Weekend Mailer

RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A JACKPOT WIN!

There are four TAB Jackpot ONE carryovers to SA race meetings this end-of-year weekend from Friday 29 December to Sunday 31 December. With R250,000 to kick-start each Jackpot, pools of at least R1 million are expected for all of them and that sets the stage for TAB customers to sail into 2024 with good profits! SA racing in the New Year kicks off at 12:20 at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Monday 1 January and there’s more carryover action on Saturday 6 January with a Pick 6 carryover of R1 million to the King’s Plate meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. The pool is expected to reach R5 million!

RED BOMBER TO BLOW THEM AWAY AT TURFFONTEIN

On paper Jackpot ONE at Turffontein’s Standside track on Saturday is the easiest of the four weekend carryover Jackpots to win. There is a potentially solid banker in Johan Janse van Vuuren’s up-and-coming three-year-old Red Bomber, an eye-catching second in a quality field last time. He’ll be having his peak run (his third after being gelded) and has the benefits of a good draw and a top jockey in Race 8. Dyce (Race 6) is another to consider as a banker in small perms. Those who saw the Lucky Houdalakis-trained sprinter on Summer Cup Day will agree that this powerhouse was hugely impressive in disposing of his rivals in the Grade 3 New Turf Carriers Merchants. He is a big, strong horse who looks able to carry 62kg to victory in this Pinnacle Plate. Mrs Browning won at Grade 3 level over the same course and distance on the same day as Dyce, posting a slightly slower time. But she does present a threat in receipt of 11.5kg from her male rival and is one to add in an alternate Jackpot. Hard-knocker Chayavana can provide additional cover. You’ll need On The Horizon, Bonika and Key Element in the opening leg and a good spread of runners in the topliner, the Listed War Of Athena Handicap over 1800m (Race 7).

HEAD-SCRATCHER JACKPOT CAN PAY BIG!

Jackpot ONE at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday is arguably the trickiest of the weekend’s carryover Jackpots. Structuring a winning permutation around four competitive handicaps will take some head scratching and this is a good opportunity to win big cash. The carryover Jackpot at Kenilworth on 2 December returned a shade over R3,000 with two well-fancied favourites and two good form runners completing the four respective legs of the bet. This is much trickier! There are 15 runners for the opening leg, Race 5 over 1400m, in which much-vaunted King Of The Gauls will start from a deep draw and is not certain to see out the distance. In Seeking The One (down in class), Marvel William (approaching his peak) and promising youngster Yamadori, there are three immediate dangers with Gallic Dream and Veldskoen also in the mix. William West will probably have most support in Race 6 over 1100m, but has failed in two previous attempts beyond 1000m which brings value prospects like Wyag, Hammies Hero and Bluff On Bluff into the race. Richard Fourie is a significant booking for Apple Catcher in Race 7 and Exceeder in Race 8, but again there are several dangers in both races.

END THE YEAR WITH GOOD JACKPOT WIN

An eight-race programme at Scottsville on Sunday sees out 2023 and here we have another Jackpot ONE carryover set to yield a decent dividend. The bet starts in Race 4 at 13:50 and a spread of runners will be needed in three of the four legs. Garth Puller’s African Dusk has solid claims. He has fair form to slightly stronger and a 1,5kg claim from apprentice Rachel Venniker, which could be a factor in a close finish. Roy’s Command, coming to form after a long rest, also has more than a glimmer of hope. Race 5 can be narrowed down to a match between Nightingales Sing and Style Icon, who are hard to separate on exposed form. Richard Fourie, as always, will carry heaps of trust on his mounts Khanyisa Indlela (Race 6) and Kupholiwe (Race 7), but there are a host of possible dangers in both contests.

12 RACES TO GET SATURDAY STARTED AT KRANJI

There are 12 races at Kranji in Singapore, starting early at 06:30 on Saturday. Veteran jockey Vlad Duric, who has a strike rate of 25% winners to rides, is the man to help build a betting kitty for the local afternoon meetings. Duric has an outside chance in Race 1 over 1400m on Stephen Gray’s On Line, who will be suited to the extra, but his three best rides are at the back of the card. In Race 10 Lightning Strike, fresh off a hat-trick of wins over 1600m, should have no problems with 1800m. Aniki (Race 11) kicked on well off a strong pace to win his last start over 1000m and looks good enough to follow up in a weak field. Three-year-old Silo (Race 12) is considered talented enough to handle the burden of extra weight after his impressive last win. He can strike again and complete Duric’s hat-trick.

COSTA TO GROW HIS TALLY AT JEBEL ALI

Michael Costa, who has saddled an impressive 13 winners at Jebel Ali this season, should enjoy another good afternoon at the Dubai track on Saturday. Costa is two-handed in Race 2, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, and can make it win No 14 with Ghaaleb, the choice of jockey Ben Coen. Costa’s Keffaaf, a runaway winner of his last start, can add another winner to his tally in Race 7, in which Pat Dobbs gets the ride. The highlight on the card is Race 5, the 2024 Shadwell Cup, a cracking 1600m handicap. Hat-trick seeking Delorean, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, has thrived since switched to dirt and looks the one to beat. He is the winner of two of his three races at Jebel Ali, has climbed in the ratings and races off a career-high mark of 91. This meeting gets underway at 12:00.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEKEND IN UK

There is a flat race meeting at Wolverhampton on Saturday with eight races carded and a seven-race meet on the all-weather track at Lingfield on Sunday. George Boughey’s Storymaker seeks a hat-trick of wins in Race 1 over 1400m, his preferred course and distance.