WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 24 - 26 Jan 2025

MASSIVE POOLS, TOP-CLASS RACING ON A GRAND WEEKEND

Get set for a weekend of top-quality racing action with plenty of opportunities to win life-changing money. The action starts on Friday with nine Group races at Meydan. Then on Saturday comes the 12-race extravaganza on World Sports Betting Met Day at Kenilworth which includes three massive carryover pools. A pool of R10 million is expected in the Pick 6 with a Quartet pool of R2 million on the Met and a Jackpot Three pool of R2 million in the offing. And on Races 6 to 12 TAB Tote Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella and Swinger bets will be commingled into the Hong Kong World Pool tote. There will be great value to be had on the tote and on all runners. Download your copy of Computaform here and start studying!

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: NO CRUISE CONTROL SO ANUSCHKA CAN POUNCE

In the absence of the Eastern Cape’s champion sprinter, Cruise Control, who runs in the Cape Flying Championship on Saturday, the R175,000 Fairview Merchants over 1200m is there for the taking. Up-and-coming Anuschka’s World, who receives weight all round, enjoys a good profile on Computaform’s collateral-formline grid and has the most scope for improvement. He could score at the expense of stablemates Gimme’s Laddie and The Winter Lake.

MEYDAN DUBAI: ROMANTIC WARRIOR TO WIN ON DESERT DEBUT

Hong Kong champion and nine-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior starts his desert campaign on Fashion Friday at Meydan in a mouth-watering clash with trainer Charlie Appleby’s Measured Time in Race 7, the Group 1 Jebel Hatta over 1800m on turf. Danny Shum’s globe-trotting star worked nicely under James McDonald at Meydan on Tuesday morning and will take plenty of beating, despite his trainer warning he’s not fully fit for his warm-up race for next month’s Saudi Cup.

Other big guns to look out at the meeting for include Laurel River, who makes his first appearance since winning last year’s Dubai World Cup in Race 4, and Kabirkhan who seeks back-to-back wins in the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge.

The normal range of bets will be offered on Meydan (venue oval 14 to bet in TABs). TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella and Swinger bets on Races 6 and 7 will go directly into the Hong Kong World Pool tote and for technical reasons, these five bet types on the two races will be operated as a separate meeting. Consequently, mark venue oval 17 in TABs to take Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella and Swinger bets on Meydan Races 6 and 7.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

HOLLYWOODBETS KENILWORTH: RACE-BY-RACE GUIDE TO CARRYOVER PICK 6

Leg 1 (Race 4): Highveld raider Poets Warrior is a strong front-runner, likely to enjoy this course and distance. Mucho Dinero is approaching his capable best and is weighted to turn the tables on King Pelles and Holding Thumbs. Triple Time finished a close second in this contest last year. He produced a strong effort in a preparatory race on King’s Plate day and looks well primed.

Leg 2: The Grey King has a good record over this distance and should be in the shake-up.  Captain West finished fourth to star colt One Stripe in the Selangor Cup last November. His fellow three-year-old Let It Be Said is threatening to win and could be the one to beat under a handy 52kg.

Leg 3: There is enough collateral form in a competitive race to suggest Summer Lily is the filly to beat. She’s finished close and in the money in a number of top level-sprints this season. Nordic Quest and Kyalami Girl are bound to show up well in consideration of weight swings with Miss Marquerite and Siddeley. Speedy stablemates Berry’s Boogie and Candy Town could be dangerous if the track comes up fast and useful Southern Skies won her only start over the course and distance.

Leg 4: Gimme A Prince, who won this race in 2023, and last year’s winner, Dyce, both come off good preparations and can fight it out, but there are a number of dangers. Speedy Eastern Cape challenger Cruise Control has won seven races over the distance and has the pace to hold them all off. Classy Questioning is a versatile runner and can never be ignored. Fourie’s booking on Asiye Phambili suggests that she is held in high regard, but in an interview this week Fourie also pointed to a likely good run from King Of The Gauls.

Leg 5: On a line through One Stripe, three-year-old Eight On Eighteen is much better than his 115 rating. Hence, he’s potentially beautifully weighted and poised to beat his older rivals in this flagship event. The young Snaith runner is improving and drawn in the middle of the pack, which allows for options in running. There are questions marks about significant rivals Rascallion (poor draw), Litigation, Royal Aussie, Montien, Zapatillas (better shorter), Red Palace (hard task against the males at this level) and See It Again (lots of travelling recently), Oriental Charm (excuses last) is perhaps the main danger. Magic Verse is the best outsider.

Leg 6: Sail The Seas posted a barnstorming win over 1600m on King’s Plate day and had highly-regarded Garrix behind him. They meet on the same terms, but Sail The Seas has the worst of draws this time. Raiding three-year-old Wild Intent has competitive Highveld form against slightly stronger and Fourie was bullish about well-bred Regulation in an interview.

SUGGESTED R450 (20%) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @ 13:35):
Leg 1: 1, 7, 8
Leg 2: 1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11
Leg 3: 1, 3, 8, 10, 13
Leg 4:  2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13
Leg 5: 10
Leg 6:  7, 9, 11, 12

SUGGESTED R735 (50%) QUARTET Race 8:
Banker 10 x 1,3, 4,7,11,12,15,16 X FIELD X FIELD.

SUGGESTED R180 JACKPOT THREE PERM (Leg 1 Race 9 @16:45):
Leg 1: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Leg 2: 10
Leg 3: 11, 13
Leg 4:  FIELD (1-15)

CHELTENHAM UK: FEAST OF GRADED RACES OVER JUMPS

Four Grade 2 hurdle races and one Grade 2 chase are carded for this Premium Meeting. Several big guns will contest Race 6, the Grade 2 Betfair Cleeve Hurdle over 4800m. Fergal O’Brien’s Crambo returned from a lengthy break to win December’s Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot, showing that he has regained the form lost early in the 2024 season. He is fancied to follow up.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN HONG KONG: ZAC AND LYLE CROSS SWORDS IN SPRINT

Zac Purton’s mount Gorgeous Win and Lyle Hewitson’s ride Full Credit look set to fight it out in Race 8 over 1200m. Gorgeous Win has been runner-up to Raging Blizzard in his last two starts, but finds a weaker race here with a prime opportunity to go one better. Full Credit can either lead or wait depending on how the race unfolds and the Swinger looks a good bet.

SELANGOR MALAYSIA: THUNDERSTORM TO BLOW THEM AWAY

Thunderstorm looks ready for his first win in Race 3 over 1100m at Selangor. Previously trained in Singapore, Thunderstorm ran unplaced in six starts at Kranji, but has posted in a second and a third in two runs in Kuala Lumpur. He turned in a pleasing trial run this week, confirming that he is in a good vein of form.

TURFFONTEIN: RADICCHIO CAN WIN LISTED FEATURE

With five wins from his last eight starts, including two from three in his new base on the Highveld, Radicchio looks capable of winning at Listed level. He may still be ahead of the handicapper and can take advantage of that in Race 7 over 1800m, the 4Racing Dr Richard Maponya Handicap. While Radicchio ran below best in one previous attempt over 1800m as a younger horse, he has won over 1750m and has improved with age.