WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 2 - 4 August

INTERESTING LISTED EVENTS ON LOCAL BILL OF FARE

With the start of the 2024/25 season on 1 August, South African racing takes a bit of a breather with no major features for a while. However, there is still lots of excellent racing on offer to enthrall fans with two Listed races at Fairview on Friday and another at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday. With the rain having abated in the Western Cape, they finally have the opportunity at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday to run the much-delayed Winter Country Champ finals over 1200m, 1400m and 1800m. On the International front racing continues at Goodwood in the UK on Friday and Saturday with Grade 2 and Grade 3 fare on the menu while Racing at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore on Sunday features a 10-race turf and dirt fixture.

MORE AUSTRALIAN BETS COMMINGLED

TAB and TABgold customers will have more opportunities to win on Australian flat and harness racing from 1 August, when Quinella and Quartet bets will be added to the range of bets currently commingled with Australian tote betting giant Tabcorp.

Currently TAB and TABgold customers can take Win, Place, Exacta, Trifecta, Rolling Double and Jackpot bets directly into Tabcorp pools through TAB and this list will be expanded to include Quinella (first two finishers, any order) and Quartet bets.

The unit of betting and minimum bet amount will be R1 and R6 respectively with no fractional betting, as is the case with existing Tabcorp commingled bets on Australian races.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

RAIDERS SET FOR A GOOD DAY AT FAIRVIEW

With all the poor weather in the Western Cape trainers appear keen to raid Fairview and all of Candice Bass-Robinson, Glen Kotzen as well as the father-and-daughter team of Harold Crawford and Michelle Rix have runners in the respective Listed events – Race 6, the East Cape Paddock Stakes for fillies and mares, and Race 7, the Memorial Mile, both over 1600m. Bass-Robinson has runners in both races but her charge, Rainbow Lorikeet, might find Crawford/Rix-trained Time For Love too good for the fourth successive time. However, Bass-Robinson and jockey Aldo Domeyer look hard to oppose in the Memorial Mile with Sugar Mountain. Local Champion Trainer Alan Greeff will be looking for a fifth win in a row in this race with a three-pronged attack headed up by Fairy Knight.

AUSSIE RAIDER FOR GOODWOOD SUCCESS

Asfoora can add to her Royal Ascot victory with more glory in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood. The Australian raider has spent the summer in the United Kingdom based at the Newmarket stables of Amy Murphy. Henry Dwyer's mare had her first taste of British racing at Haydock, where she was fourth of nine in the hands of Mitchell Aitken behind both Kerdos and Live In The Dream, who reoppose on the Sussex Downs. On faster ground at Ascot, though, it was a different story as she galloped home a length clear of the King Charles III Stakes field under Oisin Murphy, leaving a number of runners who will again take her on trailing in her wake.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

VALUE APLENTY IN WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

The skies have cleared over Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and punters will find several attractive betting propositions on a card that features the four Winter Country Championship Finals. Race 5 is the Winter Country Championship 1400 Final and Justin Snaith-trained gelding Liketheclappers could be worth siding with at generous odds. This six-year-old son of Pomodoro was rushed to the front from a wide No 12 draw last time but faded out. This time he will jump from a favourable No 3 draw, so will enjoy the run of the race. The value in the Winter Country Championship 1200 Final lies with Gimmethegreenlight filly Tres Chic and is worth a confident each-way bet under Louie Mxothwa. In Race 7 lightly raced Pathfork gelding Sooty makes for an attractive betting proposition after his fast-finishing close-up third over the same course and distance last time out. In Race 8 - the 1800 Final - King Pelles, who took advantage of a drop in the ratings by returning to form with an encouraging fourth over 1600m last time, is good value to build on that improvement, especially with blinkers refitted and having dropped another point in the ratings.

LERENA ON THE PROWL AT TURFFONTEIN

Gavin Lerena has some really good rides on the Standside track at Turffontein and is the jockey to follow but two, in particular, stand out. Race 2 is a Maiden Plate over 1800m and Lerena will be aboard filly Key Worker for his fourth crack at a win. The Gimmethegreenlight filly will try this longer trip for the first time. After winning impressively on debut, Corrupt, who will run in Race 6 over 1400m, gave the impression there was a lot more to come from this Erupt gelding. Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge was well backed to win his first start and he duly arrived, flying up late to beat Kaleesh Cyborg by 0.75 lengths over 1160m at Turffontein. However, on breeding he is probably going to be looking for a lot further than 1400m as time goes on as he is a half-brother to a slew of stayers, including 2020 Gold Cup runner-up Paybackthemoney, Out Of Your League, Zeus and Indian Ocean.

SUGGESTED PICK 6 (Starts @13.50)

R900

Leg 1: 2, 3, 6, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4

Leg 3: 5

Leg 4: 3, 4, 10

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

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

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

MASCHERINA COULD BE OFF TO STUD

After impressing in her last start Mascherina should have every chance of following up in Race 7, the Listed Off To Stud Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. Mascherina won her last start over 1500m at this course and has also won over 1600m so the distance is no concern. The Gimmethegreenlight filly has only raced seven times for three wins, and even in her only unplaced run when finishing fifth, she was just 1.15 lengths behind the winner. Tristan Godden takes the ride. Bettors can get off to a winning start with Dean Kannemeyer-trained three-year-old Maphaka who looked unlucky not to score on debut. He will improve for that run and can open his account in Race 1, a Maiden Plate over 1200m.

SINGAPORE SUCCESS FOR TENNET TENTENNET

Four-year-old gelding Tennet Tentennet is set to give trainer Leslie Khoo his sixth win of the season as he lines up in the $50,000 Class 4 Handicap over 1600m on the Polytrack at Kranji. A Polytrack specialist, Tennet Tentennet has a commendable record of three wins and four placings from eight starts on this surface. After an encouraging first-up performance in early July where he settled towards the rear from a wide draw but surged home to finish a close second, just 0.80 lengths behind the winner, he looks primed for a strong showing. In what is expected to be a wide-open card with five of the 10 races being Class 5, he looks to be the best bet of the day.