View our South African horse racing preview for all race meetings taking place from Monday the 29th October to Thursday 1st November 2018. Get the latest racing news, Hollywood Syndicate comments and Magic Tips Best Bets (by eMeM) for this week's racing action.
Clouds, Classics & The Currie Cup
Depending on where your allegiances scrum down on the rugby field, it was another terrific sporting weekend all round with a host of outstanding performances and thrilling finishes underscoring some top quality horseracing.
Well done to the Sharks on a hard fought eighth Currie Cup victory at a sweltering Newlands on Saturday. Western Province were gallant in defeat and the match was a memorable one.
Two of our Hollywood Syndicate runners earned cheques this weekend.
While he is battling to put a winning performance together, Alphamikefoxtrot always puts in a game effort and picked up another third placing at Greyville on Friday evening.
We were particularly pleased by the improved performance of Whiteleaf Hills at Greyville on Sunday. He stayed on doggedly at the business end after tracking the leader and was only beaten a whisker. His next win should not be long in coming, so follow this fellow!
At Kenilworth on Saturday, we may well have gotten a glimpse of the potential Guineas winners.
Cape Nursery winner Clouds Unfold won the Western Cape Fillies Championship with a superb turn of foot, while Joey Ramsden pulled an ace out of the hat when Twist Of Fate went gun to tape from his wide draw to win the Cape Classic.
Richard Fourie’s ride to get Magnificent Seven up in the final stride of the Algoa Cup at Fairview on Sunday also deserves a mention. The favourite looked dead and buried at the 250m marker but summoned reserves from who knows where to pip Wild Briar and avert a Pick 6 disaster. This was the Snaith galloper’s fourth victory on the trot and his sixth success from seven starts!
A good quality Pinnacle Stakes headlines a well-patronised nine-race programme in Kimberley today.
The Flamingo Park meeting gets under way at 12h20 today.
The fifth race looks a tricky affair with thirteen-time winner and topweight Red Special taking on the local rising star, Timkat. The latter has been getting stronger with each outing and goes for a hat-trick of wins. He is drawn wide but should overcome that. Notacademicatall jumps from the pole position gate and looks the likely quartet kicker.
The beautifully bred Duke Of Marmalade filly Princess Irene looks the best on the nine race Kenilworth card on Tuesday, when she steps out in the seventh race.
After three smart runs she could be ready to win but will need to hold Vomandla, Star Fighter and the Snaith’s Silvano’s Pride.
With three seconds to her name, the Oratorio filly Cantata steps up to a mile when she runs in the eighth.
Her formline is a textbook improvement graph and she has it all in her favour to crack the maiden here. Richard Fourie could give Bernard Fayd’herbe most to think about with Minona drawn well and having her third start after two good places.
Anton Marcus and Brett Crawford could provide punters with a double at Greyville on the polytrack on Wednesday.
Debut winner Ultra Magnus steps up to Novice company in the second race after his smart course-and-distance success on 26 September. He was well spoken about after his maiden success and the fact that Marcus retains the engagement suggests we sit up and take note.
The combination also come together in the fourth race with debut runner-up Cruz Giovanni.
The son of What A Winter was drawn at 13 / 13 when making his unsupported debut on the Greyville turf last month. If he reproduces a similar performance over the extra 200m on the all-weather, he can go close.
We are back at the Vaal on Thursday where ten races are carded on the inside track.
While Mike de Kock’s Noble Princess can win the fifth after two smart seconds and looks the best bet of the afternoon, Cape Champion jockey Aldo Domeyer is in town to ride for his step-mom Ashley Fortune. And that partnership could be key to overall success on a tricky card.
Aldo has seven decent rides including the long overdue Pachanga (five seconds and counting!) in the fifth, the exciting Dalai’s Promise in the seventh and the consistent Seventh Rule in a tricky Pick 6 closer.
Charity Mile day takes centre stage at Turffontein on Saturday with a bumper day of features – and an intriguing R1 million Maiden race carded. More about that on Thursday.
For now, have a super week and many winners.
Till next time.
eMeM's Tips
Courtesy of Winning Form
Flamingo Park (29/10)
Race 2 – GYPSY QUEEN (3)
Jockey: Shadlee FORTUNE - Trainer: Bill HUMAN
GYPSY QUEEN has shown promise in both her starts on this forgiving surface and the blinkers have definitely aided the human-trained inmate. She had the better of TINA BRAVADA in her penultimate start but will meet her 4kgs worse off at the weights which could bring the pair closer together.
Kenilworth (30/10)
Race 2 – AU REVOIR (7)
Jockey: Donovan DILLON - Trainer: Joey RAMSDEN
AU REVOIR has obvious ability despite her quirks and will strip fitter after an encouraging comeback run following a lengthy 34-week absence. The minimum trip will suit the daughter of Var.
Greyville Polytrack (31/10)
Race 4 – SIGISMUND (1)
Jockey: Craig ZACKEY - Trainer: Alistair GORDON
SIGISMUND is a well-related son of Dynasty, who has shown potential in his three runs to date and should be a force in this competitive mile event.
Vaal (01/11)
Race 6 – LIKE A PANTHER (1)
Jockey: Randall SIMONS - Trainer: Mike DE KOCK
The de Kock-trained inmate LIKE A PANTHER is obviously preparing for the summer campaign so he won't be fully tuned-up but is undoubtedly the class act here and could still take all the beating. Of course, his most noticeable achievements are his third-placed finishes in the Cape Guineas and, more recently the South African Classic.
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