WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 11 - 13 October

THRILLING ACTION AND THERE’S A JOKER IN THE PACK

This weekend brings thrilling racing action from South Africa, the UK, Hong Kong and Malaysia. It starts with the customary Friday fare from Fairview, where leading trainers Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith look unlikely to dominate and bumper payouts are likely. Trainer Justin Snaith sends out a potential Pick 6 banker at Durbanville on Saturday, when Stuart Pettigrew has a potential joker in the pack in the topliner at Turffontein. Trainers Charlie Appleby and Aiden O’Brien saddle the top contenders in Group races at Newmarket today and tomorrow and there’s a quality field for a rich feature at Sha Tin on Sunday. Great entertainment!

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: COUNTING ON KELLY CAN PAY DIVIDENDS

Trainer Kelly Mitchley has five clear winning chances at the meeting, starting in Race 1 with well-performed maiden Serendipitous, who looks best in this Work Riders’ Plate. Million Reasons brings promising juvenile form into Race 2 and showed in a recent warm-up run over this distance that she was approaching peak fitness after a rest.

Brenden James had the best runners in Gqeberha around him when unplaced in the recent Friendly City Stakes, but takes on significantly weaker in Race 4. He presents plenty of value. Aquila Gold will enjoy the course and distance of Race 6 and the first-time booking of jockey Muzi Yeni is significant. Roomformanoeuvre steps up to handicap company in Race 8. He was heavily backed when winning his August debut and could make quick progress through the ranks.

NEWMARKET UK: CHARLIE’S DESERT FLOWER TO BLOSSOM

Desert Flower puts her unbeaten record on the line against six useful rivals in the Group 1 Fillies' Mile. Appleby's filly proved her quality when running out a comfortable winner ahead of O’Brien’s re-opposing filly January in the Group 2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster last month. Another O’Brien charge, Dreamy, is on the upgrade and unbeaten in two starts. Appleby, however, is the man to beat and said: “Desert Flower is a filly who is going to get better with the more experience she gets.”

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

HOLLYWOODBETS DURBANVILLE: COLLATERAL FORMLINES POINT TO DAIMYO

Computform’s collateral formlines for Race 4 suggest Snaith’s up-and-coming gelding Daimyo is the one to beat in this 2000m contest. He had three of his five rivals behind him in a recent race won by Call To Unite. And, and on another line of form through the same horse, he should also have the beating of stablemate Navy Strength. The other runner Marshall Field looks outclassed.

TURFFONTEIN: MERCANTOUR CAN MAKE HIS FITNESS COUNT

There are no fewer than 10 Graded winners in Race 5, a Pinnacle Plate over 1600m on the Inside track. With major features on the horizon, the race will serve as a preparatory outing for the likes of Winchester Mansion, Silver Sanctuary, Frances Ethel and Litigation. With obvious question marks about the fitness of most runners, the race looks an ideal opportunity for Pettigrew’s five-year-old sprinter Mercantour. He hasn’t won over this trip yet, but is well weighted and has encouraging form over 1450m and 1500m. He looks the fittest horse in the race, having raced three times after a rest, and can take advantage if more talented rivals are race-rusty. Certainly, he will never get a better chance of beating a field of this calibre.

SUGGESTED R243 (50%) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 3 @ 13:30):

Leg 1: 3, 4

Leg 2: 1, 4, 6

Leg 3: 6, 8, 12

Leg 4: 3, 4, 10

Leg 5: 1, 4, 6

Leg 6: 1, 2, 6

NEWMARKET UK: DON’T MISS COOLMORE-GODOLPHIN BATTLE

Horseracing powerhouses Coolmore and Godolphin do battle with five of the six runners in an exciting renewal of the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes over 1400m on the Rowley Mile circuit. Godolphin’s Shadow Of Light, the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes victor, has been supplemented at a cost of 35,000 Pounds and steps up from 1200m for a race that usually decides the leading juvenile colt of the season. Appleby said: “We are very pleased with what we have seen so far from him and feel that he has the potential to stretch out to seven furlongs (1400m).” Note that Appleby’s preferred jockey James Doyle is booked for unbeaten Group 2 winner Ancient Wisdom, while O’Brien has entered promising The Lion In Winter in an attempt to win the Dewhurst for the ninth time. This promises to be a cracking race - don’t miss it.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SELANGOR MALAYSIA: BIG GUNS GO TO WAR AGAIN

Antipodean and Golden Pegasus, who fought out a thrilling showdown in last month’s Grade 1 Selangor Gold Cup, face off again in Race 7, the Group 3 Sports Toto Supreme Challenge Cup 2024 over 1400m. Antipodean, who claimed victory by a head, is undefeated in two outings over this distance and may have the edge in what promises to be a close contest once more. Berry Bliss, who defeated Golden Pegasus in September, also enters the reckoning.

SHA TIN HONG KONG: GALAXY PATCH CAN RUIN PURTON PARTY

Champion jockey Zac Purton is bidding for his fifth win in the Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap over 1600m and will be hoping that Beauty Eternal’s class will prove decisive in a strong field. There is a strong case to be made, however, for fellow Group 1 winner Galaxy Patch. Pierre Ng’s five-year-old enjoyed an outstanding season last term and kicks off his new campaign with his sights set on December’s Hong Kong Mile. He looks well-positioned to start with a victory.

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE: NATYAM TO SHINE IN MICHAELMAS

Seven closely-matched runners will contest the PinkDrive Michaelmas Handicap over 1900m, but trainer Gareth van Zyl’s sparingly raced Natyam looks like he’s more or less on the right mark off a rating of 97. He’s distance suited after running on strongly in two recent starts over 1800m and should be cherry ripe to land his first win of the season. Frank Robinson’s coupling of Mexican Pete (good prep run in a sprint last week) and versatile Madison Valley bear watching, while Cape Eagle is a class act and should run well despite a big weight.