TAB WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 4 - 6 April

BEST OF THE BEST AND YOU CAN BET INTO MEGA TOTE POOLS

TAB customers have a glittering menu of international fare to bet on this Saturday, starting early with Day One of the Championships at Royal Randwick in Sydney and followed in the afternoon by two of the greatest events on the global horseracing calendar - the Dubai World Cup extravaganza at Meydan and the Randox Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool. On the local front there are three meetings, Fairview on Friday, Turffontein Saturday and Greyville on Sunday.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: JOY AND PEACE THE ANSWER IF SHE STAYS 2800M

If history repeats itself, Gavin Smith’s Zatara Magic will once again defeat Allan Greeff’s Bournemouth in Race 7, the Glenlair Trophy over 2800m on turf. But Bournemouth has reversed that result twice since and now appears the more progressive of the two. Both will have to contend with Joy And Peace - a high-quality four-year-old filly tackling the marathon distance for the first time. As Richard Fourie’s pick from the Greeff yard, she is likely the stable’s preferred contender, though her stamina is in question.

AINTREE: ROMEO COOLIO HAS THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS

There are four Group 1s on the second day of the Grand National Festival, including Race 3, the TrustATrader Top Novices' Hurdle over 3300m. Romeo Coolio, the winner of December’s Group 1 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, enjoyed a good warm-up run last week and looks ready to claim his second top-level win for trainer Gordon Elliott. “He has a high cruising speed, that’s a strong attribute,” said Elliott. Eachway on James du Berlais in Race 5 is the top bet for the meeting. 

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

ROYAL RANDWICK: JEFF LLOYD’S SON POISED FOR BIG WIN

This is the continuation of the famous Sydney Easter Carnival, which now switches from Rosehill to the other major Sydney racecourse. Television coverage on channel 240 DStv will kick off with Race 2 at 04:00 and it’s a cracking meeting well worth getting up early for. There are four Grade 1 races, notably the Doncaster Handicap over 1600m.

This is one of Australia’s majors and the full field of 20 includes 13 individual Grade 1 winners. Randwick Guineas hero Linebacker is early favourite and, as in the Guineas, the New Zealand-bred gelding will be ridden by Zac Lloyd, whose father Jeff was one of South Africa’s most successful jockeys.

TAB Win, Place, Quinella and Swinger pools on Races 4 to 9 at Randwick will be commingled into the Hong Kong World Pool tote with Exacta, Quartet and Double bets commingled into Tabcorp pools in Australia as normal. The pools will be huge so here’s a range of chances to land a big fish!  

TURFFONTEIN: LA MOOHAL STANDS OUT FROM GOOD DRAW

Vercingetorix gelding La Moohal has thrived in trainer Tyrone Zackey’s care, impressively defeating Greeting My Master in the 2024 Grade 3 Sea Cottage Stakes and showing renewed promise recently after a lengthy layoff. He stands out in Race 7, a MR 96 Handicap over 1450m, and should take full advantage of a favourable draw. On ratings Frozen Fantasy (Race 5, 1450m) is weighted to win under the Graduation Plate conditions and Key News looks poised to return to the winner’s circle in Race 6. This trio form the backbone of the afternoon’s Pick 6.

SUGGESTED R480 PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @14:00):
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 6

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4

Leg 3: 1, 3

Leg 4:  1

Leg 5: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 6: 1, 3, 4

MEYDAN: WORLD’S BEST FIGHT FOR $30.5-MILLION IN STAKES

Champion Australian rider James McDonald bypasses Randwick in favour of Dubai, where he will partner Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior in the Grade 1 $5-million Dubai Turf, one of the big three on a $30.5-million nine-race spectacular headlined by the $12-million Dubai World Cup.

Romantic Warrior was edged out late by Ever Young in an epic duel in the recent Saudi Cup, but the two will not renew rivalry here because Japan’s champion on dirt goes for the Dubai World Cup on his favourite surface. Both are short-priced favourites in their respective races and the only worry for their backers is whether they have recovered from their slugging match in the sand in Riyadh.

TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella and Swinger pools on Races 3 to 9 will be commingled into the Hong Kong World Pool. Total World Pool turnover on Dubai World Cup day a year ago was a staggering R900 million, which included bets on four Australian races. Big pools can deliver staggering payouts so here’s your chance. Below is a brief race-by-race guide to the meeting.

