WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 19 - 21 July

YOUR CHANCE TO CASH IN ON THE EXOTICS THIS WEEKEND!

With rain putting paid to Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth fixture, there are standalone local meetings at Turffontein tomorrow and Scottsville on Sunday, both with competitive mid-winter fields and chances to win big on the exotics. The last two single South African Saturday meetings both yielded Pick 6 pools of about R1.2 million and sizeable payouts, and you can expect similar this weekend. As usual, this Friday’s Fairview meeting gets the weekend action rolling. It looks an unusually tricky card, but presents a good opportunity to build a solid kitty ahead of next weekend’s end-of-season World Pool Gold Cup extravaganza by playing Exactas and Swingers. There is also international Group racing to keep racing fans entertained, including the last running of the Singapore Cup on Sunday. It’s a weekend for sharp punters to cash in!

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: CHALLENGING CARD, BET EXACTAS AND SWINGERS

With no outstanding bets on a challenging eight-race card, punters are advised to listen to the trainer interviews on Racing Today (www.racingtoday.co.za) for pointers. Every race is a potential minefield, but there’s money to be made with Exactas and Swingers. It’s worth noting that trainer Alan Greeff said Arabian Red (Race 6) was not persisted with in her disappointing last start and that much better is expected. Also note the Tara Laing stable’s confidence in Polytrack specialist Colorama in Race 8 and that Gavin Smith said that useful sprinter Slim Jannie (Race 7) is looking a picture having returned to his yard after a spell in KwaZulu-Natal.

NEWBURY UK: BANK ON APPLEBY IN THE ROSE BOWL STAKES

The Listed Rose Bowl Stakes over 1200m (Race 5) looks a good stepping stone on his way through the ranks for trainer Charlie Appleby’s two-year-old grey Symbol Of Honour. This highly regarded gelding was beaten only 1.25 lengths into sixth in a 22-horse field in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. His main rival Ya Moh Be There was a further nine lengths back in that race and looks unlikely to trouble him.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

TURFFONTEIN: BAVARIAN BEAUTY IS THE CLASS ACT

Trainer Tony Peter’s lightly-raced Bavarian Beauty was on the heels of Humdinger and ahead of several top fillies in the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes on Hollywoodbets Durban July Day. A repeat of that performance should see her first past the post in Race 6, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m. A former Grade 1 winner herself and well in at these race conditions, she has the makings of a Pick 6 banker.

Peter has another good runner in Virginia Beach (Race 7), who is 4.5kg better off with Mist In Scotland on their clash on 20 June, and will have improved since. She is an out-and-out 1000m filly and could get away from her rivals on what is expected to be a fast winter surface.

SUGGESTED R1080 PICK 6 (R108 for 10%):

Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 8

Leg 2: 2, 5, 6

Leg 3: 1

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

Leg 5: FIELD (1-9)

Leg 6: 3, 6

THE CURRAGH (IRE): MOORE LOOKS TO HAVE PICKED WELL

Trainer Aiden O’Brien sends out a formidable pair in the Group 1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks over 2400m. Stable jockey Ryan Moore has chosen to ride Group 1 placed Content ahead of fluent Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Port Fairy, which suggests that the Galileo filly is the stable elect. French raider Dare To Dream has good collateral form through Content and appeals as a value Place bet.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

KRANJI: LIM’S SALTORO CAN STAR IN LAST SINGAPORE DERBY

With racing in Singapore closing down on 5 October, this Sunday will see the last running of the Group 1 Singapore Derby over 1800m. The race has even more significance because champion colt Lim’s Saltoro has a good chance of becoming only the second horse in history to win Kranji’s Triple Crown for four-year-olds. “To win the last ever Singapore Derby would be massive for everyone concerned,” said trainer Daniel Meagher. “I can’t fault the horse. We knew he was special from day one, but to do what he has done is still amazing. He’s as ready as can be and set for this race.”

HOLLYWOODBETS SCOTTSVILLE: THREE-YEAR-OLDS STAND OUT IN SPRINT

Promising three-year-olds The Real Prince and Strathclyde take on a few hard-knocking older rivals in the most interesting contest on the card, Race 5 over 1200m. The Real Prince, a facile debut winner, just needed his last run after an extended break. He comes into this MR94 Handicap in just his third career start, an indication of trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s confidence in his charge’s ability.

Richard Fourie is seeking a hat trick of wins on Tony Rivalland’s versatile Strathclyde following two good 1400m wins. He is a well-bred and speedy sort, and he’s still on the upgrade. Handily weighted Plaza Accord is the joker in the pack.

THE CURRAGH (IRE): VESPERTILO LOOKS PART IN MINSTREL

A Group 2 race and two Group 3 contests top Sunday’s card. Multiple Group 1 placed filly Vespertilo is the highest-rated runner in Race 4, the Group 2 Romanised Minstrel Stakes over 1400m, and looks the part. California Dreamer has not yet won a race, but has placed in several Group contests. On the strength of that high-level form, she will represent value against a few juvenile winners in Race 2.

William Haggas’ raiding four-year-old Orchid Bloom , looks more than a match for her Irish-trained rivals in Race 6, the Group 3 Al Shira'aa Racing Meadow Court Stakes over 1800m.

FORTHCOMING ATTRACTION

2023-24 GRAND FINALE - WORLD POOL GOLD CUP DAY

Get set for an enthralling final act to the 2023-24 horseracing season at Hollywoodbets Greyville next Sunday 28 July. It’s wall-to-wall feature races with the World Pool Gold Cup and HKJC Champions Cup headlining a 10-race card that will offer TAB customers countless chances to land a big win and determine the outcome of the trainers’ championship.

A R2-million TAB Pick 6 carryover will generate a mega pool in which many will rely on See It Again and Flag Man in the Champions Cup and Future Pearl in the Gold Cup. The famous 3200m marathon has a R1-million Quartet carryover and a likely handsome prize in store for those who can pick the first four home. And to top it all, TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella and Swinger pools will be commingled into the Hong Kong World Pool tote. Average pool sizes will range from R5 million for Exactas to nigh on R20 million for Quinellas. Get ready to have a go!