TAB WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 24 - 26 APRIL

CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALE POSTPONED TO TUESDAY

The Championships finale meeting, originally scheduled for this Saturday at Turffontein, has been postponed to Tuesday 28 April following persistent rain that has waterlogged the track in places. Conditions are, however, expected to improve from Saturday onwards.

There is still plenty to look forward to this weekend, beginning with a local double-header on Friday - eight races at Fairview and nine under the lights at Hollywoodbets Greyville. In the UK, Sandown Park hosts a key Friday clash, in which six of last season’s leading Group 1 performers meet in a Group 2 feature to kick the flat season into top gear. Racing returns to Mauritius on Saturday, with South African punters able to bet into tote pools commingled with the Mauritius Turf Club. There’s also an early-morning meeting at Selangor in Malaysia, alongside an afternoon Group 1 jumps feature at Sandown featuring a champion in action.

On Sunday, attention turns to Sha Tin for FWD Champions Day, where several of the world’s top horses take centre stage, including a champion sprinter chasing a remarkable 20 consecutive victories. All told, it’s an action-packed weekend of racing with ample opportunities to win.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: KING PRAWN DROPS IN CLASS AND LOOMS LARGE

King Prawn produced a creditable effort when finishing third behind top sprinter Cruise Control in the Fairview Flying Five on 10 April, and that form reads strongly in Race 7 over 1200m, the afternoon’s feature. Dropping into much weaker company, he looks ready to go close. Trainer Alan Greeff said: “I didn’t expect him to do that well after his long rest, but he ran a cracker against stronger opposition.” Greeff added that his charge will not have a tongue tie and did not have one last time out.

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE: NOBLE CITY APPEALS OFF 93

Six-year-old Noble City returned to Peter Muscutt’s yard late last year and rediscovered some of his old sparkle during the Cape summer. Now back at Summerveld, he lines up off a reduced mark of 93 - a rating that should see him highly competitive in Race 8 over 1600m if he’s fully tuned after the short break. Tyrconnell, meanwhile, has been knocking on the door and finally has a favourable draw. With cheekpieces applied to sharpen his focus, he rates a genuine danger to the Muscutt runner. The Swinger could prove profitable.

SANDOWN: GOSDEN STAR SET TO SHINE ON SEASONAL RETURN

Six high-class runners line up for Race 4, the Group 2 bet365 Mile, headed by the returning trio of Field Of Gold, Zeus Olympios and Never So Brave. All have been absent since the close of the 2025 flat season last October. Field Of Gold is a warm favourite with trainers John and Thady Gosden reporting that he has strengthened significantly over the winter. A dual Group 1 winner, having captured the Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes last season, he is expected to make a major impact once again this year and could be quick out of the blocks.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SELANGOR: LUCKY EIGHT ONE EYES BACK-TO-BACK STRIKE

Australian-bred six-year-old Lucky Eight One looks well placed to land another Class 4B contest in Race 2 over 1200m at Kuala Lumpur. After an unsuccessful stint in Hong Kong, he returned to form in emphatic fashion, quickening smartly to dismiss his rivals over this course and distance three weeks ago. With that confidence-boosting win behind him, he shapes as a leading contender to go in again. The meeting starts at 07:15.

MAURITIUS: DUCHESS OF YORK CUP GETS SEASON ROLLING

Mauritian racing returns to our TV screens this Saturday and for the first time South African punters will bet into tote pools commingled with the Mauritius Turf Club Jockey Club (MTCJC) and hosted by Premier Gateway International (PGI).

It’s the start of the Mauritian racing season and the first of 27 race meetings scheduled for 2026. The traditional season-opener, the Duchess of York Cup over 1400m, heads the eight-race programme with last year's WSB 1900 winner Selukwe topping the weights. Interestingly though, Carl Hewitson's stable jockey Ivaldo Santana has opted to partner unexposed three-year-old Vikings Revenge, while Grant Van Niekerk has been booked to ride Selukwe who is likely to find the trip a little on the sharp side.

TAB will offer Win, Place, Exacta, Swinger, Trifecta and Quartet bets as well as Rolling Doubles and a Place Accumulator, Jackpot and Pick 6. Please note if there are six runners or less, the only Swinger payout will be for first and second.

TURFFONTEIN: BLOCKBUSTER FINALE TO FEATURE SEASON (POSTPONED TO TUESDAY)

Joburg’s feature-season reaches a blockbuster climax with an 11-race card headlined by the Grade 2 R500,000 TAB Colorado King Stakes and the Grade 2 R500,000 TAB Senor Santa Stakes. The day presents seven graded and listed feature races, and a R500,000 TAB Pick 6 carryover set to swell the final pool to about R3 million. It’s high-action racing with quality fields and big betting opportunities from start to finish. Below is a race-by-race guide to the Pick 6,

Leg 1 (13:00): Race 4 – 1100m TAB PRETTY POLLY STAKES (Grade 3)

This is a typically competitive feature for two-year-old fillies and improvement is guaranteed from several runners. Even so, the proven form of recent Grade 2 TAB SA Fillies Nursery winner 1 GOOD DAY SUNSHINE and third-placed 3 GET UP makes them the standout contenders. Good Day Sunshine seemed to win with a bit in hand that day, but Get Up is 2kg better off for a narrow beating and was the subject of strong market support. There won’t be much between them.

