cup on 28 March. All races are Group contests with TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella and Swinger bets on Races 4 to 7 going into the World Pool tote.

The region’s top dirt sprinter, El Nasseeb, aims at a hat-trick in the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint over 1200m (Race 4). Newmarket-based trainer George Scott, who is enjoying a productive winter in the desert, is represented by last year’s winner West Acre in Race 5, the Group 2 Blue Point Stakes over 1000m. He will appreciate reverting to turf at a venue he has run his best races and demands respect.

Walk Of Stars and Imperial Honour, first and second in the 2025 Group 1 Maktoum Challenge over 1900m, renew rivalry in the 2026 edition (Race 6). Exciting Opera Ballo, trained by Charlie Appleby, can advertise his claims for the $5-million Dubai Turf by winning Race 7, the Group 1 Jebel Hatta over 1800m. The meeting starts at 15:30.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SELANGOR: IN-FORM GURU FIGHT SET FOR HAT-TRICK

In-form four-year-old Guru Fight looks on track to complete a hat-trick when he lines up in Race 8 over 1600m at Kuala Lumpur. The Simon Dunderdale-trained gelding made a shaky start to his career, but has flourished since stepping to middle distances. Guru Fight showed a sharp turn of acceleration in two recent wins over 1600m and 1700m respectively, and appears well placed to continue his upward trajectory. The meeting starts at 06:15.

VAAL: LONG STRAIGHT SUITS THE ULTIMATE KING

The Ultimate King enjoys a long and galloping straight, evidenced by his excellent runs at Turffontein’s Standside track, where he won last year’s Victory Moon Stakes and finished third in the Betway Summer Cup. Not surprisingly, his only previous visit to the Vaal yielded an easy win over 1700m and he looks perfectly suited to the 1800m trip of the Listed TAB Dr Richard Maponya Handicap (Race 7). Buster Barnes, who shaped nicely in a prep run after a long rest, could be second best.

Improving and lightly-raced Poplar Park looks well in at the weights in Race 6, the Listed TAB Spook Express Stakes over 2400m. Soldier’s Eye and Cartagena are lively dangers. Up-and-coming three-year-old Trombolines is a possible Pick 6 banker in Race 8 over 1700m, but contemporary Jaffa is a threat.

SUGGESTED R336 (10%) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @13:20):

Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7

Leg 3: 1, 5, 7, 9

Leg 4: 1, 5, 9

Leg 5: 2, 6

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4, 7

GULFSTREAM PARK: SA’S ONE STRIPE IS A LIVELY OUTSIDER

South Africa’s champion jockey Gavin Lerena will ride former Equus Champion Three-Year-Old Colt One Stripe for trainer Graham Motion in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf over 1600m (Race 12). One Stripe is quoted at 12-1 in the ante-post betting for this 13-runner field. He posted an impressive win in an allowance race at this track recently and is considered a good outsider by the American racing media - one scribe referring to One Stripe as “a fresh face with strong credentials”. The race is off at 11:54pm on Saturday evening and will be shown live on Racing 240.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN: KA YING RISING AIMS FOR 17 WINS IN A ROW

Two Group 1 features head a strong 11-race card. Ka Ying Rising, rated the joint-second highest galloper in Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2025, chases a piece of history in the Centenary Sprint Cup over 1200m (Race 6). He aims to match Silent Witness’ 17-race winning streak 21 years ago. In Race 8, the Stewards Cup, Romantic Warrior returns to 1600m for the first time since his Yasuda Kinen win in June 2024. The drop in trip is the only real question, but his class tends to deliver whatever is asked. The meeting starts at 06:30.

HOLLYWOODBETS SCOTTSVILLE: WILLIAM CAN MAKE AMENDS

William Robertson was surprisingly and narrowly beaten in last year’s African Holly Stakes over 1100m, but could set the record straight in this year’s race (Race 7). The popular seven-year-old signalled a return to his best form when finishing third in a strong Pinnacle Plate at Turffontein recently. Reunited with Ryan Munger and with trainer Corne Spies in good form, he could prove too powerful for King Of The Gauls and Cats Pajamas.