Last weekend’s TAB carryover Pick 6 on the Cape Town Met meeting paid in excess of R585,000 to 14 winners, but more punters could share in the payout at Turffontein this Saturday when a R500,000 carryover is set to generate a pool of R3 million! This is the start of 4Racing’s 2024 The Championships Season, a thrilling four-part extravaganza, and includes the first legs of the highly anticipated 2024 TAB SA Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara. And there’s a runner who should get punters over the first Pick 6 hurdle in style.
The Championships offer TAB4Racing online customers the chance to walk away with R100,000 in cash in the Champion of the Championships competition. It’s easy to enter - opt into the competition and bet at least R100 at each of the four meetings. Top the leader board at each Championships meeting and you get the R100k. No easy task, but TAB is also offering a R10,000 prize to the player who wins the most money across the four days. Make the most of these exciting opportunities to pit your skills against other punters and bank some serious cash! Tap here for details.
The 4Racing trainer interviews on YouTube (LINK HERE) provide an invaluable guide to this Friday’s meeting on the turf at Fairview. This is a challenging card, but there are clues from the region’s leading trainers to help solve the puzzles. The Tara Laing stable believes Gotcha Buzz is at her best and will earn in Race 1. They also reckon that Sequoia could go close in Race 8. Trainer Kelly Mitchley suggested that her fillies, Kitty Mo and Sea Of Tears, could fight out Race 2 and that recent acquisition William’s Legacy could “go one better” in Race 3 following a second place in his recent Fairview debut. She also expressed high hopes for well-performed Rose For Trippi, who made a cracking Fairview debut and should take some beating in Race 6. Trainer Alan Greeff is bullish about Esther, who drops in class in Race 5. He noted that his proven stayer Definitely Maybe (Race 4, 1400m) will enjoy the long straight and is capable of winning over a distance short of her best.
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Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby has made a terrific start to 2024 and can continue his good run at Meydan this Friday, seven days after winning all four races on turf at the Dubai track including the Group 1 Jebel Hatta with Measured Time. Appleby’s smart colt Legend Of Time holds sound claims in this year’s Jumeirah Guineas, a race the trainer has dominated in recent years winning seven of the last eight renewals. Winner of two of his three races, Legend Of Time created a good impression on his Meydan debut last month when defeating Shamrock Glitter and 14 others in the trial. He was value for more than the official winning margin of a length after having to cover extra ground from a wide daw. Legend Of Time is the highest-rated horse in the eight-runner field and will take plenty of stopping under William Buick.
In Race 3, the Jumeirah Fillies Classic over 1400m, Appleby and Buick team up with undefeated Cinderella's Dream. The daughter of Shamardal won a Lingfield maiden on her debut when sent off favourite. Then not seen for 94 days, she followed up by winning a minor event at Thirsk, leaving the impression that she appreciated the step up to 1600m. She makes her Meydan debut and could start her three-year-old season with a bang.
Leading apprentice Billy Loughnane should add to his growing tally of winners on trainer George Boughey’s new acquisition Influence in Race 3 on the all-weather track at Lingfield on Friday. This gelding has three good seconds to show from as many starts and it looks like Boughey has found the right race for him to break the ice. Jim Goldie-trained Bonito Cavalo won three races in January and his winning streak could continue in Race 6 on the Tapeta at Newcastle on Friday evening.
On Saturday, Wolverhampton hosts seven races on the flat and that’s followed by eight races on the all-weather at Kempton. It’s back to Lingfield on Sunday afternoon followed by a meeting at Newcastle, one of six Sunday night flat meetings UK racing is trialling this year. Jump racing fans are well catered for through the weekend, including a two-day festival at Leopardstown in Ireland that boasts eight Group 1 races.
It’s worth rising early for Race 1 at Kranji on Saturday, in which Australian-bred Lim’s Bighorn should get punters off to a flying start. He is considered one of the best three-year-old prospects in Singapore, posting a dominant win in an open maiden grade last time followed by an impressive trial recently. Greatham Boy is another well fancied runner in Race 4. This lightly-raced three-year-old won Singapore’s best two-year-old race last year and showed his fitness with two good trials in his build-up for this event. In-form Bruno Queiroz gets the ride and Greatham Boy has a perfect draw. Queiroz will also be aboard Ace Of Diamonds, who is seeking a four-timer in Race 11. He is one of the leading contenders heading towards Kranji’s forthcoming three-year-old series. The meeting starts at 6am.
The Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Fillies Guineas and the Grade 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas kick off the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara and the TAB SA Triple Crown respectively on a quality card on Turffontein’s standside track on Saturday. Trainer David Nieuwenhuizen’s star Sandringham Summit makes a welcome return to the track in the Gauteng Guineas. He now competes in the silks of Varsfontein Stud after being syndicated for stud following a third behind Robyn Klaasen’s Purple Pitcher in the Grade 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans. They meet again at level weights and Purple Pitcher seeks a sixth successive win, but Sandringham Summit was cramped and had to be steadied in the Dingaans. A much closer contest is expected this time. Respect William Iron Arm, who could be dangerous if tuned up after a long absence.
The Fillies Guineas is an equally cracking race in which Mike de Kock saddles unbeaten Gimme A Nother and his Cape Guineas runner-up Silver Sanctuary. He also has promising Champagne Cocktail in a race that is sure to have fans on their feet. Earlier in the day jockey Gavin Lerena has an excellent chance of landing his 10th victory on trainer Fabian Habib’s charge Zeus. This formidable stayer looks a good banker in the first leg of the carryover Pick 6.
SUGGESTED R1260 TURFFONTEIN PICK 6 PERMUTATION (R315 for 25%)
Leg 1: 1
Leg 2: FIELD (1-7)
Leg 3: 1,2,7
Leg 4: 1,2
Leg 5: 2,3,5,6,8,9
Leg 6: 1,3,4,5,7
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.
High-class five-year-old William Robertson, who counts the scalps of champion sprinters Dyce and Isivunguvungu among his 10 career wins, is the banker of the day at Sunday’s Scottsville meeting. Trainer Corne Spies has purposefully avoided further clashes with the aforementioned pair in favour of easier pickings and his strategy delivered three wins in a row at the end of last year. A fourth successive win is on the cards. William Robertson has four of his nine rivals held on form and should pack too much class for the rest of them.
Spies raids with two other runners and his Rock Of Bismantova (Race 4) should go close to winning. This gelding has been knocking at the door and comes from a good form line that has yielded two subsequent winners.
Click/tap here for the best bets and the views of five tipsters on Sunday's Hollywoodbets Scottsville meeting.
The HK$13-million Group 1 Hong Kong Classic Mile and the HK$4.2-million Group 3 Centenary Vase Handicap over 1800m top the bill at Sha-Tin on Sunday morning. The Classic Mile is an important race for champion jockey Zac Purton, who has won 33 of Hong Kong’s 34 major feature races, of which 31 carry Group 1 status. This is the only major race to have eluded Purton and he has a chance to complete the full set on well-performed Helene Feeling. He has a major rival in Helios Express, the best horse in the race on exposed form. Four-time champion trainer Caspar Fownes is after a third consecutive triumph in the Centenary Vase and will saddle last year’s winner Senor Toba and talented Straight Arron. Fownes said this week that he’s hopeful that Senor Toba can repeat what he did last year. He has booked South Africa’s reigning champion jockey Keagan De Melo for the ride. This meeting kicks off at 7am.