TAB WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 10 – 12 JULY

QUALITY FARE THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND

There is plenty to look forward to this weekend, beginning with two feature races at Fairview this Friday, when the meeting has been switched from turf to Polytrack again. Champion filly Anotherdanceforme bids for the 11th victory of her career in the Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes and the region’s leading stayers will lock horns in the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup.

Saturday features a typically competitive winter programme at Turffontein, together with Group 1 action from Newmarket in the UK, where TAB will commingle into the World Pool tote on all races. Attention shifts to Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday, when in-form trainer Justin Snaith saddles a runner primed to return to the winner’s enclosure.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

FAIRVIEW: ANOTHERDANCEFORME CAN BEAT WIDE DRAW

Champion filly Anotherdanceforme will not be affected by the switch to the Polytrack in Race 7, the Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes over 1600m, given she won last time out on the surface by 7.25 lengths. Her only obstacle is that she will jump from draw 15, but trainer Alan Greeff expressed confidence on Racing Today’s Track Talk, saying: “The race is really strong, but she has a turn of foot second to none and we’ll have to take our chances.”

NEWMARKET: PRECISE BIDS FOR FIFTH GROUP 1 WIN

Aidan O’Brien will pin his hopes on Precise in Race 4, the Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes over 1600m. After clashing with high-class stablemate True Love on three occasions this season, the Ballydoyle master has elected to split his star fillies this weekend, with True Love instead heading to France for Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Jean Prat. Ryan Moore, who partnered Precise on her seasonal return before switching to True Love at the Curragh, reunited with the daughter of Starspangledbanner to win the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. He is back in the saddle as she bids for a fifth Group 1 victory.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SELANGOR: DUMA LOOKS SET TO WIN BIG-RACE PREP

Promising four-year-old Duma looks capable of landing the odds in Race 4 over 1600m at Kuala Lumpur. The Frank Maynard-trained gelding is coming off an eye-catching performance over 1200m a fortnight ago, when he stormed home from last at the 400m mark in a 14-runner field to finish a creditable fourth, beaten just three lengths. Having already secured his place in the Selangor Mile on 26 July, this race shapes as the ideal stepping stone to that feature assignment. The meeting gets underway at 06:30.

CHAMP DE MARS: FUTURE SWING TO MAKE WINNING START

Multiple South African stakes winner Future Swing makes his island debut for trainer Rameshwar Gujadhur in Race 6, the Grade 3 Winter Stakes Cup over 1850m, and looks the one to beat in a small but competitive field. The son of Futura has been based at the track since March and is workout videos suggest a steady progression towards race fitness. He often produced good performances after rests in South Africa and with Donovan Mansour in the saddle, should make a bold bid first-up for his new stable. The meeting starts at 10:30.

TURFFONTEIN: LIFE IN COLOUR LOOKS THE WAY TO GO

A competitive nine-race programme should provide fertile ground for healthy exotic payouts. The Pick 6, in particular, looks challenging but a strategy that could pay is to spread wide through the first five legs before banking on Corne Spies’ smart-looking two-year-old Life In Colour in the final leg over 1400m.

Life In Colour was still learning when winning his maiden over the trip in May and jockey Mickaëlle Michel believes both horse and rider will have gained from the experience as they continue to build their partnership. Reunited with the gelding, Michel also claims a valuable 1.5kg, leaving Life In Colour with just 50.5kg. Potentially better than his current rating of 87, he could prove difficult to beat in a field with an average merit rating of 83.

SUGGESTED 10% (R264) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @13:40):

Leg 1: 2, 8, 9
Leg 2: 3, 5, 6, 9
Leg 3: FIELD (1-11)
Leg 4: 1, 4, 5, 9
Leg 5: 1, 3, 6, 8, 11
Leg 6: 13

NEWMARKET: VENETIAN SUN CHASES GROUP TREBLE

Karl Burke’s progressive sprinter Venetian Sun brings back-to-back Group victories into Race 6, the Grade 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai July Cup Stakes over 1200m. Burke is pleased with the filly’s condition heading into the feature, although he revealed she showed signs of coming into season earlier this week. “She takes her racing very well and she’s very professional. We’ve been very happy with her. She did a really good piece of work at the end of last week and had a little breeze yesterday. She did show a little bit in season on Monday, which we’ve never really noticed before, so we’ll keep an eye on that. Some fillies cope with it and it means nothing.” All TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Swinger and Trifecta bets on all races will go into the massive Hong Kong World Pool tote.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN: SAGACIOUS LIFE GETS EVERY CHANCE

Sagacious Life made a promising start for Caspar Fownes when third on his stable debut last month. Fownes will now be looking for a win in Race 8, the Hong Kong Racehorse Association Trophy over 1600m. In-form Joao Moreira has the ride from barrier two and will have every chance to win. Fownes is on the verge of claiming his fifth Hong Kong trainers’ championship, and said: “Hopefully, we can get it done but I’m not taking anything for granted.” The meeting starts at 10:00.

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE: SNAITH’S CHARGE LOOKS THE DEAL

Justin Snaith holds Powerandtheglory in high regard and the well-bred gelding could finally notch his third career victory in the day’s feature, Race 4 over 1400m. Although he has won only two of his 15 starts, he has consistently competed in stronger company than he meets here. Powerandtheglory was narrowly beaten from a wide draw on his Polytrack debut last month and with that experience behind him, a drop in class could prove decisive. Despite carrying top weight, he rates the horse to beat.