Weekend Mailer

ASHBY HAS A STRONG HAND AT FAIRVIEW

Devin Ashby's visit to Fairview this Friday should prove profitable and punters can likely reap rewards by following his five rides, which include Hammies Hero for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson in the 1000m Betway Insurebet Speedster Stakes.

SIDE WITH HAMMIES HERO IN SPEEDSTER

The Twice Over gelding hasn't really fulfilled his potential, but ought to get his career back on track here. Of significant interest is that the four-year-old bay is the only Bass-Robinson runner at the meeting. He has proved very effective over the distance, winning once and placing twice in three starts, and will be tuned to the minute in his third run after a rest. Elsewhere on the card, Ashby's best chances of winning include Raising Quinn in Race 5, Looking Hot in Race 6 and Juan Nel-trained Toureiro in Race 8.

LERENA AND VENNIKER TO SHARE SPOILS

Jockeys Gavin Lerena and Rachel Venniker are set to dominate proceedings at Turffontein on Saturday. Both look good value to win three races apiece on the nine-race card on the Inside track. Lerena rides the day’s best bet in My Lady Soul (Race 2) and should bookend the meeting with victories aboard Chasing Happiness in the first and Ambrym in the last.

Venniker and Eye Of The Prophet have struck up a formidable partnership and are likely to add to their successes together by winning Race 4. Pewter Sky (Race 7) and Ampersand (Race 8) ought to complete a three-timer on the day for the Equus Champion Apprentice.

TURFFONTEIN PICK 6 (starts Race 4):
R500

Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 2, 3, 4, 6, 11
Leg 3: 1, 6
Leg 4: 1, 3
Leg 5: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9

MAIDENS APLENTY BUT MONEY TO BE MADE

Sunday's meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg comprises six Maiden Plates and two handicaps with prominent KwaZulu-Natal riders Tristan Godden and Athandiwe Mgudlwa set to land doubles.

Abaddon is one of the better bets on the card and worth a punt under Godden in the opener and then Mgudlwa rides an attractive betting proposition in Prankster for trainer Gareth van Zyl in Race 2. Prankster should have come on appreciably since her debut outing 24 weeks ago and that should stand this daughter of Canford Cliffs in good stead, although her subsequent absence is a worry. Woodland Retreat (Godden) in Race 7 and Quandary (Mgudlwa) in Race 8 are worth coupling in the last TAB Double, which could pay handsomely!

SHAQUILLE BIDS FOR THIRD GROUP 1 WIN

Julie Camacho's stable star Shaquille is odds-on to complete a hat-trick of Group 1 sprint victories in Saturday's Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (Race 4) at Haydock. This Charm Spirit colt has blossomed this year, winning all four of his outings including the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot under Oisin Murphy and the July Cup Stakes at Newmarket under Rossa Ryan. James Doyle has the ride this time round.

Trainer Roger Varian has a runner in each of Saturday's Group 1 races at Leopardstown for owner Kia Joorabchian's AMO Racing and both should give their followers a good run for their money. Epsom Derby runner-up King Of Steel, who won the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes before finishing third in the Group 1 King George last time, tops betting boards for the Irish Champion Stakes (Race 4) and is worth siding with in a high-quality renewal. Olivia Maralda will jump at long odds in the Group 1 Matron Stakes (Race 3) and looks good value for a Place.

KEAGAN, LUKE AND LYLE ARE RARING TO GO

The 2023-24 season in Hong Kong gets under way at 06.25 SA time on Sunday with a 10-race card at Sha Tin. South African rider Keagan de Melo has joined compatriots Luke Ferraris and Lyle Hewitson in Hong Kong and has three rides at his first meeting there (Races 5, 8 and 10).

Hewitson’s mounts include Michael Chang-trained Big Red, who should go well under a light weight in Race 7.

BET ON THE BEST AUSTRALIAN RACING ACTION

TAB4Racing customers can enjoy all the drama and excitement of the renowned Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival from this Saturday.

The Carnival comprises three months of the best thoroughbred racing the world, stretching from the early days of September all the way to Ballarat Cup Day on 9 December.

Melbourne’s three metropolitan racecourses - Caufield, Flemington and Moonee Valley - play host to the best of the action with a stream of major races carrying huge prize money.

The season gathers pace this Saturday with the R6-million Feehan Stakes meeting at Moonee Valley. The Feehan Stakes is one of two Grade 2 races that headline a day, when many big-gun horses return from a break and begin their Carnival campaigns.

The meeting will be televised live on Racing 240 from 04:30 on Saturday and Win, Place, Exacta and Trifecta bets on all races can be taken with TAB, as well as a Jackpot on the last four races and a Double on the last two races.

All pools will be commingled, but TAB customers must please note that the minimum unit of betting on Moonee Valley for all bet types will be R6 with no fractional betting. Thus a three-horse Trifecta Box comprising six combinations will cost R36 (six combinations at R6 each). Similarly, a Jackpot with eight combinations, or lines, will cost R48 (eight combinations at R6 each).

MAKE THE MOST OF THE RWC WITH TAB

TAB4Racing has five great bets you can play on the 2023 Rugby World Cup that will enhance your enjoyment of the action and give you the chance to land a good win. Two of the bets are on the overall tournament and cannot be played after the opening match between hosts France and New Zealand kicks off at 21:15 this Friday:

* TOURNAMENT WINNER (Win bet): Bet on the country you predict will win the Rugby World Cup. Use the numbers allocated to the participating teams to take your bets. R1 unit; minimum bet R2.

* FINAL 4 (Quartet Box): Predict all four countries to reach the Rugby World Cup semi-finals. Use the numbers allocated to the 20 countries to bet. R1 unit; minimum bet R24.

TAB will also be operating three other rugby bets during the tournament - Rugby 4 Try Scorer, Rugby Super 6 and Rugby 8 Win Margin - and there’s a weekly TAB Rugby Star competition in which prizes include Springbok jerseys. The Rugby 8 Win Margin pool for the week also closes at the start of the opening game this Friday, plus you can bet a Rugby Super 6 on the South Africa-Scotland clash on Sunday. Both pools have R20,000 add-ins from TAB, so you can bank on inflated payouts. Tap on Rugby at www.tab4racing.com to get the full details.