WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 5 - 7 July

LOADS OF CHANCES TO WIN ON AFRICA’S BIGGEST BETTING DAY 

Get set for a sensational weekend headlined by the Hollywoodbets Durban July meeting. This is the event that generates Africa’s biggest betting day annually and there are 12 races carded, plus a R2-million TAB Pick 6 carryover that could boost the pool to a whopping R20 million, a Quartet pool on the flagship race expected to reach R15 million as a result of a R2-million carryover, and a carryover of R500,000 to Jackpot THREE. The racing action will be hard, fast, exciting and into the evening, and you’ll also be able to bet with TAB into the Hong Kong World Pools on the July (Race 7) and Race 8. The weekend action starts at Fairview today when Joy and Peace goes for a four-timer at Fairview and on Sunday Hotatrubi looks a good thing in the Sea Cottage Stakes at Turffontein. It’s a 10-star weekend with loads of opportunities to win big! 

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: GREEFF’S STABLE LOOKS SET FOR A BIG DAY 

Trainer Alan Greeff broke an unusually dry spell for the stable with a good win by Call To Glory on Tuesday. The Greeff runners should start producing their customary enthusiasm at this meeting and Listed East Cape Derby winner Joy And Peace is the one to beat in Race 7, in which she goes for four wins in a row. “I eased off her after the Derby, but she is fresh and in a good space and has a winning chance,” said Greeff. He also believes September Flower (Race 1), Masked Vigilante (Race 6) and No Place Like Home (Race 8) will go close to winning. 

SANDOWN: FAVOURITES TO SHINE IN THREE LISTED RACES 

Two-year-old Aesterius, who narrowly missed the first four in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, has the best credentials in Race 2, one of three Listed races on the card. Well-performed Lion’s Pride will take all the beating in Race 5. He was short of his best after a rest in April’s Listed Magnolia Stakes and will have improved since. Last season’s Group 1 Goodwood Stakes winner Quickthorn is another who just needed his warm-up run in April. He should win the Coral Marathon (Race 6) over 3200m. 

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN: EXCITING THE WINNABE SHOULD WIN AGAIN 

Jockey Hugh Bowman, who was in good form with a couple of winners at Happy Valley on Tuesday, is fancied to win Race 9 over1400m on John Size’s unbeaten colt The Winnabe, regarded as one of the most exciting prospects on the island. “He’s a lovely horse. He’s very laid back so I think he’s going to run further than the 1200m as we probably saw today,” said Size said after The Winnabe won his previous start at this track. The meeting starts at 10:00. 

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE: INCLUDE OUTSIDERS IN CARRYOVER PICK 6

The Pick 6 legs at the Durban July meeting comprises of two Grade 1 races, four Grade 2s and a Grade 3. There are obvious form runners to include in every race and below are comments from the connections of a few value runners and outsiders to consider including alongside the favourites. 

It’s a tricky and challenging Pick 6 in which the only possible banker is Gimmie’s Countess in Race 5 over 1400m. She was trapped on the fence for more than 200m in the recent Grade 1 Allan Robertson Stakes and flew up for fourth when she found a gap late in the race. A spread of runners will be needed in all the other legs. 

Race 4: Gavin Lerena: “Nebraas was quite far back last time (in the Listed Lonsdale over 2400m), and finished the race off well. He’s doing really well at home, Sean Tarry has got him moving very well and he stays, that’s for sure.” 

Race 6: Richard Fourie: “I wanted to ride Cosmic Speed who gave me a good feel, but I went for Proceed because I know him well. It was a tough choice. Waheed scares me, and Great Plains gave me a great feel. Winds Of Change is one to watch even though he is still a maiden.” 

Race 7: Justin Snaith: “If I had one more prep run for Double Superlative I would have been confident of winning. But he is fit and well.” 
Gareth van Zyl: “I’m not too worried about the draw for Flag Man. It’s nice not to have pressure on your outside. Serino (Moodley) is oozing confidence and I’m expecting a big run from him.” 
Race 8: Gavin Lerena: “Mrs Browning drew nicely and at home it does feel like she’ll get a mile. In a race it’s a bit different, but I think maybe we can get away with it over the Greyville mile.” 
Anthony Delpech: “Asiye Phambili dropped her rider last time. She is doing very well, could be the sneaker in the race. She races well fresh, she will be there in the finish.” 

Race 9: Peter Muscutt: “You can ignore Quasiforsure’s last run, draw a line through it. He is in good order.”  

SUGGESTED R4,200 PICK 6 (R420 for 10%): 

Leg 1: 4, 6, 8, 12, 14 

Leg 2: 7 

Leg 3: 2, 5, 10, 11, 14 

Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 10, 11, 16, 17 

Leg 5: 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11 

Leg 6: 5, 7, 8, 13 

CARRYOVER QUARTET, DURBAN JULY (Race 7 @ 16:00) 

SUGGESTED R1680 PERM (R168 FOR 10%) 

Box 1,2,5,6,10,11,14,17  

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

KRANJI: GOLDEN MONKEY SHOULD WIN PREP RUN FOR LION CUP 

Golden Monkey lines up in the Kranji Stakes in his final preparatory run for the Group 1 Lion City Cup over 1200m on 28 July. Now the second highest-rated galloper in Singapore after Lim’s Kosciuszko, the Tim Fitzsimmons-trained gelding has placed in the last two renewals of Singapore’s premier sprint. He put in a solid showing behind Ghalib in similar company on 16 June, should make plenty of improvement from that run and is the best horse in this race. “I was really happy with how Golden Monkey galloped last Thursday,” said Fitzsimmons. The meeting starts at 06:30. 

TURFONTEIN: NO JULY BUT HOTARUBI CAN LAND GRADE 3 WIN 

Hotarubi just missed out on a place in the final field for the Durban July, but his connections look set for a comfortable consolation bonus in the Grade 3 Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m. The well-performed three-year-old is rated 17 points clear of Biofarmer, the second-highest rated horse in the race, and at level weights should be the proverbial certainty. There are more exciting races on a quality eight-race programme - promising Legend Of Arthur should continue his impressive winning run in Race 2 over 1400m and star colt Lucky Lad reverts to sprinting in Race 6, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1160m. He shoulders 62kg, but his rivals are not cut from the same cloth.