RACE 1 - GROUP 1 DUBAI KAHAYLA CLASSIC 2000M: Saudi Arabian champion Tilal Al Khalediah won this showpiece for purebred Arabians last year and is back to defend his crown. He will be hard to beat. Rated 129, the seven-year-old is at the top of his game and won the Group 1 Obaiyah Arabian Classic for a third successive year at Riyadh last month.
RACE 2 - GROUP 2 DUBAI GOLD CUP 3200M: Aidan O’Brien has excellent prospects of scoring with Continuous, winner of the 2023 St Leger. He ran well when staying on for third in the Red Sea Turf Handicap over 3000m in February and is entitled to be sharper now. He is suited by the conditions and is bidding to give O’Brien and Coolmore a third successive Dubai Gold Cup triumph.
RACE 3 - GROUP 2 GODOLPHIN MILE 1600M: The most competitive race on the card and it may be best to side with Frankie Dettori, who recently filed for bankruptcy. He’s the most successful jockey in the history of the race with seven wins and rides Doug O’Neill’s Raging Torrent, a Group 1 winner on his most recent appearance. The four-year-old is less exposed than his rivals and is open to further progress.
RACE 4 - GROUP 1 AL QUOZ SPRINT 1200M: Southern Hemisphere-bred sprinters have a good record in the race and John Size’s Australian-bred Howdeepisyourlove, representing Hong Kong, has leading claims. He has Grade 1 places to show at Sha Tin behind Ka Ying Rising, the world’s top sprinter, and, with the assistance of James McDonald, should go close to giving Size his first win at a fourth attempt in the Emirates.
RACE 5 - GROUP 2 UAE DERBY 1900M: Flood Zone, winner of the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, represents the USA and created a big impression when defeating Sand Devil and Garamond at Aqueduct, his first run for Brad Cox. Acquired privately by Wathnan Racing after winning a maiden at Gulfstream Park, he is an exciting prospect and holds strong claims.
RACE 6 - GROUP 1 DUBAI GOLDEN SHAHEEN 1200M: Top USA dirt sprinter Straight No Chaser is fancied to deny Tuz, the UAE’s champion sprinter, back-to-back wins in a race that American horses have won no fewer than 13 times since it attained Group 1 status in 2002. Straight No Chaser, trained by Dan Blacker, arrives at the top of his game having racked up a hat-trick of wins, the latest when slamming 11 rivals in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
RACE 7 - GROUP 1 DUBAI TURF 1800M: Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior is a warm favourite and clearly the horse to beat, six weeks after his heart-breaking loss to Forever Young in the Saudi Cup. He is a winner of 18 of his 24 races, 10 at the top level, and won the Jebel Hatta over the same course and distance last December. Soul Rush spearheads a four-pronged assault from Japan and demands respect as the highest-rated of the quartet.
RACE 8 - GROUP 1 DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC 2410M: A cracking renewal with an international cast. Progressive French gelding Calandagan is the favourite and he thrived last year, creating a big impression when crushing his rivals in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot,. Stepped up to Group 1 level, he wasn’t beaten far behind City Of Troy in the Juddmonte, before rounding off the year with an unlucky second in the Champion Stakes. This race has been his target all winter and he pleased connections in a gallop at Saint-Cloud last month.
RACE 9 - GROUP 1 DUBAI WORLD CUP 2000M: It’s hard to see past Forever Young, gallant winner of the Saudi Cup following an epic battle with Romantic Warrior. He’s undefeated in the Middle East and back in the UAE 12 months after winning the UAE Derby. Bhupat Seemar saddles Imperial Emperor, the choice of stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea and Forever Young’s biggest threat. His stablemate Walk Of Stars flopped in the Saudi Cup, but had excuses and is back on home soil where he has been very effective.

AINTREE: CROMWELL SADDLES A PAIR OF ACES IN GRAND NATIONAL

The Randox Grand National Handicap Chase over 6900m (Race 5) is Britain’s biggest race and the annual showpiece at Aintree. A 34-strong field is set to compete for the £500,00 first prize over 30 jumps (14 of the 16 fences are jumped twice). As always, a dozen or more runners have good winning chances with trainer Gavin Cromwell’s Stumptown entering the race on an unbeaten streak of four wins.

Cromwell said that Stumptown will be equipped with blinkers to help him “keep up” with the opposition. “Stumptown performed really well at Cheltenham, and if he can back that up, then he certainly has a chance.” His stablemate Perceval Legallois is being tipped as the best outsider by several pundits. “He goes well fresh, so that is definitely a positive,” said Cromwell. The defending champion is Willie Mullins’ nine-year-old I Am Maximus, a hugely impressive winner 12 months ago. He’s out to add his name to an elite list who have won the race more than once. For a longer-priced punt, go eachway Kandoo Kid.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS:

SELANGOR: GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGHEST-RATED DUMA

Graduates of the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale will be displaying their wares in Race 9 over 1400m on Sunday. Duma enters the race with the highest rating and should grasp the opportunity of returning to winning form against his own age group. The gelding was trapped wide in his last start and his earlier form was good.

SHA TIN: THE BOOM BOX TO BLAST BACK UNDER PURTON

The Boom Box saw his winning streak come to an end last time but lost no admirers, finishing third to Armour War Eagle with only 0.50 lengths between them. That was his first go at 1400m and he can take another step forward second-up at the trip as he jumps from draw two with Zac Purton in the saddle. 

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE: FIELD MARSHAL TO LEAD THE WAY

Frank Robinson’s Field Marshal, narrowly beaten in February’s Fever Tree Stakes, reverts to 1800m in Race 5, one of three R160,000 handicaps on the card. He won his only previous start over this distance in the manner of a good sort and will be suited to Craig Zackey’s patient style of riding.