WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 31 May - 2 June

QUALITY FARE AND 3 JACKPOT CARRYOVERS ON A DREAM WEEKEND

Three carryover TAB Jackpot pools headline a super weekend of graded racing locally and abroad. Locally, there are Jackpot One carryovers totalling R1.5 million at Fairview on Friday, Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday and Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday with a R3-million pool anticipated at Maritzburg’s Grade 1 sprint feast. Internationally, it's the Group 1 Betfred Oaks and Derby at Epsom in the UK with the Hong Kong World Pool tote in operation on all races on Derby Day. Sunday's Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly wraps up three days of high-quality racing action on a dream weekend for TAB customers.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: SPLICETHEMAINBRACE LOOKS A BANKER IN CARRYOVER JACKPOT

Trainer Alan Greeff’s comments in a Racing Today interview package at www.racingtoday.co.za point to big runs from Masked Vigilante (Race 4) and Splicethemainbrace in Race 7, the Lady’s Slipper over 1400m and the third leg of the R150,000 carryover Jackpot. Having won both the fillies and colts’ Nurseries over 1200m this season, she is expected to enjoy her first run over the longer distance and Richard Fourie retains the ride. “I hope she can keep her winning spell unbroken,” said Greeff.

EPSOM: EMILY UPJOHN SET FOR TWO IN A ROW IN CORONATION CUP

Dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn seeks to repeat last year’s victory in the Group 1 Coronation Cup over 2400m (Race 3). Following her good run in the Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night, she has an ideal opportunity today with only four rivals to beat. Last year’s Group 1 Fillies Mile winner Ylang Ylang was prepped for the Group 1 Betfred Oaks (Race 5) when staying on for fifth in the recent QIPCO 1000 Guineas. Fitter now, she’ll take a power of beating over this longer distance and is set to give Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien his 11^th Oaks winner.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

KRANJI: COUNT ON CONSISTENT COOL SIXTY-ONE IN RACE 4

Quality galloper Cool Sixty-One is primed for his third local win when he returns to Kranji in Race 4over 1200m on turf. Trained by James Peters, Cool Sixty-One has placed in three consecutive starts and was unlucky not to win his latest outing over this course and distance. He was blocked from the 300m to 100m marks before finishing strongly to claim third, beaten only 0.75 lengths. Peters has another winning chance in Race 10 over 1000m, in which Bransom is a popular choice. The meeting starts at 6.30am.

HOLLYWOODBETS SCOTTSVILLE: IN-FORM TARRY HOLDS THE ACES IN CARRYOVER JACKPOT

Trainer Sean Tarry and jockey Richard Fourie partner with key runners in all four of the Grade 1 sprints over 1200m. These races (5-8) form the four legs of Jackpot One, which is expected to top R3 million as a result of a R1-million carryover. Tarry’s star three-year-old Lucky Lad is the closest to a potential banker in Race 8, the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint. Here are some thoughts on the four blockbuster sprints:

Race 5 - Allan Robertson Championship: Tarry’s filly Rodeo Drive skated in by four lengths last time and has a chance, but this is the most open of the four Jackpot legs. Barend Botes-trained Quid Pro Quo is unbeaten in two starts over the course and distance and Dean Kannemeyer’s runaway debut winner Gimmie’s Countess has the perfect pedigree for this contest. Her dam Real Princess won the SA Fillies Sprint in 2016 and her full-brother Gimme A Prince won last year’s Golden Horse Sprint. Kindred Heart and Symphony In White are others who enter the reckoning.

Race 6 - Gold Medallion: Following the scratching of Truth, this looks a two-cornered contest between Tarry’s Grade 3 TAB Protea Stakes winner Proceed and Cymric, winner of the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes.

Race 7 - SA Fillies Sprint: Tarry’s Mrs Browning has won four of her last six, including two Graded features, and looks the one to beat. She has been vulnerable over 1200m, however, which brings Candice Bass-Robinson’s Cape raiders October Morn and Winter Cloud into contention. If you fancy October Morn, you have to include close rival Asiye Phambili, who won her last start here in a fast time. White Pearl has been knocking at the door and is the best outsider.

Race 8 - Golden Horse Sprint: Lucky Lad won his only race over this track and trip by 5,25 lengths in last year’s Gold Medallion. He’s progressed from there, is at the top of his game and will be hard to beat. Add 11-time winning Fairview raiders Cruise Control and the rejuvenated Zinovi if you’re looking for an upset.

SUGGESTED R210 PERM FOR JACKPOT ONE:

Leg 1: 1, 3, 7, 8, 9

Leg 2: 7, 11

Leg 3: 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 15

Leg 4: 10, 11, 15

EPSOM: CITY OF TROY BIDS TO REDEEM HIS SHATTERED REPUTATION

Aidan O’Brien’s City Of Troy blotted his copybook with a poor run in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas this month, but is still at the top of the boards for the Group 1 Betfred Derby. He was considered to have needed the run that day and is the preferred ride for stable jockey Ryan Moore ahead of unbeaten stablemate Los Angeles. But several question marks hang over City Of Troy and in an open renewal of the race, one may have to look wider for the winner. Charlie Appleby’s scopey Dubawi colt Ancient Wisdom makes value appeal on the strength of an impressive prep.

Derby Day is a Hong Kong Jockey Club Wold Pool event and all TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Swinger and Trifecta bets on all the races will be commingled into the massive Hong Kong pools. So here’s your chance to have a big punt on the best of your fancies without worrying about depressing the payout.   

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN: HAYES GIVES THUMBS UP TO KA YING RISING

Four weeks after beating quality opposition in a Class 2 Handicap, Ka Ying Rising is back at Sha Tin for his stiffest test to date in Sunday’s Grade 3 Sha Tin Vase Handicap over 1200m. He faces stronger opposition, but has surged through the divisions and trainer David Hayes commented: “I think Ka Ying Rising has very good form references going forward. He is progressive and his form has been franked. He’s taking on international Group 1 winners, so we’ll see how good he is.” If the track stays firm, Galaxy Patch will take all the beating in the day’s other feature, the Grade 3 Lion Rock Trophy Handicap over 1600m. Race 1 is at 10:00.

KENILWORTH: SOMERSET 1200 WILL BE KEENLY CONTESTED

Eight promising two-year-old colts and geldings will line up in the Listed Somerset 1200m. The main contender is Vaughan Marshall’s Lion Rampart, who has blistering pace and was run out of it late in the Grade 3 Winter Nursery over 1100m this month. He has focused better since blinkers were fitted recently, but failed in his only attempt over 1200m and that brings stablemate Talk to The Master into the picture. He is on the up, runs on strongly and seeks a hat-trick over the course and distance. Other fast improvers, Kaiboy and Miss World, also warrant respect in the R250,000 carryover-boosted Jackpot ONE.

CHANTILLY: ARROW EAGLE, ALCANTOR LOOK VALUE IN FRENCH DERBY

The Group 1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club over 2100m is the French equivalent to the Derby at Epsom and boasts such illustrious recent winners as Mishriff, Sotsass and Ace Impact. Aidan O'Brien’s Diego Velasquez is the weak ante-post favourite in an open contest. French horsemen have a great record in this race and trainer Jean-Claude Rouget has won five of the last 10 renewals - three of them ridden by Cristian Demuro. They have an outside chance of another triumph with 20-1 chance Arrow Eagle, while Andre Fabre’s Alcantor, runner-up in last season’s Group 1 Criterion International, also looks fair value at 12-1.