TAB WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 9 - 11 May 2025

OUTSIDERS, BANKERS AND BOLD BETS ON A WEEKEND FULL OF PROMISE

It’s a good weekend for horseplayers with two local meetings offering strong chances to strike big in Jackpots and Pick 6s. Saturday’s meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville promises high drama as a fiercely-competitive field of Durban July hopefuls face off - and we have a 20-1 outsider with a real chance, On Sunday the Turffontein Pick 6 comprises two solid bankers and four wide-open legs, making it a prime opportunity for punters with sharp minds and smart perms. Make sure your TAB account is topped up - you don’t want to miss any of the action!

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: GREEFF LOOKS SET TO DOMINATE BOTH FEATURES

A feature-race doubleheader adds plenty of punch to the day and trainer Alan Greeff looks poised to win both. Greeff’s dominance in the region is underscored by his impressive winning tally. He’s saddled 132 winners this season - a remarkable feat given that all but two have come from racing at just one meeting per week.

With five of eight runners in Race 7, the Listed Dahlia Plate over 1200m, Greeff has a chance of saddling a stable Quartet. Richard Fourie is contracted to ride Hot Sauce for Ridgemont Farm and Andrew Fortune is booked for Greeff’s unbeaten WSB East Cape Nursery winner Anotherdanceforme, who Greeff says is a big runner.

With six of 11 contenders in Race 8, the Listed World Sports Betting East Cape Derby over 2400m, Greeff again has a firm hold on the outcome. He said that his eight-time winning three-year-old, My Best Shot, was a class act who should see out 2400m on the strength of his pedigree.

CHESTER: THE FOXES LOOKS THE PART IN GROUP 2 FEATURE

The topliner on the third and last day of the 2025 Chester May Festival is Race 3, a Group 2 contest over 2100m. Andrew Balding’s globe-trotting five-year-old, The Foxes, looks the one to be with. The former Dante winner had top form on his travels last winter, finishing fourth behind Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup and second to Rebel’s Romance in the Group 3 HH Amir in Qatar. “We’re happy with the horse and this looks a good opportunity to get a Group Two on the board. He has some exciting targets all around the place later in the year,” said Alistair Donald, racing manager for King Power Racing in whose colours The Foxes runs.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN: FAST NETWORK CAN MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW

Dennis Yip’s four-year-old Fast Network is on a hat-trick of wins in Race 10 over 1200m. Yip tried his hand with Fast Network in the Classic Series this season and, while he didn’t disgrace himself, 1600m looked his limit. Dropped back to 1200m since, he’s posted two impressive wins and his rating has soared beyond 100. Fast Network has the services of Hugh Bowman, who partnered him to a four-length success over the course and distance on 30 March. The meeting starts at 07:00.

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE: FLY HIGH WITH NEL’S CAPE EAGLE

Justin Snaith’s Future Swing is looking for back-to-back wins in the World Sports Betting 1900 (Race 7) and re-unites with last year’s winning jockey Richard Fourie. But with a 14-point hike in his merit rating and 6kg more to shoulder than a year ago, landing the feature double won’t be easy.

Stablemate Okavango is a promising three-year-old who comes in on the back of two good handicap wins over 1600m. He has been the ‘talking horse’ in the run-up to this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, but takes a massive jump in class and his opening odds of 2-1 look a touch short. Underworld, another Snaith charge, has done more in stronger company and will jump from a good draw.

The value, however, lies with Andre Nel’s evergreen Cape Eagle, the best-weighted male runner in the race. He is versatile with wins from 1200m to 2400m, loves Greyville and enjoyed a four-run winning sequence over 1600m to 1800m from December 2022 to March 2023. Indications are that the seven-year-old hasn’t lost his zest for racing. He’s had an excellent preparation and can spring a 20-1 surprise if he can overcome his draw.

LINGFIELD: KEEP THE FAITH IN BECKETT’S CATHEDRAL

There are three feature races on one of the biggest days of the year at Lingfield, including Race 5, a Group 3 for fillies over 1400m. Ralph Beckett’s much-vaunted three-year-old Cathedral has not been seen in action since finishing second in last October’s Group 3 Oh So Sharp Stakes. An €800,000 yearling, Cathedral has been described as a filly with untold potential and is expected to make a winning return. Aiden O’Brien saddles classic hopeful Puppet Master (Ryan Moore) in the Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes over 2300m (Race 3) and it’s worth noting he has won the contest six times since 2008.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS:

TURFFONTEIN: TWO RUNNERS TO BANKER IN THE PICK 6

The Listed Betway Secretariat Stakes (Race 7) over 1400m tops the card and forms the first leg of the new Highveld Winter Series, which carries a R500,000 bonus for winning all three legs. The other legs are the Egoli Mile in June and the Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m in July.

Royal Force won his preparation run for the Secretariat in the manner of a horse going places. “He is an impressive horse, we had a niggle with him early in his career but I told his owners to wait, he will reward them,” said trainer Lucky Houdalakis. Jockey Piere Strydom was surprised with Royal Force’s improvement that day and noted that he was a runner with much scope, which bodes well for his re-appearance in this feature. Royal Force has 62kg to shoulder but only concedes 1.5kg to main rivals Immediate Edge and Potberrie.

Course-and-distance specialist Main Defender will be giving away much larger chunks of weight in Race 6 over 1400m, but there are no runners of his exceptional quality among the bottom weights and he, too, should be hard to peg back. Build around Main Defender and Royal Force in Pick 6s.

SUGGESTED R360 (50%) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @13:20):

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7

Leg 3: 1

Leg 4:  1

Leg 5: 1, 2, 4, 6

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6