Weekend Highlights

BLESS MY STARS RETURNS IN LONDON NEWS STAKES

Overseas-bound Bless My Stars returns to action in Saturday’s Grade 3 Betway London News Stakes over 1800m on the Turffontein Standside track and her reappearance should be one of the highlights of the weekend. The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight was recently sold to a USA-based consortium headed by Team Valor and this might be one of the last times we see her race locally.

FRIDAY: FOLLOW CHARLIE’S BEAUTIFUL LOVE IN DUBAI

Trainer Charlie Appleby continues to reel in winners in the desert and a double at Meydan last week took his tally for the season to 17 wins. Appleby is operating at a sensational 43% strike rate and is expected to win Race 2 at Meydan in Dubai this Friday with Beautiful Love. The Godolphin-owned homebred made an encouraging comeback when second to Cinderella’s Dream in the Jumeirah Fillies Classic, staying on nicely in the closing stages despite a tardy start. She should relish going up to 1600m and will take plenty of beating under William Buick.

FRIDAY: WADACRE GOMEZ TO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Wadacre Gomez has rarely run a bad race this UK winter and can keep up the good work in Race 6 at Wolverhampton on Friday evening. The Brazen Beau colt has run pretty regularly since making his racecourse bow last February and has chalked up four wins along the way - most recently when making all at Chelmsford in his penultimate start. He again showed a good attitude subsequently when narrowly failing to defy a 2.5kg penalty and finishing second over this course and distance.

SATURDAY: YOUR CHANCE TO STRIKE GOLD AT KRANJI

Promising three-year-old Strike Gold appears poised for back-to-back wins in a Class 4 handicap on the Polytrack at Kranji this Saturday morning. Strike Gold is already a two-time winner from eight starts and returned to his best form last time out when he scored an impressive win in a quality novice race. After stalking the leader, the Ricardo le Grange-trained colt quickened up from the 300m mark to win easily by 1.25 lengths over this track and distance. The form has held up well with third-placed Sacred Buddy subsequently finishing runner-up in this class.

SATURDAY: BLESS MY STARS TO SHINE FOR ANT IN TOPLINER

Bless My Stars is one of the most consistent horses in training and last season contested one feature race after another, all with pleasing results. The Sean Tarry-trained four-year-old has a perfect opportunity to get back in the winner’s enclosure in Race 7 at Turffontein on Saturday.

This four-year-old filly has not raced since running third the Betway Summer Cup in November last year, but comes into this topliner as one of the best-weighted runners and seems to race well when fresh. Ant Mgudlwa, who rode her into third place behind Winchester Mansion in last year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, will be aboard her again.

SUGGESTED PICK 6

R3024 (R302.40 for 10%)

Leg 1: 1, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10

Leg 4: 2

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8

Click/tap here for Harry Ihassi Pick 6 Tips

Click/tap here for the best bets and the views of five tipsters on Saturday's Turffontein Standside meeting.

SATURDAY: BLUE BAY LOOKS WORTH A DIP AT CAPE

Blue Bay takes a massive drop in class in Race 4 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday and stands out as an ideal Pick 6 banker in this Maiden Plate. Last time out this Brett Crawford-trained gelding contested the Grade 3 Politician Stakes for three-year-olds over 1800m and finished sixth, beaten just 3.75 lengths behind Green With Envy. He was drawn 12 of 13 runners and turned in an outstanding performance, especially if one considers Green With Envy is the current favourite for the Grade 1 Cape Derby on 24 February. Back in maiden company with Richard Fourie up, this son of Silvano is impossible to oppose.

Click/tap here for the best bets and the views of five tipsters on Saturday's Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting.

SATURDAY: GO FIRST CLASSS IN ABU DHABI FLAGSHIP

The HH President’s Cup for Arabians (Race 7) headlines a seven-race card on Abu Dhabi’s biggest day this Saturday. The 2200m Group 1 event, worth AED 4.5 million (R23 million), has attracted a maximum field of 14 and looks open. First Classs, trained by Doug Watson, bids to give Red Stables another major prize. The US-bred gelding is a proven Group 1 performer, having enjoyed success at the highest level in Qatar and the UAE. He now returns to the venue where he has enjoyed Group 1 success and should be in the mix in the hands of Pat Dobbs. Lightly raced Al Riffaa, representing France, is the sole European challenger and ran well in defeat in the Qatar Arabian Derby in December. A solid case can also be made for highly progressive Alarqam in his first start on grass.

SATURDAY: L’HOMME PRESSE TO IMPRESS AT ASCOT

L'Homme Presse takes on three rivals in Saturday's Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase in what is set to be his final start before next month's Cheltenham Gold Cup. The Venetia Williams-trained nine-year-old is no better than 10-1 for the Cheltenham Festival showpiece event, having made a winning reappearance at Lingfield last month after a 391-day layoff. He had unseated Charlie Deutsch at the last in the 2022 King George on his previous start. That Kempton mishap is the only defeat L'Homme Presse has suffered on a right-handed track over fences with his sole previous visit to Ascot yielding a 13-length victory in December 2021.

SUNDAY: BOTES HOPING FOR SCOTTSVILLE QUID PRO QUO

It has been a few weeks since trainer Barend Botes moved from the Highveld to KwaZulu-Natal and the former jockey will be hoping to notch his first winner since relocating at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. His charge Quid Pro Quo should take Race 1, a 1200m Maiden Juvenile Plate. Last time Quid Pro Quo took on winners and beat all her male rivals, but found one too good for her in promising filly Just Reckless. Her conqueror is being aimed at juvenile feature races and Quid Pro Quo should be hard to beat back in the maidens.

Click/tap here for the best bets and the views of five tipsters on Sunday's Hollywoodbets Scottsville meeting.