WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 12 – 13 SEPTEMBER

TRAINERS BEGIN TO PRIME THEIR BIG-RACE PROSPECTS

Spring is here and trainers are stepping up preparations for their classic and feature-race prospects. Several up-and-coming three-year-olds will be in action at Turffontein on Saturday, making for a quality day of racing. Internationally, the Group 1 Betfred St Leger and Irish Champion Stakes highlight a weekend packed with big-race action and Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool races.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

TURFFONTEIN: PUMPKIN PIE CAN SERVE UP ANOTHER WIN

There was plenty to like about five-year-old Pumpkin Pie’s comeback win over 1160m in July, and he has a good chance of following up in Race 7 over 1200m, the topliner on a quality card. Pumpkin Pie encountered congested traffic from a midfield position and saw a few gaps close on him before being switched to the inside of the track and barging his way through to get to the front. He won with a lot in hand, beat a decent field and the form was subsequently franked by impressive winners Espinoza and Eco Check. Pumpkin Pie is talented and versatile, and conceivably better than his 97 rating. He is also nicely drawn for his first sprint on the inside track.

SUGGESTED R201,60 (10%) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 3 @ 13:40):

Leg 1:  1, 2, 3, 7

Leg 2:  3, 4, 7

Leg 3:  1, 2, 3, 4

Leg 4:  FIELD (1-7)

Leg 5: 3, 5

Leg 6: 2, 5, 6

DONCASTER: FATHER AND SON HOLD THE ACES IN ST LEGER

The Betfred St Leger Stakes over 2900m heads this seven-race card and the O’Brien family is set to dominate this latest edition of the oldest Classic on the planet. Aidan O’Brien will saddle 2-1 favourite Christmas Day and 11-4 third favourite Pierre Bonnard, while his eldest son Joseph sends out 9-4 second favourite Enceladus.

Christmas Day was second in the Irish Derby and then third in the Great Voltigeur Stakes, both over 2400m, and seems likely to relish this marathon journey. That said stablemate Pierre Bonnard was just behind Christmas Day in the Irish Derby and finished ahead of him in second in the Voltigeur. He must go close if he stays this extra 500m. Enceladus has reeled off three wins in succession against weaker and is improving with every run. He should have the necessary stamina and could well come out tops. All TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Swinger and Trifecta bets on the St Leger will go into the Hong Kong World Pool.

LEOPARDSTOWN: CONSTITUTION RIVER CAN PROVE A POINT

Dual Group 1 winner Constitution River is a short-priced favourite for his much-anticipated rematch with Item in Race 7, the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes over 2000m. Aidan O’Brien blamed himself for a “complete mess” of a race in the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York, in which a botched pacemaker plan caused the colt to get too fired up before finishing third behind Item. Constitution River was being hailed as the best three-year-old in Europe at the time, and the Ballydoyle team aim to set the record straight before he is retired to stud. All TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Swinger and Trifecta bets on all races will go into the HK World Pool.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SHA TIN: THIS LOOKS RIGHT FOR GORGEOUS VICTORY

With speedy Good Good likely to lead from an inside draw in Race 6 over 1600m, the contest looks well suited to Danny Shum’s hard-running charge Gorgeous Victory. Shum keeps Zac Purton in the saddle of the Australian-bred four-year-old after the champion jockey partnered him in a couple of runs late last season that saw him close to a win. That form reads well and he looks ready to make his mark early in the new term. The meeting starts at 07:00

SELANGOR: FORTUNE TREE EYES ANOTHER FEATURE WIN

Talented five-year-old Fortune Tree drops in class and looks on target for another feature win in Race 6, the 2026 Magic Millions Trophy over 1200m at Kuala Lumpur. Fortune Tree returns off two excellent performances in four-year-old features in June and July, including a win in the Group 1 Tunku Gold Cup and a fast-finishing second in the 4YO Selangor Mile. He gets the services of in-form jockey Jimmy Wong and should give his followers a big run for their money. The meeting starts at 07:10.

HOLLYWOODBETS SCOTTSVILLE: ASCALON DANCER CAN RETURN WITH A WIN

Four-year-old Ascalon Dancer, who has run only three times, returns to the track in Race 7 over 1200m and is one of the most interesting runners on the card. The son of Vercingetorix looked a bright prospect when he won his 1200m debut last September by 4.25 lengths and has been seen in action only twice since, putting up respectable showings in graded races. Trainer Gareth van Zyl commented in Computaform that he is hoping for a good run after Ascalon Dancer’s four-month layoff. Taking into consideration the high standard of the opposition, one can assume that Van Zyl believes his charge is not far off his best. Handily weighted and well drawn, he looks a strong each-way bet.

CURRAGH: FOUR GROUP 1 RACES ON A CRACKER CARD

This cracking eight-race meeting features four Group 1 races, including the 500,000-Euro Irish St Leger for three-year-olds and older, unlike the Doncaster equivalent which is restricted to three-year-olds and excludes geldings. Six of the seven runners in the St Leger hail from the stables of Aidan and Joseph O’Brien, and Aidan’s charge Scandinavia is hot favourite to reel off his eighth victory in succession. This champion four-year-old will have no problems with the 2800m distance, having won last year’s St Leger at Doncaster, and is impossible to oppose under stable jockey Ryan Moore. All TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Swinger and Trifecta bets on the Group1 events (Races 3 to 6) will go into the HK World Pool.