Andrew Harrison

After a break from racing of nearly two months for spring treatment, racing switches to Hollywoodbets Scottsville this weekend where runners will be faced with a billiard table.

A card opening bonus could come first with Major Tommie. Garth Puller’s charge made a promising debut and did find some market support. He was only beaten just over a length by Future Flo who has since franked that form with back-to-back victories and a close-up second. Of the first timers, all the trainers have commented that their charges will need the run. Watch the betting! 

Mind Map has finished runner-up in both local start, both on the poly. He was second best behind Mc Dazzler last run but could go one better in this line-up. Bring The Magic and Little Cracker have shown some ability and in with a money chance. 

In the second, Sun In My Pocket is talented but does not have the easiest of temperaments. If Wendy Whitehead’s charge can keep the lid on until the gates open she could prove difficult to beat. Her biggest threat could be Littleblackgem from the Michael Roberts yard who has run well over course and distance and showed up well first up from a lengthy lay-off last time out. Dressedtothenines has not been far back since racing in blinkers but has had a few chances. She gets a 4kg claimer up which will help her cause. Lightinthedarkness  gets first time blinkers and could up her game

In the first leg of the Pick 6, Woza Nawe found one too good for her when starting favourite last run. It was a narrow defeat but Peter Muscutt has declared blinkers and if they have the desired effect, she rates the one to beat. Bao La has the best of the draw  and Gareth van Zyl’s filly has her third run after a lengthy break. She is lightly raced and could make the required improvement over the extra furlong. 

Of the balance, La Vida Loca has not been far back in her two local starts and can feature in this company while Dee Day has drawn wide but also has her peak run and cannot be ruled out

In the fourth, a Maiden over a mile, Go Grayson Go has shown steady improvement for Frikkie Greyling and was run out of it late when favourite last time out. At his penultimate start he was runner-up to Mike de Kock’s Cape Guineas entry Artists Model to the inference is obvious.

 Alyson Wright has booked log-leading rider Gavin Lerena for World Of Our Own who has been placed in all three starts. He has a wide draw to contend with but looks a big threat to Go Grayson Go. 

Of the balance, Meercat Moon steps up to what could be a more suitable trip after running on nicely last time out while Long Gallery has drawn in New England Road but was much improved in blinkers last time out and can feature for the in-form Garth Puller yard. 

Vihaan’s Queen got a hefty six-point rise in the handicap after her last win but still looks quite well in at the weights for the fifth. She won well last time out and Gareth van Zyl appears to have picked the right race for a back-to-back attempt. 

African Beat has her third run after a break and was narrowly beaten last time out. Mike Miller has stepped her up to what looks to be a more comfortable trip and she could threaten Vihaan’s Queen. Miss Platina steps up in trip after being a beaten favourite last start on the poly. Tinnie Prinsloo’s filly looks held by Vihaan’s Queen at the weights but she is in good form. Broadway Girl finished in front of Miss Platina when last they met  but Stuart Ferrie’s filly is now 1kg worse off. 

The sixth is a competitive handicap. Global Movement got a two-point rise in the handicap for running second but he has consistent recent form and Tienie Prinsloo has booked Gavin Lerena for the ride. One Scotch got a hefty rating for his maiden win and with top weight it remains to be seen if it was a realistic rating by the handicappers. Doug Campbell’s veteran Lake Como has not been far back at recent starts and has been slowly dropping in the handicap.  He has Rachel Venniker’s allowance to assist and from the best of the draw he has a chance at possible long odds. Future Saint has his third outing for Prinsloo and steps up to a more suitable trip. He could also be a surprise package. Not an easy race

Jane’s Vision had a good early record on this track and has come well of late. She takes a big drop in class and with Venniker’s allowance she should be a strong contender in the seventh. Lady Of Vix won well at second time of asking and Tony Rivalland’s charge looks progressive. She got a hefty rating but does look capable. Prankster is never far back and was two lengths behind Jane’s Vision when last they met. With a 4kg claimer up she is much better off at the weights and it will be up to the apprentice to shine. Ayuwi Yuwi is also better off at the weights with Jane’s Vision with her four claimer up so also has claims. 

The last is a wide open handicap but Paul Lafferty could hold the key with the grey The Ghost. She is up against males but she ran a smart race in much stronger company last time out. She has a big weight to shoulder but does look progressive and has a touch of class which could see her home. Garth Puller has cleverly placed Masterbling who has won four of his last five starts and as a five-year-old has only been creeping up the handicap. He still looks well weighted so expect another big effort. Top weight Professor Lupin is slightly better off in the weights with Masterbling and is in good form so must be a contender. Ultra Quick has been holding form and is another that comes into the picture in a tough race.

David Thiselton

The Hong Kong international race day in December is fast approaching, as is the Longines International Jockeys Championship, and race fans got a foretaste of the former with two scintillating performances by Romantic Warrior and Ka Ying Rising at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Romantic Warrior is surprisingly only rated joint eleventh best racehorse in the world on a rating of 122, but perhaps that is because the ranking period happens to a northern hemisphere time scale and runs from January until December. This great Danny Shum-trained Acclamation gelding ended last season with five successive Gr 1 wins, starting with Australia’s most prestigious weight for age race, the Cox Plate and then including three prestigious Hong Kong races, the Longines Hong Kong Cup, the Hong Kong Gold Cup and the QE II Cup, and although all four of those races were over a mile and two furlongs (2000m) he then ended the season by winning the Gr 1 Yashuda Kinen in Japan over a mile.

On Sunday he was over his favourite 2000m trip in the Gr 2 Jockey Club Cup and despite giving the whole field five pounds he cruised in by 4,25 lengths under regular rider James McDonald.

