RACE 1     

2 CITY LIGHTS 3 PASS THE BATON 1 ARCTIC VIXEN 5 GLORIA MUNDI

Preview: 2 CITY LIGHTS has a fine-form chance over a suitable trip from a good draw. 3 PASS THE BATON should be in the shake up in this line-up. 1 ARCTIC VIXEN returns from a six month layoff but has the form to be involved.  5 GLORIA MUNDI has shown signs of improvement and could earn here. (David Thiselton 2-3-1-5)

RACE 2     

 7 MILO’S MILLIONAIRE 8 CYBER SPIRIT 1 BLACK HOLE SUN 2 GOLDEN ARGO 

Preview: 7 MILO’S MILLIONAIRE was not disgraced against some fair sorts and if returning in good shape after four month layoff could be involved. 8 CYBER SPIRIT could be in the shale up in the lineup from a fair draw. 1 BLACK HOLE SUN is drawn on the right side and might enjoy the step down in trip.  2 GOLDEN ARGO has a shout in the lineup despite being drawn on the wrong side. (David Thiselton 7-8-1-2)

RACE 3     

6 BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW 7 TIGER STORM 12 QUASIKAT 9 BOURBON RESERVE

Preview: 6 BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW has been thereabouts lately and from a good draw could be right there. 7 TIGER STORM is over his right trip and with Striker up should go close. 12 QUASIKAT went close on debut but has not raced for three months. 9 BOURBON RESERVE made a fair debut but has not raced for nearly six months. (David Thiselton 6-7-12-9) 

RACE 4     

1 CLEAR THE PATH 4 DYLAN’S CHAMP 5 ROBERT BROWNING 11 INSTANT ATTRACTION

Preview: 1 CLEAR THE PATH  has good form and is distance suited but does have a tricky draw. 4 DYLAN’S CHAMP should be right there from a good draw over a suitable trip. 5 ROBERT BROWNING only has about two lengths to make up on Clear The Path and has a better draw. 11 INSTANT ATTRACTION has a fair draw and should handle the step up in trip. (David Thiselton 1-4-5-11) 

RACE 5     

4 THE NAVY LARK 5 COMING IN HOT 2 WHAT A TIGER 12 REMAINS OF THE DAY

Preview: 4 THE NAVY LARK has a lot of pace and is drawn on the right side. 5 COMING IN HOT won easily last time and has a chance if reproducing. 2 WHAT A TIGER has the form to be involved here. 12 REMAINS OF THE DAY could earn from a low draw and a 4kg claimer up. (David Thiselton 4-5-2-12)

RACE 6     

2 CHAMPION WARRIOR 3 DECEPTION PASS 5 BLOOMINGTON 1 BRAVE VIKING

Preview: 2 CHAMPION WARRIOR is starting to fulfill his potential and is well drawn. 3 DECEPTION PASS is a progressive sort who could make a bold bid for the hat-trick despite an eight point raise.  5 BLOOMINGTON can go close if repeating his last start. 1 BRAVE VIKING would prefer a touch shorter but has been in good form off this mark and could maybe now start getting 1600m at age five. (David Thiselton 2-3-5-1)

RACE 7     

 3 ARIEL’S JET 1 SAY IT WITH ROSES 2 I AM REGAL 

Preview: 3 ARIEL’S JET is in fine form and has Lerena up from a fair draw. 1 SAY IT WITH ROSES is distance suited and should be improving being by Flower Alley so can go close from draw two.  2 I AM REGAL is in good form and should enjoy this trip. (David Thiselton 3-1-2)

RACE 8     

9 HAVE A PARTY 3 SNEAK PREVIEW 4 STORMY SUNDAY 6 PARTY PUNCH

Preview:  9 HAVE A PARTY is knocking hard and is drawn well over a suitable trip. 3 SNEAK PREVIEW is in good form over this trip so will enjoy the step down in trip but does have a tough draw. 4 STORMY SUNDAY won her maiden well but strikes as one who will enjoy this trip and should be running on if getting cover from a wide draw. 6 PARTY PUNCH is in good form and went close last time from pole position, but now has to overcome a wide draw. (David Thiselton 9-3-4-6)

Gallop TV is thrilled to announce that it will broadcast the prestigious 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships live on Friday, 1 November, and Saturday, 2 November. Viewers across South Africa can tune in to watch the world’s top horses compete at one of the most celebrated events in international horse racing. This year’s World Championships extravaganza is being held at Del Mar on the Pacific Ocean coastline in California. The five Breeders’ Cup championship races for two-year-olds will be run at the Friday meeting with the other nine championship events, including the headline $7-million Breeders’ Cup Classic, on Saturday. The 1st Race on Friday is off at 20h35 and on Saturday the 1st race jumps at 19h05.

