This weekend the turf will come alive with the spirit of champions. A whopping R5-million is expected in the carryover Pick 6 Pool at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday for the 163rd running of the L’Ormarins King’s Plate over 1600m. It’s a star-studded nine-race card. Champions will be crowned and fortunes can be won, so don’t get left. Top up your tote accounts! The expected boat race between See It Again and Charles Dickens will be matched in excitement at Turffontein on Sunday when ace three-year-olds Sandringham Summit and Main Defender return to the ring for round three of their engaging rivalry. Around the main meetings we have the regular interesting Friday fare from Fairview and a meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday supported, all weekend, by meetings from elsewhere on the globe.
A CLASH FOR THE AGES IN KING’S PLATE AT KENILWORTHThe battle lines are drawn for the fourth encounter between champion four-year-olds See It Again and Charles Dickens, this time in the R2-million L’Ormarins King’s Plate over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. The highlight of this annual high-octane race meeting never fails to get the adrenaline pumping and on paper, the race looks a straight match with See It Again 2-1 ahead on their previous face-offs. There will be two camps of Pick 6 players too – bankering either of the two in the expected R5-million pool but including both in your permutations won’t make you a fence-sitter. Michael Roberts has expressed his satisfaction with See It Again, who will use this race as a springboard to the Cape Met but is already near the top of his game; Candice Bass-Robinson believes Charles Dickens is back to his very best after a slightly out-of-sorts run in the Green Point Stakes. She reckons he can turn the tables to square things up. One can argue that the King’s Plate has been Charles Dickens’s target and Roberts would have left something to work on, with the Met in mind, for See It Again. But there won’t be much in it. Prepare for a showdown of note. On her high rating and terrific record Princess Calla looks hard to oppose in the R1-million Cartier Paddock Stakes, having her peak run. The single worry is that, rising seven, she may be losing some of her zest for racing, but that is just conjecture at this point and her younger rivals, Red Palace and Beach Bomb, are up against it at the weights. Wider spreads will be needed in the other legs of the popular bet for which we have chosen to side with Charles Dickens and suggest an affordable permutation, below: HOLLYWOODBETS KENILWORTH PICK 6 Click/tap here for Harry Ihassi Tips Click/tap here for the best bets and the views of five tipsters on Saturday's Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting. FOLLOW JOCKEY RACHEL VENNIKER AT SCOTTSVILLE ON SUNDAYTwice Champion Apprentice, Rachel Venniker, completed her apprenticeship with a win in the last race at Greyville on Wednesday, her 27th success this season. She has three cracking rides to kickstart her career as a fully-fledged jockey at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, and retains her lifetime granted claim of 1.5kg. Future Flo, beaten a head by promising Night Jar last month, is poised to make amends in Race 2 over 1600m. MJ Odendaal’s El Dante likes to control the speed, and in his return to his favoured course and distance will benefit from Venniker’s handling in Race 4 over 1600m. He is likely to play ‘come and catch me’ and has a realistic chance of crossing the wire unchallenged. Trainer Michael Roberts has five strings to his bow in Race 7 over 1000m – Venniker’s mount Philispiel looks the right one on recent form, and that he’s already won three times in this rider’s capable hands strengthens his claims. Click/tap here for the best bets and the views of five tipsters on Sunday's Hollywoodbets Scottsville meeting. SANDRINGHAM SUMMIT, MAIN DEFENDER RENEW RIVALRY AT TURFFONTEINSunday’s quality-packed eight-race programme at Turffontein features a Listed race and two Grade 3 contests. The afternoon’s highlight is the eagerly awaited rematch between Gauteng’s star three-year-olds, Sandringham Summit and Main Defender, who will go to post in the Grade 3 Betway Got The Greenlight Stakes over 1400m. When they crossed swords in last October’s Graham Beck Stakes over this course and distance, Main Defender secured a short-head victory after a breathtaking duel that lasted more than 350m and saw both runners edge ahead with alternate bursts of power. That Main Defender carries 1kg less suggests his task will be marginally easier, but his is not a clear-cut advantage as they met at the same weights last time. Sandringham Summit will be having his third run after a rest and is likely to be equal in improvement to the weight he is asked to concede. With the score between them at one-all, another thrilling finish can be expected. Shoemaker was a trifle disappointing in his most recent outing, but he is brought back to 1600m in the Listed Betway Wolf Power Stakes and, having won twice over the track and trip, should not be excluded in favour of the likely favourites Silent War and Unzen. Mike de Kock holds a strong hand with White Pearl and Champagne Cocktail in the Grade 3 Mother Russia Stakes over 1400m, but Sean Tarry’s well-bred Garlandsofgreenery was well backed when stepping up from her debut win for a third in a strong Graduation Plate last time. She warrants consideration alongside her useful-looking stable companion, Mia Moo. Click/tap here for the best bets and the views of five tipsters on Sunday's Turffontein meeting. PACIFIC EMPEROR IS IN LINE FOR ANOTHER GROUP WINA 12-race programme on the Polytrack at Kranji starts at 6am SA time on Saturday. It will be worth rising early for Race 1 over 1100m, in which Vlad Duric’s mount, Fast And Fearless, has a great record over this course and distance. He was held up for his run last time and flew home from the back of the field, beaten under two lengths and showing his present well-being. He is one of the most consistent seven-year-old runners on the island and will measure up well again. Duric also takes the ride on Pacific Emperor in the $110,000 Group 3 New Year’s Cup over 1100m. This up-and -comer from David Kok’s yard has already tasted group success after he won the Merlion Trophy over 1200m at this course last October, and is unbeaten in four starts on this surface. WEEKEND RACING WORLDWIDEIt’s back to Southwell on Saturday, with other flat meetings at Newcastle and Kempton, where Andrew Balding’s Lessay is the “talking horse” in Race 3 over 1400m. Sandown and Wincanton host jumps meetings. Racing returns to the all-weather track at Wolverhampton on Sunday, while Hong Kong racing presents a 10-race card at Sha Tin featuring the Group 3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy over 1000m. |