This season he is likely to defend his titles in all of the Kong King Gr 1s mentioned above.

In one of them, the QE II Cup, he will be going for his fourth successive victory. He is the only horse to have won this prestigious international weight for age race three times.

Romantic Warrior could soon become the highest earning racehorse in history.

On Sunday he took his overall record to 16 wins and three seconds from 21 starts and boosted his prize money earnings to HK$154.92 million. He is now not far behind retired Golden Sixty’s world record haul of HK$167.17 million in earnings.

Earlier on Sunday the progressive David Hayes-trained New Zealand-bred Shamexpress gelding Ka Ying Rising smashed the Sha Tin course record set by Sacred Kingdom 17 years ago. Sacred King’s record was 68.35 seconds and Ka Ying Rising lowered it to an incredible 67.43 seconds.

Ka Ying Rising jumped from draw ten under Zac Purton and was being eased down at the line, which makes the record even more special.

When J J The Jet Plane won the Gr 1 Hong Kong Sprint over the course and distance in 2010, his time was 68.84 seconds.

Ka Ying Rising will be the one to beat in the latter race next month.

He has never won a Gr 1 before, but is unexposed as he only began his career in December last year, winning on debut before running two narrow seconds and since then he has won seven times on the trot. Ka Ying Rising’s record was the second notable course record lowered in the Far East recently.

Via Sistina lowered the Moonee Valley course record over 2000m in the Cox Plate a few weeks ago to 2:01.07, beating the previous mark of 2:02.07 set by the legendary four-times Cox Plate-winning mare Winx.

Meanwhile a top class line up has been announced for the Longines IJC, which is one of the world’s most prestigious Jockeys Challenges. Unfortunately, there are no South African riders, at least yet.

The two spots still to be determined for Hong Kong-based jockeys will go to Hugh Bowman and either Karis Teetan or Matthew Poon as things stand. The latter pair are both on 14 wins of the season, three ahead of Luke Ferraris and Matthew Chadwick and there is only Wednesday’s Happy Valley meeting remaining.

The Longines IJC is the most lucrative in the world for the winning rider. The four races are worth a combined HK$7.5 million in prize money. Furthermore, a total prize fund of HK$1 million in bonus money for the most successful riders will be split three ways, with the winner set to receive HK$600,000 with HK$250,000 for second and HK$150,000 for third, respectively.

The line up for the 2024 Longines IJC is: Vincent Ho (reigning IJC champion), Zac Purton (Hong Kong champion), Rachel King (Australia), Ryan Moore (Great Britain), Hollie Doyle (Great Britain), William Buick (Great Britain), Mickael Barzalona (France), Colin Keane (Ireland), Yuga Kawada (Japan), James McDonald (NZ), TBD (Hong Kong), TBD (Hong Kong).

Johannesburg, 15 October 2024 – 4Racing in conjunction with the Handicappers have published the first log for the 2024 R6 million Gr1 Betway Summer Cup to be run at Turffontein on Saturday 30 November.

Second entries close at 11am on Tuesday 05 November, and final entries at 9am on Monday, 18 November 2024, after which weights will be announced. Declarations must be in by 11am on Wednesday, 20 November 2024 and barrier draws will be conducted at a Betway event on 20 November 2024. The final log will be published on Tuesday 05 November 2024.

TABGOLD have added a Pick 6 to their daily menu of QuickMix bets, which are popular with many customers because they combine races from different local and international meetings, and are completed much quicker than multi-race bets on single meetings.

The addition of the Pick 6 brings the number of QuickMix pools offered most days to six – three Jackpot QuickMixes and a QuickMix BiPot, Place Accumulator and Pick 6. Until further notice, the QuickMix Pick 6 will always be the last six legs of the Place Accumulator QuickMix.

To play the Pick 6 QuickMix, TABGOLD retail customers must mark VENUE SPM and RACE 2 on the betting form.

It must be noted that the Pick 6 first-timer rule will apply to South African races in the bet if these races form part of a South African Pick 6. The first-timer rule will not apply to all other races, including South African races that are not part of a local Pick 6.

Local Quartet pools with fractional betting on selected UK race meetings will return to the TabGold betting menu from this Thursday following a mixed reception from customers to the introduction of commingled Quartet pools on all UK and Irish race meetings last month.

Such commingled Quartet pools have been welcomed in some quarters, but many TabGold customers have complained that this has resulted in them being unable to play fractional Quartet bets on UK races.

TabGold have taken note of the complaints and from this Thursday 12 September customers can enjoy the best of both worlds. As before local Quartet pools with fractional betting will be offered on two UK meetings most days with commingled Quartet pools on all other UK and Irish meetings.

Whether an Irish or UK meeting has local or commingled pools will be displayed clearly on Tab sheet race cards in store and online.

Unfortunately for several reasons, including vast differences in exchange rates, it is not technically possible to offer fractional bets on pools commingled internationally.

The minimum unit for commingled bets is R1 (more in the case of countries like the USA) and this is itself a fractional bet in international tote pools.

As an example, the unit of a UK Tote Quartet is one Pound and a customer playing a R1-unit Quartet with TabGold on a UK race is buying about 1/24th of the bet, depending on the exchange rate on the day. And if that bet is the only winning ticket, the customer will get 1/24th of the pool and the remainder will be carried over. To get the full UK Tote payout on a commingled Quartet requires playing the bet to a R24 unit.

That aside, the introduction of commingled Quartet bets has given TabGold customers many more opportunities to play Quartets on UK and Irish races, and access to bigger pools and payouts.