WEEKEND RACING HIGHLIGHTS: 13 – 15 NOV

FIVE LOCAL MEETINGS AND A BAHRAIN BLOCKBUSTER

Five local meetings through the weekend offer many chances to back winners. A star filly rounds off her feature-race preparation at TAB Fairview on Friday and looks a solid banker for exotics. A formidable two-year-old returns from injury for his first start as a three-year-old at TAB Turffontein on Saturday, while two superb older horses go head-to-head in a sprint at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. In KwaZulu-Natal, Hollywoodbets Greyville stages a Polytrack meeting on Friday and a turf meeting on Sunday to round off an exciting three days of South African racing.

The local action is backed by top-flight international racing, starting with a blockbuster meeting in Bahrain this afternoon. This is Bahrain’s biggest horseracing event of the year with the $1.5-million Group 1 Bahrain International Trophy over 2000m heading the card. The race will be televised in some 130 territories.

Ireland’s champion trainer Aidan O’Brien runs dual Derby winner Lambourn, who will break his trainer’s world record of 28 Group 1 winners in a calendar year if he wins. Ryan Moore takes the ride on the four-year-old colt, who has reportedly settled in well in his temporary home.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

TAB FAIRVIEW: FORTUNE BOOKED FOR MARCHLAND PREP

Kelly Mitchley has booked Andrew Fortune to partner star filly Marchland in Race 3 over 1600m, a prep run ahead of December’s Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas. She said: “We’re very excited to see Marchland race before she goes on to the big stage. She needed her last run and this looks like quite an easy race for her, but it is her second run after a layoff and we want to see how she goes.”

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE:  SNAITH TWO HAVE STRONG CLAIMS

Justin Snaith saddles two runners and both have winning chances. Supreme World (Race 5) makes her Polytrack debut after a rest and Snaith reports she is a speedy type with an each-way chance. Her form was franked when Peach Cobbler won at HWB Kenilworth on Tuesday. The Swan Song (Race 7) was well backed when a close fourth over this distance last month and looks set to atone.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

SANDOWN: DISTANCE SPECIALIST BEIWACHT TO SCORE

This is the final meeting of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and the Grade 1 CF Orr Stakes (Race 8) over 1400m heads the programme. Beiwacht is a 1400m specialist and boasts three wins from as many starts over the distance. He could be too sharp for last year’s winner Jimmysstar. TAB Win, Place, Quinella and Swinger bets on the race will be commingled in the HKJC World Pool tote.

SELANGOR: MEGA FORTUNE READY TO STRIKE AGAIN

Jason Lim’s Mega Fortune bids for a hat-trick in Race 6 over 1200m. The Irish-bred gelding pulverised his rivals when scoring his second win over 1100m last time and followed that with an excellent training gallop on Tuesday. He should relish the extra 100m and will be hard to beat. The meeting starts at 06:10.

SHA TIN: MEGASTAR HEART SET FOR THREE ON THE TROT

Casper Fownes-trained Megastar Heart bids for a hat-trick in Race 7, the Panasonic Cup Handicap over 1200m, after two effortless wins this season that have highlighted his above-average ability. He looks destined for bigger things and victory would make him the first horse this season to land three successive wins. The meeting starts at 06:30.

CHAMP DE MARS: CONSISTENT SALT ’N PEPPA CAN BOUNCE BACK

With two wins and three places from his last five starts, consistent Salt ’N Peppa makes most appeal in the topliner, Race 5 over 1365m. He followed easy wins over Comedy Club and War Chariot with a well-beaten fourth behind Ishikwishikwishi in the Blue Marlin Trophy last time, when taking on slightly stronger opposition. His favourite jockey Manoel Nunes retains the ride and Salt ’N Peppa looks capable of bouncing back. The meeting starts at 10:30.

TAB TURFFONTEIN: TURN IT UP IS BACK AFTER AN INJURY

Turn It Up, considered one of the best of last season’s two-year-olds before an untimely injury in April halted his winning streak, returns to the track in Race 7 over 1200m, the day’s feature sprint. Trainer Sean Tarry said his runner is short of his peak but expects him to be competitive. It will be interesting to see how he measures up against talented contemporary Gimme A Fireball and older hard-knockers The Last Duke and Shadowfax. The latter has found his feet in his new stable and looks ready to win again. There are no obvious bankers in the Pick 6, making percentage betting the right way to structure a winning permutation.

SUGGESTED R259,20 (5%) PICK 6 PERM (Leg 1 Race 4 @ 13:25):

Leg 1: 4, 8, 9

Leg 2: 2, 3, 7

Leg 3: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12

Leg 4: 1, 4, 5

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 11

Leg 6: 1, 2, 9, 11

HOLLYWOODBETS KENILWORTH: JET FORCE, QUESTIONING SQUARE UP AGAIN

Jet Force and Questioning renew rivalry in Race 7, the Bantry Bay Stakes over 1100m. Two of the class acts of South African racing with 19 wins between them, they are tuning up for the major features ahead. Jet Force has already landed a sprint feature this season (the Grade 3 Matchem Stakes), while Questioning generally runs well fresh after a rest. With the useful Café Culture also in the mix, this promises to be a mouthwatering contest.

CHELTENHAM: HENDERSON TAKES ON SKELTON HOTSHOT

There are two Grade 2 races and a Listed contest on the card including Race 3, the Grade 2 Paddy Power Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial over 3200m. Nicky Henderson’s Old Park Star won four races in succession earlier this year but has been rested since March. He faces Dan Skelton’s current Arkle favourite Kabral Du Mathan and bookmakers have been unable to separate the pair in ante-post betting. “I realise what we’re taking on Kabral Du Mathan in particular. It won’t be easy, but I think he’s up for it,” said Henderson.

SUNDAY HIGHLIGHTS

HOLLYWOODBETS GREYVILLE: IMPRESSIVE ST HARRY HAS MORE TO OFFER

Trainer Peter Muscutt suggested last summer that his imported sprinter St Harry would improve with maturity and his charge appears well on course to fulfilling that prediction. He made a winning return in his first start as a three-year-old last month and judging by the manner of that victory, looks destined for better things. St Harry is the one to beat in Race 6 over 1000m, one of two R150,000 features on an eight-race programme.