South African fans will have an extra reason to celebrate, with two local champions, Isivunguvungu in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Race 5 at 21h41) and Beach Bomb in the Breeders’ Cup F&M Turf (Race 9 at 00h25), in action on Saturday, 2 November. These standout equine athletes are set to represent the nation on the global stage, taking on elite contenders from around the world. 

In conjunction with this premier event, Tabgold will offer commingled pools, for Win and Place with a R40 minimum unit, Exacta and Pick 6 with a R20 minimum unit and Pick 3 and Jackpot with a R10 minimum unit. Tote betting will open from Friday morning through Tabgold outlets and digital platforms, giving South African racing fans early access to place their bets. 

“We are excited to bring the excitement and spectacle of the Breeders’ Cup to South African viewers,” said Gold Circle International & Commercial Executive, Dean Sawarjith. “With the added thrill of our local champions competing, this promises to be a weekend to remember for racing enthusiasts.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to witness high-stakes international racing, proudly brought to you by Gallop TV (www.galloptv.co.za).

TABGOLD online customers can take in 30 hours of astounding racing action this weekend, comprising the famous Breeders’ Cup meeting in the USA, the Allied Steelrode Onamission Charity Mile raceday at Turffontein and the first of four meetings that make up the annual Melbourne Cup Carnival.

It all kicks off with the first of the two Breeders’ Cup meetings at 20:35 on Friday. This year’s World Championships extravaganza is being held at Del Mar on the Pacific Ocean coastline in California. The five Breeders’ Cup championship races for two-year-olds will be run at the Friday meeting with the other nine championship events, including the headline $7-million Breeders’ Cup Classic, on Saturday.

Friday’s meeting at Del Mar will end at 02:25 on Saturday and online customers can take a short nap before the Victoria Derby day action at Flemington in Melbourne gets under way little more than two hours later.

TABGOLD will bet on the last seven races at Flemington and this is an all-graded-race spectacular no horseracing fan should miss. The card is topped by the $2-million Victoria Derby over 2500m for three-year-old’s and comprises three Grade 1 events plus two Grade 2s and four Grade 3s.

Charity Mile is one of 4Racing’s mega racedays in Joburg. Six feature races will be run and there’s a chance to land a big win for a small amount in a R1-million carryover Pick 6 pool, which should total some R5 million.

The second day of Breeders’ Cup starts at 19:05 in the evening with the Breeders’ Cup Classic at 23:41.

All TABGOLD bets on the Flemington meeting will be commingled into Tabcorp pools in Australia. Win, Place, Quinella and Swinger bets will be onwards commingled into the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool tote, while Exacta, Quartet, Rolling Double and Jackpot bets will be hosted by Tabcorp. No Trifecta bets will be offered.

TABGOLD bets on Breeders’ Cup will be commingled into the host tote and betting units will be as listed below because of the ZAR-US$ exchange rate.

* Win, Place, Eachway = R40 minimum; R40 unit.

* Exacta, Pick 6 = R20 minimum; R20 unit.

* Pick 3, Pick 4 (Jackpot) = R10 minimum; R10 unit.

David Thiselton

Legendary ex-pat South African trainer David Payne still remembers his South African roots and confirmed it was himself who named his Gr 1 Victorian Derby entry, War Ribbon.

The horse has the same name as a top 15 time-winning sprinter David trained in SA in the early 1980s.

He has another Gr 1 contender running this Saturday called Raq Queen and it is likely no coincidence that the jockeys for the two above mentioned horses have South African roots, with SA Jockey Academy graduate Keagan Latham being the regular jockey for War Ribbon and Chad Schofield, son of former Durban-based stalwart jockey Glyn Schofield, being the regular rider for Rag Queen.

The South African-bred 1977-born War Ribbon completed what today would have been a notable Gr 1 weight for age treble in the 1981/1982 season. On August 15 1981 he won the Gr 1 Natal Flying Championship (Mercury Sprint) over 1200m at Clairwood, on 19 December 1981 he won the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship over 1000m at Kenilworth and on 27 February 1982 he won the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Gosforth Park.

The War Ribbon in Australia is by Calyx and is the opposite type to the sprinting War Ribbon. He is only 20th in the ballot order for the Victorian Derby to be run at Flemington on Saturday as he has only won once in his four starts to date. He was an easy 3,8 length winner when stepped up to 2260m last time out.

Payne bought the horse for Aus$35,000 and the one thing he is confident about if War Ribbon does make the field is that he will see out the 2500m trip of the $Aus2 million Victorian Derby.

He said, “Well, he’ll definitely stay the trip, which a lot of them won’t.”

On Saturday at Royal Randwick he has the rags to riches filly, appropriately named Rag Queen, running in the Gr 1 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m.

Rag Queen cost only $15,000 as a yearling, she stands barely 15 hands, weighs less than 450kg, and will be dwarfed by some of the powerfully-built, superbly-bred colts in the field for the Group 1 three-year-old classic. 

But Payne, who is chasing a third Spring Champion Stakes after his wins with Montefilia (2020) and Ace High (2017), is adamant Rag Queen will hold her own.