Leg 2 (13:35): Race 5 – 3200m TAB GOLD BOWL (Listed)

1 SHOOT THE RAPIDS was impressive when landing a stayers’ feature over this course and distance on Betway Summer Cup Day. He has been prepared with this graded contest in mind, is proven under big weights and this consistent top-level performer rates the one to beat. 4 ENFLAME is typically strong at the finish, often staying on when others have had enough. He should relish the trip and shapes as a serious danger. 3 ALADDIN’S LAMP is fairly treated on recent form and should be at peak fitness here. If he sees out the extra ground, he can make his presence felt. The top two should suffice for Pick 6 purposes, but Alladin’s Lamp is worth including in covering Jackpots.

Leg 3 (14:15): Race 6 – 2000m TAB IGUGU STAKES (Grade 2)

Last year’s winner 1 OLIVIA’S WAY has not added to her tally since, but has continued to perform at a high level, notably finishing third behind See It Again in the HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge on Champions Day. Her similarly well-regarded rivals, 2 CALLMEGETRIX and 4 MINOGUE, are yet to prove themselves beyond 1600m. As five-year-old mares, they may now relish the step up in trip, but this will be a searching 2000m test and the proven stamina of Olivia’s Way could prove decisive.

Leg 4 (14:50): Race 7 – 2000m TAB COLORADO KING STAKES (Grade 2)

Stablemates 1 FIRE ATTACK and 2 ATTICUS FINCH are both Grade 1 winners over this course and distance. They are the highest-rated runners in the field and, if returning to their best, should fight out the finish. The concern, however, is that both have been slightly below their peak in recent outings, which brings course specialists 3 CHOISAANADA and 4 THE ULTIMATE KING (blinkers fitted) into contention. 5 FIELD MARSHAL was a fluent winner of his prep run in the recent Sledgehammer Stakes. While he remains some way off the top on official ratings, he is a versatile horse on the upgrade. There are no doubts about his well-being and he comes from a yard with a strong raiding record. Potentially better than his current mark of 110, he shapes as a serious runner.

Leg 5 (15:25): Race 8 – 1160m TAB SENOR SANTA STAKES (Grade 2)

Champion sprinter 1 BUFFALO STORM CODY lines up in peak form following his barnstorming win in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint on Champions Day. The question for Pick 6 players is simple - do you try to beat him? If you do, there are several useful challengers who could spring a surprise, notably Sean Tarry’s stablemates 11 THE SPECIALIST and 12 JERUSALEMA RAIN, both handily weighted at the foot of the handicap. But Tony Peter’s star sprinter has yet to meet his match in four starts over this track and trip and is expected to continue his winning run. If you’re worried, cover your Pick 6 by playing Jackpot Two (Races 5-8) or Jackpot 3 (Race 8-11) and adding a few extra runners in this leg.

Leg 6 (16:05): Race 9 – 1160m TAB CAMELLIA STAKES (Grade 2)

This is a trappy contest in which Tony Peter saddles four ace sprinting fillies - 2 ALMOND SEA (back in fillies company), 8 RACHEL WALL (better off with 10 PERFECT MIRACLE, both very fast), and 9 RIFLE QUEEN (classy, excuses for her last run). But Sean Tarry’s graded winners 1 RODEO DRIVE, 6 GREEN DIAMOND and 7 ONE FINE WINTER are equally capable on their day and with three other lurkers in the pack, the field will be a good option if you’re going light in the earlier legs.

SUGGESTED R200 PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @ 13:00):

Leg 1: 1, 3

Leg 2: 1, 4

Leg 3: 1

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

Leg 5: 1

Leg 6: FIELD (1-10)

SANDOWN: JONBON PRIMED FOR ANOTHER GRADED WIN

This Premier raceday brings the curtain down on the main jumps season and is headlined by Race 4, the Grade 1 bet365 Celebration Chase over 3100m. All eyes will be on star chaser Jonbon, who is strongly fancied to claim a 13th Grade 1 success. Trainer Nicky Henderson has deliberately bypassed Aintree to target this prize, with Jonbon aiming to secure a third victory in the race. Henderson reported this week that the 10-year-old is in “brilliant form” and “jumping like an aeroplane” at home.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN: SUPERSTARS TO DOMINATE TRIPLE GROUP 1 SPECTACLE

As part of the Year of the Horse-themed programme, FWD Champions Day stands as Hong Kong’s premier spring international meeting with elite runners assembled for three of the world’s most prestigious Group 1 contests. In Race 5, the HK$24 million Chairman’s Sprint Prize over 1200m, reigning Horse of the Year Ka Ying Rising bids to extend his extraordinary winning sequence to a record 20 straight victories. Race 7, the HK$24 million FWD Champions Mile, features four-time Group 1 winner Jantar Mantar, who returns to Sha Tin for a second attempt after his 2024 run fell short. Now older and stronger, he arrives in peak form following major 2025 triumphs including the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship, along with Japan’s Champion Sprinter title. His clash with leading locals Lucky Sweynesse and My Wish promises to be a highlight. The meeting builds to Race 9, the HK$30 million FWD QEII Cup over 2000m, where global superstar Romantic Warrior chases an unprecedented fourth victory in the race. The meeting starts at 06:30.

HOLLYWOODBETS SCOTTSVILLE: ASIYE PHAMBILI TO RECLAIM CROWN

Asiye Phambili returns to Race 7, the Grade 3 Dennis Drier Poinsettia Stakes over 1200m, with a compelling profile and every indication she can reclaim her title. A commanding 4.75-length winner of the 2024 renewal, she followed that with a gutsy performance in 2025 when narrowly denied by Mai Sensation under 62kg. She lines up for the 2026 edition off a short break and is back in the care of Duncan Howells, who is mirroring the preparation that saw her at a peak in this race previously. She is favourably weighted on collateral form with Mai Sensation and Symphony In White and is the one they will have to beat if returning anywhere near her best.