TAB WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 30 JANUARY - 1 FEBRUARY

MET MAGIC HEADLINES VINTAGE WEEKEND OF RACING

An enthralling weekend of racing is headlined by the 165th running of the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. The meeting comprises 12 races, three enticing TAB carryovers and the opportunity to bet into the massive Hong Kong World Pool tote from Race 3 onwards. The weekend action is rich in quality and gets underway with three feature events at Fairview and a Dubai World Cup Carnival meeting at Meydan on Friday.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: COUNT ON KELLY IN THE MERCHANTS

The three features on a quality card include the Fairview Merchants over 1200m (Race 7), in which Kelly Mitchley’s grey gelding Roman Agent has bright prospects. He has just 52kg because he’s won only three of 17 starts, but he is a talented individual who has successfully punched above his weight in recent starts and is arguably well ahead of the handicapper. Mitchley’s stayer Bad Medicine is on the upgrade and looks the right horse in Race 6, the Lakeside Handicap over 2400m, and Alan Greeff expects Joker Man to go close in Race 5, the Fairview Mile.

MEYDAN: WELL-BRED ANTRIM LOOKS SET TO GO IN AGAIN

Trainer Charlie Appleby’s Godolphin charges By The Book and Arabian Light should dominate in a small field for the Group 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes over 2000m (Race 7), which heads the eight-race programme. Karl Burke’s Antrim, a gelding by Dubawi from a dam related to champion race mare Enable, impressed on his Meydan debut over 2200m two weeks ago. A rare British-based runner on the dirt track, he travelled strongly and quickened clear for a stylish win. He’s the best bet on the card in Race 4.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

HOLLYWOODBETS KENILWORTH: SEVEN FEATURES ON CAPE’S BIG DAY

A thrilling day’s racing with seven feature races on a 12-race card and three TAB carryovers - a R1-million Pick 6 carryover set to generate a R7-million pool plus a R500,000 Quartet carryover on the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met, and a R500,000 Jackpot THREE carryover. And all TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella and Swingers bets on Race 3 to 12 will be commingled into the Hong Kong World Pool tote with the massive pools giving you a chance to hit a big dividend.

Don’t forget Hong Kong Place rules apply and there will be no fourth-place payouts at the meeting.

Recent L’Ormarins King’s Plate hero The Real Prince and trainer Justin Snaith’s charge See It Again and Eight On Eighteen dominate betting on the Met. Below is a leg-by-leg guide to help you make your Pick 6 choices.

Leg 1 (13:35): Race 4 – 1200m LEPAS C STAKES

An open contest and perhaps a good opportunity for under-achievers 5 SPIRIT and 10 RHYDIAN to rise to the occasion on a big day. SPIRIT has flattered to deceive, but his two runs behind smart higher division sprinter All The Rage show his true ability. He’ll be in the money if he can keep closer order early. RHYDIAN, too, has shown flashes of respectable form and holds SPIRIT, 4 PARATROOPER and 16 STEADFAST on their run to Showgirl last November. 9 KELP FOREST had eight of these rivals behind him when he won over the course and distance on King’s Plate day but has been given a three-point penalty, which gives rivals like 6 MIRACULOUS (3.5kg better off for a narrow beating) and 18 MAURITIUS KESTREL (5.5kg better off) realistic chances of reversing the result. Cases can be made for several others and Pick 6 players may do best to opt for the field in the opening leg.

Leg 2 (14:10): Race 5 – 1100m SCHWEPPES WINCHESTER SPRINT CUP

Another race to be approached with caution. On most collateral form lines there is little to choose among consistently good performers 1 THE USA OF A, 3 DANCE VARIETY, 6 KAIBOY, 7 ELUSIVE WINTER and 10 TEFLON MAN. The race that may produce the winner, however, is the recent Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship in which 8 SURJAY and 11 CAFÉ CULTURE were not far off Kingdundee in fifth and sixth. Over the extra 100m expect massive runs from both with a preference for very capable Café Culture, who is best weighted off his 122 rating. It could pay to take a chance on just elder statesmen Surjay and Café Culture in your Pick 6.

Leg 3 (14:45): Race 6 – 1400m SABC A STAKES

It doesn’t get any easier and one can make a case for any of the five highest-rated runners, namely 1 TENANGO, 3 O’TENIKWA, 9 ROYAL AUSSIE, 10 SNOW PILOT and 14 GREAT PLAINS. Pacey Tenango and O’Tenikwa look ready to progress to this extended sprint trip, Royal Aussie and Snow Pilot are capable at best and Great Plains is highly effective over this 1400m and boasts a recent win over Cape Town Met runner Sail The Seas. Among the lower-rated runners, 5 GEM KING makes some appeal as he often pops up with a good run in top company and comes from a shrewd stable. 13 GALLIC DREAM is another with upset potential and jockey Richard Fourie tipped handily weighted Power and Glory in a panel discussion this week.