“Rag Queen’s only tiny, there is nothing of her, but she is a talented filly, tries very hard,” Payne said.

“I thought her run in the Gloaming Stakes (fourth behind El Castello and Swiftfalcon) was very good.

“She will appreciate the 2000m, she just keeps coming in her races and will be finishing off strongly.

“We are testing her for the Oaks in Melbourne and I think she can run very well against the ‘boys”.

Rag Queen won on debut as a two-year-old, her only win to date.

However, she has been highly tried as a three-year-old and has not been disgraced.

David Thiselton

The Hollywood Syndicate-owned Narrow Creek Stud-bred What A Winter gelding Isivunguvungu will become the third South African-bred horse in history to run in the Breeders’ Cup at 21H41 SA Time on Saturday and in the early hours of Sunday morning at 02H25 SA Time the Drakenstein Stud homebred Lancaster Bomber filly Beach Bomb will become the next SA-bred horse to run at the iconic meeting.

The meeting is being held over two days at Del Mar racecourse in San Diego, a racecourse with a beautiful setting and which has a slogan “where the surf meets the turf.”

Isivunguvungu runs in the US$1 million Gr 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint over five furlongs and Beach Bomb runs in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf over one and three-eighths of a mile (2200m).

Both horses are trained by Graham Motion and the jockeys are yet to be declared.

The two SA-bred horses to have previously run in the Breeders’ Cup both took part in the Filly And Mare Turf.

In 2001 Spook Express (Comic Blush) finished second in that race and in 2004 Super Brand (Royal Chalice) ran ninth. 

Both horses had several starts in North America prior to their Breeders’ Cup tilts, with Spook Express running in the country for several years.

Isivunguvungu has only had one run in the USA, winning the $150,000 Black Type Da Hoss Stakes over five furlongs and 110 yards on turf at Colonial Downs. He was slowly away that day, but was then taken handy and showed a tremendous kick at the top of the straight before just holding on.

One important factor in his favour on Saturday is that at Del Mar the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is over five furlongs (1000m), which is his optimum trip as he has tremendous speed but tends to take a bit of a hold.

However, he did win the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint in SA over six furlongs having earlier won the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint over 1000m.

Twelve of the world’s best sprinters line up in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Isivungvungu is a best-priced 25/1 longshot.

The barrier position draws will be done live on YouTube tomorrow.

The favourite is the five-year-old Steve Asmussen-trained entire Cogburn (Not This Time), who has had 15 starts for nine wins and two seconds. This year he has only had three starts and has been in devastating form. He started off in May by winning a Gr 2 at Churchill Downs over five-and-a-half furlongs from start to finish by 2,25 lengths. In his next start in the Gr 1 Jaipur Stakes over five-and-a-half furlongs at Saratoga he soon led and won by 3,5 lengths in a phenomenal course record time of 59,8 seconds. In his last start in a Gr 2 at Kentucky Downs over six furlongs he led from start to finish again and won by 3,25 lengths.  

The second favourite is Europe’s best sprinter, the Archie Watson-trained Bradsell. This Tasleet four-year-old colt is out of a mare by Archipenko, who won the Gr 1 QE II Cup in Hong Kong for Mike de Kock. Bradsell has won three Gr 1s, all over five furlongs, the Kings Stand Stakes (Royal Ascot) last year and the Nunthorpe (York) and Flying Five Stakes (The Curragh) this year.

Next in the betting at a best-priced 10/1 apiece are two more England-based sprinters, the George Boughey-trained Believing (Mehmas) and the Michael Appleby-trained Big Evs (Blue Point). 

Believing has won six out of 24 starts, including a Gr 2 over five furlongs, and was second to Bradsell in both the Nunthorpe and Flying Five.

Three-year-old Big Evs won a Gr 2 as a two-year-old and also won the Gr 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. This season his two wins include a Gr 2 over five furlongs at Goodwood and he was also third in the Gr 1 King Charles III Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot. He beat Believing at both Ascot and Goodwood, but was well beaten in the Nunthorpe.

At 14/1 is Star Of Mystery, an Appleby-trained three-year-old Godolphin-owned Kodiac filly. Her five wins in 12 starts include a Gr 2 over five furlongs on the Meydan turf. She was also second in the Gr 1 Al Quoz Sprint and a 3,75 length third to Cogburn when he broke the course record at Saratoga. She also won a Gr 3 at Saratoga.

Those are the chief contenders and show just what a hard task Isivunguvungu has.

Meanwhile, Beach Bomb, who has finished second and third in two starts in the USA respectively, is a best-priced 50/1 for her race and is up against the like of the Godolphin owned Gr 1 Belmont Oaks winner Cinderella’s Dream (Shamardal), the Aidan O’Brien-trained Gr 1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Content (Galileo) and the John and Thady Gosden-trained dual Gr 1 winner Emily Upjohn (Sea The Stars).