Leg 4 (15:20): Race 7 – 1600m MAINE CHANCE FARMS MAJORCA STAKES (WFA) (Grade 1)

A race packed with quality, but champion mare 10 DOUBLE GRAND SLAM was just a fraction below her brilliant best in the recent Paddock Stakes. She is better suited to 1600m and looks set to redeem herself. She is unbeaten under Andrew Fortune and there is every reason to believe that she will produce the kind of run that made her famous, provided there’s some sort of pace.

Leg 5 (16:05): Race 8 – 2000m WORLD SPORTS BETTING CAPE TOWN MET (Grade 1)

The two most recent races to consider as guides to the outcome are the Grade 1 King’s Plate (won by 6 THE REAL PRINCE, who had 1 COSMIC SPEED, 2 EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN, 3 SAIL THE SEAS, 4 GLADATORIAN, 5 GARRIX, 7 LEGAL COUNSEL and 10 SEE IT AGAIN behind him); and the weaker Grade 2 Premier Trophy (won by 11 OKAVANGO with 8 NATIVE RULER and 9 THE EQUATOR behind him). Versatile THE REAL PRINCE could confirm his superiority, but is 0.5kg worse off with COSMIC SPEED, EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN, SAIL THE SEAS, GARRIX and LEGAL COUNSEL and this race is 400m further with a different pace and riding tactics coming into play. EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN, in particular, should strip a fitter horse than in the King’s Plate and has a fair chance of turning the tables on THE REAL PRINCE and following up on his 2025 Met win. The one they all have to beat, however, is SEE IT AGAIN, the fastest finisher in the King’s Plate. Justin Snaith’s six-year-old is in a much better frame of mind than he was last year when fourth to EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN and is a whopping 5.5kg better off for a 1.10-length beating.

Leg 6 (16:45): Race 9 – 1800m HKJC WORLD POOL POLITICIAN STAKES (Grade 3)

All the talk has been for Justin Snaith’s up-and-coming three-year-old 2 HAPPY VERSE, who ran on steadily for second in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas and has the comfortable beating of 1 PAY THE PALACE, 4 RANDOPLH HEARST, 6 FOX ON THE RUN and 8 STAR MAJOR on that form. He’s talented and progressive, and looks the part.

SUGGESTED R304 PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @13:35):

Leg 1:  FIELD (1-19)
Leg 2:  8, 11

Leg 3:  1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14

Leg 4:  10

Leg 5:  10

Leg 6:  2

SUGGESTED R120 QUARTET PERM for the Met (Race 8 @16:05):

BANKER 10 to WIN with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 11 for second, third and fourth.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

PERAK: SALAMENCE CAN BREAK HIS DROUGHT

Ten-year-old galloper Salamence will be looking to end an almost eleven-month drought in Race 2 over 1400m at Ipoh. He made an immediate impression upon arriving locally, scoring at his first two starts last March under the care of Richard Lim. Since transferring to trainer William Looi in September, the gelding has had seven runs, finishing runner-up on three occasions. Sent out favourite over this course two weeks ago, Salamence raced keenly before finishing second, and looks the part back in Class 5 company. The meeting starts at 06:15.

SHA TIN: INFINITE RESOLVE CAN RUIN PARADISE’S DAY

Little Paradise is one of the main contenders in the $HK13-million Hong Kong Mile (Race 8) in which he aims for five wins from eight starts. But he has a strong rival in Infinite Resolve, who has come back a better horse from a layoff. His last-start second to Little Paradise had plenty in it, settling back before running on to finish a length off, and barrier three looks to set up the perfect map this time. The meeting starts at 06:30.

TURFFONTEIN: IN-FORM ZACKEY THE RIDER TO FOLLOW

National jockeys’ log-leader Craig Zackey has a number of excellent mounts and could start with a double in Race 1 (Gimmesumluv, big improvement expected) and Race 2 (Space Mission, only horse with form in a weak Maiden Plate). Later Zackey rides Battleground (Race 4), who failed narrowly at the Vaal last week and looks ready to win again. Vava Vegas (Race 8) is another with fair recent form in a weak race and lightly raced Tintin looks the best of Zackey’s mounts in Race 9 over 1400m. He should follow up on a most impressive first win.